How Football Might Look If Pele Had Been Born on the Same Day as Neymar

Football legend Pele is celebrating his 75th birthday, giving us all a moment to reflect on a career that boasted three World Cups, a record amount of goals and a long-held status as one of the greatest men ever to kick a sphere of leather.

Pele played in a bygone era when he was not subject to the pressures, pace, physicality and never-ending scrutiny of the modern game. When trying to assess his merits in relation to our modern gods of football, one question arises: What if Pele was in his prime in 2015?

What if he had been born on the same day as current Brazilian talisman Neymar, being raised in the same environment and subject to the same opportunities?

Over the next few slides, we imagine a world where Neymar and Pele started off in the same place and speculate as to where their careers would take them.

While we go off in search of a cake big enough to house 75 candles, take a look and let us know what you think with a comment.

2007

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At this point, our heroes are 15 years old.

The young prodigy Neymar has been showing off his skills in the Santos youth setup for the past four years, but a new talent has arrived in town. Fresh from the city of Bauru, around 250 miles north west of Santos, a young boy named Pele arrives with his father, Dondinho, who loudly promises his son will be the “greatest football player in the world.”

Neymar hears this proclamation, pauses, then continues to tend to his hair, hoping someone will one day invent a social media platform upon which he can constantly upload pictures of himself.

2008

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By the age of 16, Pele has made his full debut for both Santos and the Brazil national team.

Both players are taken to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where the Selecao meet an Argentina side featuring Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria.

They claim gold for the first time in the nation’s history, and captain Ronaldinho is so happy he takes Neymar and Pele on one of his famous nightclub visits. The trio aren’t seen for three days.

2009

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In his first full season for Santos, Neymar scores fourteen goals, but in his No. 10 role, he also manages to provide 14 assists for Pele.

On the international stage, they both help Brazil win the 2009 Confederations Cup with ease.

Accordingly, both players are offered huge financial incentives to move to Europe. Neymar is kept in Brazil through 11 separate lucrative sponsorship deals, promoting anything from underwear brands to soft drinks.

At this point, Pele forms his life-long love affair with shilling for corporate brands. After every Campeonato Paulista goal, he poses on the sideline with a delicious and nutritious Subway sandwich, washing down a healthy bite with a delicious Coke while noting the time on his shiny Hublot watch.

2010

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Pele and Neymar lead Santos to a Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil double, but it becomes increasingly clear both are destined for Europe.

At the 2010 World Cup, Pele earns the Golden Boot as Brazil win their group and then defeat Chile, the Netherlands and Uruguay to reach the final against Spain.

Incidentally, Argentina also do extremely well at the tournament. Diego Maradona is a competent and well-respected manager because he hasn’t wasted decades of his life bickering with a certain Brazilian about which one of them is the greatest player of all time.

Brazil are defeated in the final—because 2010 Spain are still 2010 Spain—but Neymar and Pele have the world’s attention.

Florentino Perez was elected for his second stint as Real Madrid president over a year ago based on the promise he would deliver both players to the Bernabeu. He reiterates his desire to bring in the Brazilians, which angers world-record signing Cristiano Ronaldo, who starts to lose trust in the organisation.

2011

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Santos manage to cling onto both players, who form a formidable partnership as they lead the club to the 2011 Copa Libertadores.

Despite their fearsome reputations, many European fans still dismiss the pair as highlight-reel show ponies who couldn’t handle the physicality and pace of La Liga or the Premier League.

Regardless, their numerous YouTube compilations rack up Taylor Swift levels of views.

Thanks in part to YouTube, Neymar is instantly recognisable to many fans around the world for his spiky dyed hair, while Pele also catches attention with his tattooed arms, pierced ears and bleached mohawk.

2012

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Neymar’s advisors believe he will benefit from a year or two more in Brazil, but Pele finally makes his move to Spain shortly after his third Campeonato Paulista win with Santos.

Perez brings Pele to Real Madrid for a world-record €95 million fee, and it is hoped he will form a devastating partnership with fellow Portuguese speaker Ronaldo.

However, CR7 is affronted by being upstaged and puts in a shock transfer request.

The only team able to afford him is a Paris Saint-Germain, who were purchased by Qatar Sports Investments the previous year. Ronaldo is sold for €95.1 million to become the world’s most expensive player once again.

Accordingly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic never signs for PSG and is snapped up by Real Madrid to partner Pele—much to the chagrin of Barcelona fans.

2013

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The Zlatan-Pele partnership at Real fails to spark, and the club goes into crisis when manager Jose Mourinho benches the Brazilian for several high-profile matches because he likes to do that kind of thing.

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, take the Champions League by storm with Ronaldo leading the way, beating Barcelona and Bayern Munich on their way to a tense victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in the final.

Having broken the bank for Pele, Real never sign Gareth Bale, who is snapped up by Manchester United instead. The Red Devils, led by their new manager David Moyes, go on to win the 2013/14 Premier League title. Moyes is declared a thoroughly worthy successor to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Also, in the summer of 2013, Neymar finally makes his switch to Europe. He is fully expected to go to Real Madrid but instead makes a shock move to Barcelona, where he will become the archrival of his Selecao partner in crime.

2014

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It’s a huge year for Brazil as World Cup hosts, and the nation is happy to gloss over the fact the team isn’t very good because they have two—count 'em, two!—superstars upon which to pile their hopes and dreams.

Neymar is injured in a feisty quarter-final against Colombia and does not continue in the tournament. Brazil face a semi-final against Germany without one of their stars, but the players resist the urge to pine for him, hold up his shirt during the national anthem and act like they have already been defeated because they still have their secret weapon: Pele.

Brazil go three goals down quickly, but Pele plays out of his skin and brings it back to 3-3. Brazil go through to the final on penalties—yes, someone beats Germany at penalties.

At the Maracana, they face archrivals Argentina and win thanks to a beautiful extra-time volley from Pele. He becomes a national icon, wins the Ballon d’Or and finally lands the erectile dysfunction endorsement gig he’s always dreamed of.

2015

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Pele, now 23 years old, simply cannot stop scoring for Madrid.

With Ronaldo out of the Liga picture, he forms a fierce rivalry with longstanding Argentinian foe Lionel Messi. One question becomes commonplace in every office, playground and pub around the world: Who is better—Pele or Messi?

Ronaldo remains vaguely in the conversation, but the media hype is focused on the South American rivalry.

Neymar, meanwhile, does not carry the weight of being Brazil’s best talent and is therefore a more relaxed and confident player who is rarely called upon to be an out-and-out striker. Barcelona win the Champions League, but Los Blancos claim the Primera Liga and the Copa Del Rey.

Pele and Neymar remain close friends and confidants, and they irk fans of their respective clubs when they hug before and after Clasico meetings.

The Future

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In the year 2099, Pele is voted World Player of the Century. Naturally, a hologram of Diego Maradona heavily disputes the award.

Neymar, meanwhile, ends his career with three Ballons d’Ors and two World Cups under his belt. Yet he is largely remembered for his multiple Grammy Award-winning albums and the stunning goal he scored for Earth against Blargon 7 in the 2034 Worlds Cup. Of course, we have FIFA president Kai Rooney to thank for making that tournament intergalactic.

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