Brazilian soccer icon Pelé has labeled Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo the “best player in the world,” ahead of Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi.
One of the greatest ever to grace the game, Pelé has never been shy of getting his opinions across in today’s modern game. Even since his retirement, he is highly respected by today’s superstars. The father of modern football, he is respected and listened to by all.
As a 17-year-old, he announced himself on to the stage at the 1958 World Cup, where he netted twice in the final, whilst scoring a total of six in the tournament overall. Following the success with his nation at such a young age which saw Brazil claim the ultimate prize, it marked the first of Pelé’s three world titles in 12 years.
According to the man himself, he claims Ronaldo is ahead of Messi due to his consistency on the pitch. The Juve forward has 5 Ballon d’Or awards to his name, one behind Messi who received his sixth in December, beating Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk to the accolade.
In an interview with Brazilian YouTube channel Pilhado, Pelé gave his thoughts on today’s modern greats.
“Today the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo. I think he’s the best because he’s more consistent, but you can’t forget about [Lionel] Messi, of course, but he’s not a striker.”
The legend was asked to give his thoughts and opinions as to why he claimed such a bold statement that Ronaldo edges Messi as the best (even though Pelé previously claimed he wish he could play with the Argentinian). But the 79-year-old delivered a very different answer.
“It is a question that is difficult to answer. We cannot forget about Zico, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. And in Europe, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff. Now, it’s not my fault, but I think Pelé was better than them all.”
Messi has 22 goals across all competitions this season, helping Barça to return to the La Liga summit and reach the Champions League knockout stages, before the postponement due to the coronavirus.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, has 25 goals for the Old Lady this campaign, including 16 in his last 12 Serie A matches, which have helped Maurizio Sarri’s side stay on track for an unprecedented ninth consecutive Scudetto.
Interestingly, Pelé omitted two time World Cup winner Diego Maradona from his list of greats. The pair have previously had several fall outs over the years and the Brazilian still sees himself on top.
