Pele was - and still remains - one of the greatest players to ever grace the beautiful game.

From deft touches to audacious finishes, well beyond what any other professional footballer was producing at the time, Pele was the sport's first global superstar - his name forever synonymous with the beautiful game.

At 82 years of age, the Brazilian forward's death in December 2022 saw the footballing world unite in grief. Arguably the sport's most mythical name, Pele endeared himself to supporters across the world with his superstardom status and his apparent goalscoring exploits.

When Pele's agent confirmed that the great man had lost his battle with cancer, it instantly sparked an outpouring of condolences, love and sympathy from everywhere across the footballing world, which is a testament to his everlasting importance to the game.

If you believe the man himself, the late great's goal tally is the greatest in history with more than 1,200 to his name. Former Manchester United and Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo is eyeing his record but, as things stand, Pele stands tall above the rest - but which, by his own admission, was his greatest?

Why Pele Was Such a Special Player

The simple fact of the matter is that Pele put the 'beautiful' in the beautiful game: he buzzed and shimmered with a pure entertainment that made him compulsive viewing. Television broadcasters might not have stationed their cameras at every single match during Pele's heyday, but if they had, the viewing figures would have been off the charts.

This is a footballing god, after all, whose visits to town would see thousands upon thousands of sports lovers stop in their tracks to get a glimpse of the man in action. And the chances are that you would see Pele find the back of the net because the three-time World Cup winner lays claim to more north of 1,000 strikes throughout his storied career.

For many fans and professionals alike, Pele was a trailblazing influence, reminiscent of a myth that many have heard of without viewing the spectacle itself and what he was truly capable of. Not only was he one of the most agile players in football history, but his steel, deceptive strength and ability to weave in and out of players were also notable aspects of his multi-faceted game.

What was so special about the infancy of Pele's career was his age. At the tender age of 17, he took the world by storm in the 1958 edition of the World Cup in Sweden. As he grew into a mature centre-forward, his overall ability and knack of performing in an otherworldly nature was also boosted tenfold.

Pele's Greatest Ever Goal

However, the pick of the bunch actually came early in his illustrious footballing journey, as he heralded a goal against Atletico Juventus when he was just 18 years old as the best of all.

Sadly, there were no cameras at the match to show the goal in all its glory, but we do have the benefit of a digital recreation having been made in tune with Pele's description of the strike. And to say that it's extraordinary would be the mother of all understatements, so be sure to bask in Pele's genius by watching his goalscoring magnum opus down below:

What we'd pay to see the actual footage. A truly remarkable goal. To volley the ball over three defenders and then to have the composure to pull off the exact same trick with the goalkeeper is just a testament to how one-of-a-kind Pele truly was.

The goal has also been recreated using AI. Check out the footage below:

While there will inevitably be some supporters who pooh-pooh the legitimacy of the recreation, you only have to look at Pele's stunning goal in the 1958 World Cup final to see that he always had a goal similar to that in his locker.

That famous strike in Sweden might not have been as spectacular as the Juventus goal, but boy did it underline how Pele, in football, is the entertainer-in-chief alongside the likes of the aforementioned Ronaldo and Argentinian duo Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.