The greatest footballer who ever lived, Pele, has been lavisihing praise on the greatest footballer still playing, Leo Messi.
Speaking to French newspaper Le Monde, Pele stopped short though of saying the Barcelona wizard had emulated him.
Pele won three World Cups with Brazil, and of course Brazil’s greatest international rivals are Argentina.
The former Santos and New York Cosmos legend couldn’t resist that comparison.
“When Messi’s scored 1,283 goals like me, when he’s won three World Cups, we’ll talk about it. Football changes. Records are there to be broken, but it will be hard to break mine.”
He also noted that Messi has actually failed to shine on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup:
“He’s a great player for Barcelona, but when he plays for Argentina he doesn’t have the same success,” Pele said.
That doesn’t mean, Pele is not an admirer. Asked who his current favourite player is, he replied.:
“I like Messi a lot, he’s a great player. Technically, we’re practically at the same level.”
Praise indeed but Messi has many goals to score to reach Pele numbers. He has just 19 goals in 67 international matches for Argentina and over 200 for Barcelona in all competitions.
Pele, now 71, finished by giving the definitive answer to a question he must be tired of hearing:
“People always ask me: ‘When is the new Pele going to be born?’ Never. My father and mother have closed the factory.”
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