Pele Declares Lionel Messi as being Overrated

Pele Declares Lionel Messi as being Overrated

Football legend, Pele has declared that Lionel Messi ‘can't compare' to him – and slammed the Barcelona megastar for having just one attribute to his game: being one footed.

The Brazil icon said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's inability to head the ball means he was a better player.

“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 and doesn't head the ball well?” the 78-year-old told Folha de Sao Paulo.

“How can you compare? To compare with Pele, it has to be someone who shoots well with the left, shoots well with the right, and scores headers.

“You will ask me: ‘Was Maradona better than Messi?'” he added.

“Yes, by a lot. Much better.”

The Brazil hero had earlier this year said he believes Neymar is a better player than both Messi and long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

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This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago

Efe Bridget is a writer at GoalBall. She is a graduate of Mass Communication with 12 years of experience working with reputable publications.