Messi, Ronaldo divide legends as Pele names his favourite player
dubai — The elite athletes have used social media to interact with the ordinary fans at the time of social distancing as the world has shut its doors to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli had no qualms about admitting that he feared losing his wicket every time he walked out to bat in the disastrous 2014 England Test series during a live interaction with Kevin Pietersen on Instagram. If Kohli was honest about his ‘lowest point’ in his career, Shane Warne has shown once again what an unconventional cricket brain he was born with.
The legendary Australian spinner was torn apart by VVS Laxman during that epic 281 to script the most stunning win in Test cricket for India in 2001. Laxman went on to play several magical knocks
against Australia, the best team of the noughties. And yet, Warne couldn’t find a place for Laxman in his all-time Indian Test XI during a live session on Instagram.
Unlike Warne, Pele, arguably the greatest footballer in history, had an ever more difficult question to answer during a live session on YouTube channel Pilhado as the Brazilian football icon was asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pele said it was the Portugal superstar who has the edge over his great Argentine rival. “Today the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said.
“I think he’s the best, because he’s more consistent, but you can’t forget about Messi, of course, but he’s not a striker.”
Well, that was Pele’s opinion. But what do the other football greats have to say on the most hotly debated subject in football?
Diego Maradona, Pele’s greatest rival, backed his compatriot Messi.
“I can’t remember having seen Messi play badly,” Maradona said.
“I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. Football history will remember Messi.”
But Roberto Carlos, Pele’s compatriot, felt Ronaldo is the better player. “I watch Cristiano train every day and the way he works is exciting,” he said. “He wants to improve every day.”
Dutch icon Marco van Basten was brutal in his assessment.
“Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football,” he said. “Messi is one of a kind. Impossible to imitate and impossible to repeat.”
French maestro Zinedine Zidane, though, feels the Portuguese is the greatest player of all time.
“Cristiano is the best. Messi is his rival and it’s the rivalry everyone wants to see. But Ronaldo is phenomenal. He’s the greatest of all time,” he said.
But the Brazilian Ronaldo showered Messi with the greatest praise. “He (Messi) is out of this world. Cristiano, too, but I see Leo as more complete,” Ronaldo said. “He’s great. I like him much more than any other player. Everything he does is spectacular.”
Cristiano is a great player, but those who say he is better than Messi know nothing about football Marco van Basten
Three-time Ballon d’Or winner