“RIP Legend.” The tribute of Fabio Quartararo The tribute to the "King of Football" is as understated as that of Brazilian racing driver Alex Barros, who also posted a portrait of Pelé on Instagram accompanied by a poignant "Eterno." The entire sporting world is paying homage to Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, who passed away on December 29th from cancer at the age of 82, less than a month after the end of the World Cup in Qatar, where his name resonated many times.
No doubt Fabio Quartararo He didn't miss a single moment of the 2022 World Cup, which exceptionally took place after the end of the MotoGP championship and whose final was held a stone's throw from the Losail circuit where he won the first of the five victories that led him to his world title in 2021. The two football titans who faced off on December 18, 2022, to build their legend in the footsteps of Pelé, Fabio Quartararo He knows them well. Fresh from his World Cup victory, the Nice native kicked off the match between his hometown club and PSG, his beloved club, by passing the ball to Lionel Messi. Quartararo has an even closer relationship with Kylian Mbappé, having given him a helmet and signed it during a training session at the Parc des Princes.
The two French prodigies had already exchanged messages on social media after Fabio's celebration following his second MotoGP victory at the Jerez circuit, directly referencing Mbappé's famous arm-crossing gesture after his goals. For his very first victory in the premier class, Quartararo had chosen the celebration of another of his football idols, Neymar, with a finger to his lips. The Brazilian also paid a heartfelt tribute to King Pelé: " Before Pelé, '10' was just a number. I read that phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But that beautiful phrase is incomplete. I would say that before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to Black people, and above all, he gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil raised their status thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will remain. Pelé is ETERNAL! "
A number 10 also worn by another football legend, who passed away two years ago, and to whom the world of sport, and therefore motorcycling, also paid tribute: Diego Maradona. The Argentine football legend had a special relationship with Valentino Rossi, who had worn his number 10 jersey on the podium of the Argentine Grand Prix, which he won in 2015.
Maradona had visited the MotoGP paddock at the Misano circuit to support his friend Valentino. " Ciao, magician of the ball ," Rossi had posted upon the passing of "El Pibe del Oro" in November 2020. A year later, for the final race of Rossi's long career at the Valencia circuit, a surprise guest came to pay tribute to the MotoGP legend… A legend himself, as it was the Brazilian Ronaldo, also a fervent supporter of Valentino, who had already visited Rossi's garage.
This meeting followed numerous encounters between the two "ultra-fast" athletes, notably in 1998, when the footballer was at the height of his fame while the man then known as Rossifumi had only won one of the nine World Cup titles he would ultimately claim. That year, Brazil lost to Zidane's France in the World Cup final, and a limited edition Cagiva motorcycle was even produced in France. Eight years later, the same Zidane lost his temper and the World Cup to Materazzi and Italy, and Valentino's French fans were outraged when he donned the Squadra Azzurra jersey, emblazoned with the number 23 of Zidane's nemesis, on the podium of the German Grand Prix he had just won in August 2006.
Deprived of the 2022 FIFA World Cup (as in 2018…), Italy found some consolation through several initiatives, notably the organization of a football match featuring Grand Prix riders on the sidelines of the Misano race on August 31st. This is how the San Marino Team, led by Enea Bastianini and coached by Pecco Bagnaia, faced off against the Riviera di Rimini Team of Maverick Viñales and Franco Morbidelli. The latter won the match 6-2, but the Frenchman's impressive performance was noteworthy. Johann Zarco, scorer for San Marino in which Jorge Lorenzo wore… the number 1.
While the initiative was supported and promoted by the Grand Prix organizer, Dorna, and while motoball is a competition officially recognized by motorcycle federations, its principle being to place a (huge) ball into goals according to rules modeled on football, it's hard to imagine football's governing bodies organizing motorcycle races. They barely tolerate riders of Marc Márquez's caliber (a lifelong FC Barcelona fan) performing burnouts at RB Leipzig's stadium thanks to a sponsor who gives them wings.
Riding motorized two-wheelers is now prohibited in most contracts signed by professional football players, just like skiing, although the latter is more tolerated. Iker Casillas, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, was fined in 2014 for being caught riding a Vespa in the streets of Madrid…
Gone are the golden days when Pelé was the face of Honda to promote the CG 125, which the Japanese brand was preparing to produce in its Brazilian factory in Manaus, now gigantic.
It was 1976, and Pelé had accepted Soichiro Honda's invitation, leading to a historic meeting between two legends in late 74. A time when footballers weren't constrained and could act and move as they pleased. Money flows freely in the world of football today, but it comes at the price of a certain freedom. " And I wouldn't even want a treasure at that price ," says Master Wolf to the dog in the fable, referring to the collar around its neck…
