Pele rates Lionel Messi very highly, however, he feels that the Argentine has yet to reach legendary status.
Brazilian soccer legend Pele, who won the World Cup three times with his country, affirmed that without any doubt Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. However, he warned that Messi is not yet at the level of other greats.
"It is time - each generation has your own good player. Messi no doubt today is one of the best players, no doubt," Pele declared to Sky Sports.
Days ago Pele recommended Messi to watch some of his videos, in frustration for the fact that the Argentine international had publicly stated that Diego Maradona is the best player of all time. Messi responded to Pele's words by stating that he would be more than happy to watch them.
Nevertheless, Pele, who helped Brazil lift the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, praised Messi, considering him as clearly "the best" player at the moment.
"In every generation you have one and at the moment Messi is the best. You have some time ago Maradona, you have (Michel) Platini, you have (Zinedine) Zidane, you know a few years ago Zidane was the best."
However, in another recent interview published by German journal Kicker, Pele claimed that the 24-year-old is not yet at the level of certain greats, who according to him reached legendary status for what they achieved during the duration of their careers.
"(Franz) Beckenbauer, Platini, (Bobby) Charlton or (Gerd) Muller played ten or fifteen years," and because of this Messi "is not yet at the level of these legends," he concluded.
Messi, who lifted the UEFA Champions League title with Barcelona earlier in the year, is the firm favourite to be FIFA World Player of the Year for a third consecutive year.
"It is time - each generation has your own good player. Messi no doubt today is one of the best players, no doubt," Pele declared to Sky Sports.
Days ago Pele recommended Messi to watch some of his videos, in frustration for the fact that the Argentine international had publicly stated that Diego Maradona is the best player of all time. Messi responded to Pele's words by stating that he would be more than happy to watch them.
Nevertheless, Pele, who helped Brazil lift the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, praised Messi, considering him as clearly "the best" player at the moment.
"In every generation you have one and at the moment Messi is the best. You have some time ago Maradona, you have (Michel) Platini, you have (Zinedine) Zidane, you know a few years ago Zidane was the best."
However, in another recent interview published by German journal Kicker, Pele claimed that the 24-year-old is not yet at the level of certain greats, who according to him reached legendary status for what they achieved during the duration of their careers.
"(Franz) Beckenbauer, Platini, (Bobby) Charlton or (Gerd) Muller played ten or fifteen years," and because of this Messi "is not yet at the level of these legends," he concluded.
Messi, who lifted the UEFA Champions League title with Barcelona earlier in the year, is the firm favourite to be FIFA World Player of the Year for a third consecutive year.
