RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 6, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Argentine legend Diego Maradona
was a better footballer than the country’s modern-day idol Lionel Messi,
according to Pele.
Barcelona forward Messi – a five-time winner of the Balon d’Or, awarded to
the world’s best player – is not even rated in the top three of football’s
greatest players by the 78-year-old Brazilian.
“As far as I’m concerned, Maradona was one of the best players ever,” Pele
said in an interview with the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. “If you ask me,
‘Was he better than Messi?’ Yes, he was. Much better. [Franz] Beckenbauer,
[Johan] Cruyff are also better. They’re also excellent players.”
Pele and Maradona have not always seen eye to eye, but Pele said the pair
now enjoy a “perfect” relationship.
The only man to win the World Cup three times, Pele is widely regarded as
the best footballer of all time.
In recent years he has suffered a series of health problems, but said he is
now feeling 100 percent.
“I don’t feel any more pain, but I feel some weakness. I had some good legs
and look how they are now,” the former Santos and New York Cosmos player
said.
Pele also revealed that he spoke to compatriot Neymar about the Paris
Saint-Germain forward’s penchant going to ground when tackled.
“It’s difficult to defend Neymar for all the things he does beyond playing
football. I talked with him, I told him that in soccer, he’s got it. He had
bad luck because the team didn’t win the World Cup and he was branded,” Pele
said.
“I was with him twice in Europe. We talked and I told him: ‘In soccer, God
gave you a gift, but what you did is what made it difficult.”