Pele is, without question, an absolute legend of the game. One of football’s greatest-ever talents, the Brazilian was perhaps football’s first global superstar, debuting for Santos at just 15 years old in 1956 and making his first appearance for his national team the following year.
A ruthless goalscorer, by 18 years of age, Pele had been nicknamed “The King” and had helped fire Brazil to the 1958 World Cup, an honour he and his country would defend at the following tournament four years later. Pele’s exploits were not limited to games with Brazil as, with Santos, the forward helped the club undergo a period of dominance.
Across the 1960s, Pele won six Serie A titles and two Copa Libertadores trophies with Santos, amongst many other honours. In 1970, Pele won his third and final World Cup with Brazil which only further cemented his already indelible legacy as a player. Pele semi-retired in 1974 but the following year, joined the New York Cosmos, where he played for two years before retiring for good.
Prior to his death in 2022, Pele’s status in the game meant that his opinions were consistently revered. The Brazilian often offered his thoughts on modern talents and in 2011 as per The Independent, Pele waxed lyrical about a sensational player.
‘Better Than Messi’
Nothing but praise from Pele for countryman
In 2011, Santos won their first Copa Libertadores since Pele’s age, their first time lifting the prestigious trophy in almost five decades. Such a triumph was accomplished two years into the career of Neymar, who debuted for Santos in 2009 and quickly became regarded as one of the planet’s most-gifted young players.
Such sentiment was evidently shared by Pele who, in speaking about Neymar, said:
“I think Neymar is better than Messi, more complete.”
After four years with Santos, Neymar moved to Barcelona in 2013. Though the winger won a European treble in the 2014/15 season, amongst other honours, Neymar spent just four years in Catalonia. Wanting to escape the shadow of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record transfer fee, a chance to lead his own team.
Across six years in Paris, while Neymar ensured that PSG remained domestically dominant, the Brazilian failed in his efforts to win the club what would’ve been their first-ever Champions League title. Neymar moved to Al-Hilal in 2023 but due to injury, made just three league appearances, departing the club for free in 2025 and returning to Santos.
Pele’s claim was immensely bold at the time, particularly as, by 2011, Messi had been a first-team player with Barcelona for years. In fact, another footballing icon openly disagreed with what Pele had said.
‘That is Just Stupid’
Legend fired back at Pele’s claim
Maradona
So few players can be held to the same level as Pele, though Diego Maradona is certainly one of those few. The Argentinian is best remembered for his time with Napoli where, in seven years, he helped the club win two Serie A titles, their first in their history as a club, though Maradona also played for Barcelona and Sevilla in Europe.
Also a hero to Argentinians as a whole for his World Cup exploits, Maradona rightly remains ranked as one of the greatest footballers ever. As per ESPN, in response to Pele’s claims about Neymar, Maradona simply said:
“My God, that is just stupid. Maybe Neymar is the best player in the world, but only if you say that Messi is from a different planet.”
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 16/06/2025 )
Brazilian former soccer star Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, better known as Pele, gestures as he holds the FIFA World Cup soccer ball Related
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