Pelé in 1970 and Messi in 2022: Analysis of Performance in a World Cup

Abstract

The practice of soccer at the highest level has changed several times over time; the performance indicators for a position/function have changed together and the best way to understand them is by analyzing the performance of elite athletes from different generations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the actions of Pelé and Messi during the 1970 and 2022 World Cups respectively, classifying their actions and participation in the different moments of the game. Offensive and defensive actions were collected that met the definition of an effective attack (attacks that end with a finish or have some attempt to progress towards the goal with passes and/or dribbles), these being: a) movement condition, b) infiltrations, c) 1v1 confrontations, d) finishes, e) action after receiving a pass, f) passes, g) assists, h) post-loss action, i) interceptions, j) recoveries of possession, k) defensive participation. To weight the analysis, the average number of actions per game for each player was taken. It was possible to see a similar number of actions between the players analyzed and, as suggested by the "mystique" of the number 10 shirt, both were influential in their teams at the attacking end of the game. However, it should be noted that Pelé played a greater part in the defensive part of the game compared to Messi. This indicates that the Brazilian player was a more "complete" athlete, in the sense of being influential for his team in both attack and defense.