Brazilian football legend Pele has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi but insisted that he remains the greatest of all time.
The three-time World Cup winner, who holds Guinness World Record as top scorer of all time, doesnât think that the Ballon Dâor winners quite live up to his greatness.
And although many of his 1,281 recorded goals were scored in unofficial friendlies, the legendary former Santos man rightly remains at the forefront of any âgreatest of all timeâ debate.
But on the current crop, Peleâs view is firm, as he told YouTube channel Pilhado: âToday the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo.
âI think heâs the best, because heâs more consistent, but you canât forget about [Lionel] Messi, of course, but heâs not a striker.â
Ronaldo has scored an astonishing 725 goals in 100 total games over the course of his glittering career.
But Messi, three years his junior, also boasts an amazing record, having bagged 697 goals in 856 games, despite, as Pele points out – not being a striker.
The 79-year-old continued: âIt is a question that is difficult to answer. We cannot forget about Zico, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.
âAnd in Europe, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.
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âNow, itâs not my fault, but I think Pele was better than them all.â
This article was most recently revised and updated 6 years ago

