cricket player has ever even remotely approached the iconic status of Pele as the greatest player of the world's most popular sport. Same goes for any player of American football, hockey, and baseball.

When I was a kid and a teen growing up overseas, Pele had already retired, but was the most famous and well-known athlete everywhere I lived and traveled. Only Muhammad Ali could really rival him. His fame and presence were very similar to what we see for Michael Jordan in the US today, even without the internet or social media.

Even though he never played in Europe, he played in (and won) a bunch of World Cups that solidified his worldwide fame. Also, in those days the national leagues of Brazil and Argentina were basically on par with the big 5 soccer leagues of Europe. The Brazilian league was widely viewed as having the most talent of any league in the world back then, with European countries restricting foreigners to 1,2, or maybe 3 foreigners per team. Even the richest clubs in Europe were mostly restricted to employing talent from their own country.