Pele Picks Ronaldo Ahead Of Messi As World's Best Footballer At Present

"Right now, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best, because he is the most consistent over the past 10 years, although Messi should not be forgotten," Pele said in an interview on the Pilhado YouTube channel.

Pele WIth Cristiano Ronaldo (Getty: Image)

New Delhi: The debate over who is the best footballer in the world at present took another intresting turn as Brazilian football legend Pele picked Portuguese international striker Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's best contemporary footballer, rating the Juventus forward ahead of Argentina and Barcelona FC's star player Lionel Messi. But the 79-year-old believes neither Ronaldo nor Messi are as good as he was during a celebrated career with Santos, the New York Cosmos and Brazil, reports Xinhua news agency. "Right now, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best, because he is the most consistent over the past 10 years, although Messi should not be forgotten," Pele said in an interview on the Pilhado YouTube channel. The former Brazil No. 10 also cited Zico, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff in his list of all-time favourite players. He did not mention former Argentina forward Diego Maradona, widely regarded as Pele's only rival for the title of the greatest player in history. "There is only one king. Pele was better than all of them," he said. "If I have to be honest, well, I'm telling you the truth: my father and mother closed the factory. There will only ever be one Pele." Pele is the only footballer in World Cup history to have won three titles with his nation Brazil, besides being a goal poacher with over 1,000 goals in a professional career that spanned 22 years.