'Pele Is Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi,' Says Real Madrid Legend Alfredo Di Stefano

Football legend Pele has been branded as a "better" footballer than both Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

That's according to Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, who weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the trio.

Ronaldo, Messi and Pele are often placed in the 'football GOAT' debate alongside legendary Argentine Diego Maradona.

Di Stefano, who won five European Cups and eight La Liga titles with Madrid, praised both Ronaldo and Messi for their individual abilities.

However, the former Los Blancos star claimed that neither Ronaldo nor Messi were better than Pele.

"Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better," Di Stefano said.

"Messi is the more technical player of the two. He's better inside the area, the way he handles the ball and dribbles. You can see that he enjoys himself playing.

"Cristiano has a better body and is physically very strong. He has pace, speed and [is] a player with courage. Plus, he can finish with both legs."

Messi ended 2020 on a high note by breaking Pele's long-held record for the most goals scored for a single club, with the Brazilian legend even extending his congratulations in a classy message.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has climbed above Pele as the second-highest goalscorer in football history.

Pele has weighed in on the fierce debate surrounding Messi and Ronaldo, saying that the former Manchester United star is the "best player in the world."

The 80-year-old Brazilian explained: "Today, the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo.

"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."

The former Santos star has also dismissed the idea that legendary players like Ronaldinho or Johan Cruyff were better than him.

"It is a question that is difficult to answer," Pele said.

"We cannot forget about Zico, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. And in Europe, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.

"Now, it's not my fault, but I think Pele was better than them all."

Featured Image Credit: PA

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Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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