Don't Compare Me With One Skill Messi - Pele

Brazilian football legend Pele was not too complimentary of Lionel Messi when quizzed on the topic of the best ever player to grace the game, in an interview with Brazilian outlet Folha de S.Paulo.

Pele said that labeling Messi as the best player ever is a ‘question of taste’ and proceeded to explain why he thinks that the likes of Maradona, Johan Cryuff, Franz Beckenbauer and himself are better players than the Argentinian magician.

How can you compare? To compare with Pelé, it has to be someone who shoots well with the left, shoots well with the right, and scores headers.
Debates centered around who the best player is have been mooted in earnest once again after Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or this year, breaking the Cristiano Ronaldo – Lionel Messi duopoly. However, what has really rubbed some the wrong way is Lionel Messi finishing fifth behind the Croatian midfielder, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe.

In this climate, Pele’s dismissive stance on Lionel Messi’s skill set only serves to further polarize the spectrum of debate.

How can you make a comparison between a guy who heads the ball well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right… and another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill, doesn’t head the ball well?

As far as I’m concerned, Maradona was one of the best players ever. If you ask me, ‘Was he better than Messi?’ Yes, he was. Much better. [Franz] Beckenbauer, [Johan] Cruyff are also better. They’re also excellent players.