Pele was once asked to give his opinion on who was the better player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For the past two decades, Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene, winning a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards….Continue Reading
Both are widely regarded as the greatest players of their generation and have solidified their places among the best in football history.
Despite their shared greatness, the debate over which of the two is superior has been ongoing.
When asked to weigh in, the late Pele, a three-time World Cup champion, responded by saying that other football legends like Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Zico also deserved recognition and should be celebrated in the same way.
Pele told SporTV in 2018: “It’s sad that you have only two players in the world to choose from, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Pele, Zico, Junior.
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“All over the world now there are only two players. And Neymar, right? Our Brazilian is getting there.”
But when pushed for a preference, Pele said: “I would still stay with Messi.
“Scoring is important, no doubt, but if you do not have anyone to prepare, then the ball is not enough. “For my team, I prefer Messi. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s a great goalscorer.
“Ronaldo’s been able to score goals, while you see Messi creating goals and directing the play, as well as scoring.
“Ronaldo’s a great goalscorer, but in terms of the complete player, there’s no doubt that Messi is the best.”
Pele, on the other hand, is often considered one of the greatest players in football history. In 1999, the Brazilian legend was honored as Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was also featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
Additionally, in 2000, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics named him the World Player of the Century. That same year, he shared the FIFA Player of the Century award with Diego Maradona.
