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The late Pele once opened up about comparisons between himself and Lionel Messi, pointing out the shortcomings in the Argentine's game.
Many consider Messi to be one of if not the, greatest player of all time. This has seen people draw comparisons between the forward and the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona.
However, the Brazilian legend doesn't believe that he can be compared to Lionel Messi. In an interview with Folha de S.Paulo in 2018, Pele pointed out that he has an all-round ability, which the Argentine forward lacks.
When asked for his reaction to the likes of Andres Iniesta hailing Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time, Pele replied:
"Normal. If they think... Matter of taste. There are people who think so. There are people who make comparisons with things they don't even have."
He added:
"How can you compare a guy who heads well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right, with another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill, doesn't head well? How can you compare?"
"To compare with Pelé, it had to be someone who kicked well with the left, kicked well with the right, scored a header."
Pele also explained his heading ability, comparing himself to his father. He then picked Diego Maradona as a better player than Lionel Messi, saying:
"I haven't scored more goals with my head than my father. It's no use wanting to justify. He did, I didn't. It has excellent players, excellent even if they didn't have the same chance to appear."
He added:
"For me, Maradona was one of the best he ever had. You will ask me: was he better than Messi? It was, man. Much better. There was Beckenbauer, Cruyff. Excellent players too."
Pele is widely considered one of the best players of all time. He won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil and is the joint top-scorer for the nation, tied with Neymar at 77 goals.
He passed away in December 2022 after health complications.
Lionel Messi continues to dazzle in a new challenge
The Argentine ace had an excellent 2022-23 season.
Lionel Messi scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 games for Paris Saint-Germain across competitions, helping them win the Ligue 1 title. He also captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph, winning the Golden Ball.
He left PSG as a free agent earlier this summer to move to MLS side Inter Miami and has already made a huge impact. Lionel Messi helped the Herons win their first-ever trophy - the Leagues Cup. He scored 10 goals and provided one assist in seven games.
He will next be in action in the U.S. Open Cup against FC Cincinnati at the TQL Stadium on August 23.
