“Messi is without a doubt better … Cristiano Ronaldo is more about finishing, but is also a great player. For me, at the moment, Messi is the best player in the world and I would have loved to play against him,” said O Rei in an interview prior to this weekend’s Argentina-Brazil showdown.
Earlier this year, Pele (as part of his constant battle with Diego Maradona) had claimed that http://media.nesn.com/2012/05/kobe-bryant-shaquille-oneal-manny-pacquiao-floyd-mayweather-among-athletes-and-coaches-who-hate-each-other/4/ was better than Messi. Despite admitting that Messi is the best in the world, he still believes Neymar is a technically better player.
“Neymar is more technical than Messi, because he has more resources. He can come through the left and right wings. Messi is more of a lefty, but he has more experience and plays soccer more diligently,” he continued.
Pele was not without criticism for his heir apparent after he failed to shine in his team’s latest friendly against Mexico. Saying he “has difficulty playing against a European or Latin American defender — more so than against Brazilian league rivals.”
Neymar has decided to stay with his Brazilian club Santos until after the 2014 FIFA World Cup when he is expected to either join Real Madrid or Barcelona.
For more sports news, visit Terra.com.
