Home | Sports | Pele: I was better than both Ronaldo, Messi
Pele: I was better than both Ronaldo, Messi
By our reporter 15 hours 43 minutes ago
Font size:


Legendary striker Pele believes he is still the greatest footballer of all time, despite the emergence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former Santos player scored an amazing 1,281 goals in 1363 career appearances spanning over 23 years.
Pele won his first World Cup with Brazil in 1958 at the tender age of 17, and went on to pick up a further two World titles with the South American nation.
In recent years, Messi and Ronaldo have lit up the footballing world with their talent on the pitch but Pele believes neither are a patch on himself.
"For me Pele is the best. Nobody has done more than Pele. He's the only player to be World Champion at 17, winning three World Cups and score over 1,208 goals," the former player told American reporters during an event to mark the return of the New York Cosmos to MLS.
Pele is currently serving as the honorary president for the revived New York Cosmos, a club he played for between 1975-77 at the end of his magical career.

Pele needs to stop blowing his own trumpet

But he has said d truth. I mean neither CR7 nor Messi have a single WC title or at least final appearance between them, and both play for teams good enough to at least challenge (particularly Argentina as 2 time champs). Pele & Maradona are still light years ahead of these 2 or any other players of this generation. Even Ronaldo De Lima, Zidane and arguably Ronaldinho rank higher in my view.

Of course, Pele is a football great; a legend, perhaps the greatest of all time. No one can take his place in football history. 3 time world cup winner, won the world cup as a 17 year old in 1958 scoring 6 goals, scored over 1200 career goals, was part of the 1970 world cup winning team described by many as the greatest football team ever - these are feats that can never ever be matched. But truly, Pele needs to stop shoving the greatest of all time tag down our throat.

sour grapes. He's the greatest OK no contest but messi's better.

According to Figo, watching messi's like an o.rga.sm, so pleasurable. I agree.

Pele does not hold a candle to Diego Armando Maradona. Its not a function of how many world cups he has won but more about his impact on the team.The Brazilian teams Pele played for had a good number of above average players,the likes of Jairzinho,Rivelinho,Vava,Carlos Alberto,Garrincha et al. Very good players who readily complimented Pele's efforts. Maradona single Handedly won the '86 world cup for Argentina. An argentine sided briddled with average or even medicore players(Nero Pumpido,S.Batista readily comes to mind) save for Jorge Valdano and Buruchaga.Even in Brazil where Pele hails from,Ronaldo De Lima is a far much better player than Pele. Maradona also single handedly won the only scudetto in Naopli's history for them likewise the then European cup winners cup.Maradona was a single tree that sure made a forest wherever he went to.

Actually Pele contrary to popular misconception did not win three world cups. I mean if we are going to tell the whole truth and not just part of it. In the world cup played in Chile in 62 which Brazil won, he only played in their first two matches. It being in the second one in which he injured himself despite not even being touched by the opposing team and did not come back for the rest of the tournament. It in fact was Amarildo who took his place in Brazil’s remaining 4 matches and even scored 3 goals; one in the final against Czechoslovakia. I wrote an article about Pele I think some will find interesting

http://truvianni./2011/04/28/pele-the-greatest-player-ever-or-the-most-overrated-player-of-all-time/

Hmmmm, Very enlightening article

Pele is simply the world best player ever in the football history. Take it OR leave it.

I never met pele play the game so I can't rate him. For me, Messi is the only "greatest" I know.

I think the World cup is overrated. The Champion's League is more competitive and the quality of opposition is far better than what you meet at the World Cup. No doubt, its interesting to watch but Its main allure is the facts that its teams represent Countries.