“He was spectacular in an era where his teammates were not big” - When Pele named midfielder who was ‘even better’ than Lionel Messi

Brazilian icon Pele once claimed that former Real Madrid and Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane was 'even better' than Argentine maestro Lionel Messi. The former Selecao forward claimed that the French playmaker was 'spectacular' without any 'big name' teammates.

Messi is widely considered one of the greatest players in football history. He has racked up an eye-watering 866 goals and 384 assists in 1108 appearances thus far and has won a record eight Ballon d'Or titles.

Despite having turned 38 last week, the diminutive Argentine forward is still going strong for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami. He inspired them to a second-place finish in the group stage of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup. They became the only American team to qualify for the knockout stage.

On the other hand, Zidane is also regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. An attacking midfielder by trade, he bagged 125 goals and 141 assists in 689 professional games during his playing career. He dominated European football with Juventus and Real Madrid for the better part of a decade. He also the 1998 Ballon d'Or title after winning the FIFA World Cup with France.

A few quotes shared by Football Espana in 2013 showed that Pele believed Zidane was a better player than Messi. The quotes read (via GiveMeSport):

"As an individual, Zidane was even better than Messi. He was a spectacular in an era where his teammates were not big names like those alongside Messi. There, at Barcelona, he has players such as Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta."

Messi and Zidane's paths only intersected once - in a 2005-06 LaLiga clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Catalan side won 3-0, via a goal from Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o and a brace from Pele's compatriot, Ronaldinho.

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"The most complete" - When Pele claimed that he would love to play alongside Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar

Football icon Pele once claimed that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is the 'most complete player' and admitted that he would love to play alongside him.

In a 2019 interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Brazilian legend was asked which of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar he would love to share the pitch with. He replied (via BeInSports):

"I think of Leo Messi. He is a skilled player, gives assists, passes, scores, dribbles well. If we were in the team together, the opponents should worry about two players, not just one! Today, Messi is the most complete player."

Up next, Messi will be seen in action in Inter Miami's FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 clash against his former side PSG on Sunday, June 29.