Pele hails Lionel Messi as world's best

The 74-year-old was talking to the media in Kolkata, India ahead of his appearance as chief guest at the Indian Soccer League (ISL) between Atletico de Kolkata and Sachin Tendulkar-owned Kerala Blasters.

“Messi is the best player in the world of the past decade,” he told O Rei.

“Many people compare Messi with Cristiano Ronaldo, but they're different players. They're both fantastic.”

Pele was also asked about who was the best he had played with or against and elected to focus on defenders.

“I had the opportunity to play against lots of good players – mainly defenders. Bobby Moore was a fantastic player. [Former Botafogo and Brazil] Nilton Santos from Brazil, and [Palmeiras and Brazil right-back] Djalma Santos.”

Pele has a habit of making pretty glib statements when asked for sound bites. However, it is hard to argue with the fact that Messi has been the best player in the world over the last decade. What is all the more remarkable is the longevity of Messi's excellence.

It is rare that a player can sustain the hunger and desire to be the world's best for so long; Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence – and more importantly standing in the world game – probably has a lot to do with that.

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