Pele's egocentricity continued

Brazil legend Pele has praised Barcelona star Lionel Messi, but noted that the Argentine still has a long way to go to be as successful as he was.

The Argentina international became the second player in the history of the Ballon d'Or to win the prestigious award three times in a row when he lifted the title earlier this month in Zurich.

Pele acknowledged that he is a fan of Messi, but stressed that the diminutive Argentine faces a hard task to equal him.

"Technically speaking, we are practically at the same level," Pele told Le Monde. "We have both received a gift from God.

"Records are made to be broken, but it will be hard to break mine. When Messi has scored 1,283 goals and won three World Cups, then we will talk.

"People ask me all the time when there will be a new Pele. I tell them: 'Never'. My parents shut down the factory."

chiboygeorge wrote:Pele > Messi though.
He speaks the truth, Messi knows this as well.

ricky//habana wrote:People are talking like Pele's just some no-mark. He's actually one of the finest players ever to play the sport and he has a point. Messi's not set the international scene alight like Pele did.

Scott wrote:Honestly think if the Messi of today went back in time and played in Pele's era, he'd be a bigger star than Pele.

Pele, to me, seems very butt-hurt that people are saying Messi is the greatest. He keeps coming out with shit like, "When Messi's scored 1,283 goals like me, when he's won three World Cups, we'll talk about it," I mean, come on that's just pathetic.

Picture this scenario. Boy 1 looks like Brad Pitt, Boy 2 looks like Luke Chadwick.

They argue about who's better looking. Boy 2 says 'When Boy 1 fucks as many girls as me, and when he's had as many girlfriends as me, we'll talk about it."

Still doesn't make him better looking than Boy 1.

My point is, Pele shouldn't be using such shit logic.

Eternal Witcher wrote:Messi's quite resistant to injury in fairness, your point seems excessive.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:Yeah, Pele's a dick head, but it's not fair to compare him with Messi. Not only does Messi have a massive advantage in that the team behind him is far better than anything Pele ever had going for him, Messi had scientists pumping him full of drugs to enhance his ability as a footballer for years. Perhaps if Pele had taken banned substances he would have been a superior footballer, and if he'd had Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Henry, Villa, Ibrahimovic et al working to get the best out of him then perhaps he would have scored 2000 goals. You really can't compare a science experiment like Messi to normal footballers.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:Yeah, Pele's a dick head, but it's not fair to compare him with Messi. Not only does Messi have a massive advantage in that the team behind him is far better than anything Pele ever had going for him, Messi had scientists pumping him full of drugs to enhance his ability as a footballer for years. Perhaps if Pele had taken banned substances he would have been a superior footballer, and if he'd had Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Henry, Villa, Ibrahimovic et al working to get the best out of him then perhaps he would have scored 2000 goals. You really can't compare a science experiment like Messi to normal footballers.

Laurencio wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:Yeah, Pele's a dick head, but it's not fair to compare him with Messi. Not only does Messi have a massive advantage in that the team behind him is far better than anything Pele ever had going for him, Messi had scientists pumping him full of drugs to enhance his ability as a footballer for years. Perhaps if Pele had taken banned substances he would have been a superior footballer, and if he'd had Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Henry, Villa, Ibrahimovic et al working to get the best out of him then perhaps he would have scored 2000 goals. You really can't compare a science experiment like Messi to normal footballers.

The side Pelé started his career with was argueably better than what Messi started his with, not only that but throughout his Santos career and Brazil career he had possibly the best supporting cast in the world. If Messi was spanish he would have had roughly the relative same advantage that Pelé enjoyed in my opinion.