Insecure Pele dismisses Messi

[Craig_H]

World Cup legend Pele claims that all talk of Lionel Messi being the greatest player in the world must stop until the Argentine scores his 1000th career goal.

Pele is regarded as the best striker to have played the game, but is tired of seeing comparisons with his career and told the Daily Mail that Messi must first be viewed as the best player from his own country, ahead of Diego Maradona.


"They are always trying to compare someone to Pele," he said. "I always joke with my Argentine friends that they must first choose who is the best player from Argentina.


"Then, when one of them scores a thousand goals, then we can start talking."


However, the three-time World Cup winner did lavish praise upon the current FIFA World Player of the Year.


"Messi did not win the World Player award [in 2007], but I remember that I said to him, 'you'll be the next'," he said. "It took a little longer, but he eventually won. He's a great player.


"He plays very well for Barcelona, but has failed to show his talent with the Argentina team. Maybe he can at the World Cup. Let's wait and see.''

Never heard this whopper ever come across as anything other than arrogant, insecure and a bit of a tit. 1000 career goals? Bollocks. He'd have had to score 50 per season for 20 consecutive seasons. No chance. He counted goals in training and the ****ing school playground. Tit.

[CJ]

according to wiki he scored 760 ish

Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1956–1974 Santos 438 (474 )
1975–1977 New York Cosmos 64 (37)
Total 666 (626)
National team
1957–1971 Brazil 92 (77)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league

so its possible he got near 1000 including his youth football.

he did score alot of goals.

but that was then not now

[Craig_H]

Nobody with any hint of credibility counts youth goals

[wiw]

Why did he only ever play for Santos, anyone know?

[Craig_H]

Shat himself at the prospect of playing in a top european league?

I'm sure he played in the USA league at one point, too

[CJ]

Goalscoring and appearance record

Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported as being 1280 goals in 1363 games.[39] This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in non-competitive club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.[40]

The tables below record every goal Pelé scored in major club competitions for Santos and the New York Cosmos. During much of Pelé's playing career in Brazil there was no national league championship. From 1960 onwards the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) were required to provide meritocratic entrants for the then-new Copa Libertadores, a South American international club competition broadly equivalent to the European Cup. To enable them to do this, the CBF organised two national competitions: the Taça de Prata and Taça Brasil. A national league championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was first played in 1971, alongside traditional state and interstate competitions such as the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.

The number of league goals scored by Pelé is listed as 589 in 605 games. This number is the sum of the goals scored by Pelé in domestic league-based competitions: the Campeonato Paulista (SPS), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (RSPS), Taça de Prata and Campeonato Brasileiro. The Taça Brasil was a national competition organised on a knockout basis.

[wiw]

Yeah he did according to Marsh's stats, I just discounted it as he was obviously a bit old then

[CJ]

Why did he only ever play for Santos, anyone know?

wherent they the biggest club in brazil at the time? i assum that not many made there way accross to europe in the 50s.

in later life why would he want to go to europe with tired legs?

[CJ]

Yeah he did according to Marsh's stats, I just discounted it as he was obviously a bit old then

wiki stats.

i havent got a notebook with his stats to hand.

didnt romario get to 1000 or something like that? but again counted some that you would argue they shouldnt have counted.

[CJ]

i myself scored lots on the park as a youngster.

Goals tht is before anyone says anything rude

[wiw]

wherent they the biggest club in brazil at the time? i assum that not many made there way accross to europe in the 50s.

in later life why would he want to go to europe with tired legs?

Don't know mate, well before my time. Suppose you're right actually, Brazil to Europe would probably be a big deal back then

wiki stats.

i havent got a notebook with his stats to hand.

Yeah obviously

[Rhys]

He's not wrong though, I'm sure he was referring to Messi being labeled the best footballer ever. He no doubt has the potential and talent to one day be worthy of such an accolade, but as Pele noted, Messi has yet to make a blip on the international scene compared with what himself and Maradona have done in the past.

[CJ]

pele is a bit of an embaressment isnt he?

i wonder how good he was? i know very good but as most of his career isnt televised then we tend not to know. in 30 years will he still be thought of the best ever? maradonna is the best i have seen followed by zidane. Messi could be right right up there but he has to do it for a while yet.

how good was best? and if as good as people say is it his lack of sucess with norn irn the reason he isnt considered the best?

[CJ]

Don't know mate, well before my time. Suppose you're right actually, Brazil to Europe would probably be a big deal back then



Yeah obviously

I dont know either its just a guess lol .

[Vermilion]

He's not wrong though, I'm sure he was referring to Messi being labeled the best footballer ever. He no doubt has the potential and talent to one day be worthy of such an accolade, but as Pele noted, Messi has yet to make a blip on the international scene compared with what himself and Maradona have done in the past.

I really find it hard to compare players from different eras, in the same way Messi hasn't yet done it internationally, Pele didn't play in europe, not that i think for one moment he'd have been anything but a success, but it's hard to compare players like this, especially as it's such a fine line between them too.