Messi not the best player ever: Pele

Updated on: 18 May,2011 07:11 AM IST |
Agencies |

Brazilian legend Pele says Barcelona ace lionel still has to improve to reach the level of former greats

Brazilian legend Pele says Barcelona ace lionel still has to improve to reach the level of former greats

Brazilian legend Pele has once again raised questions over the greatness of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and says that he has to achieve a lot to be compared with some of the legends of the past.

Messi, winner of the past two Ballon d'Or awards, is widely recognised as the best footballer in the world at the moment. There are also strong suggestions that the 23-year-old is set to become one of the greatest footballers of all-time.

Lionel Messi. PIC/Getty Images

However, Pele has refused to warm up to that belief and recently underlined Messi's under-par performance for the Argentina national team.

According to Chilean newspaper La Tercera, the former Santos forward has once again raised his concern on the hype surrounding Messi and is quoted as saying: "People like to compare but they seem to have forgotten [Johan] Cruyff, [Michel] Platini and [Alfredo] Di Stefano, who were better than [Lionel] Messi."

The three-time World Cup winner with Brazil also gave his opinion on the Champions League final and said: "Manchester United are a strong side and are faithful to the English style of football. But I have no doubt that as a team Barcelona are the best in the world."

Messi scored against United in the final of Europe's most prestigious club competition in 2008-09 in Barcelona's 2-0 victory.

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