Answer: Lionel Messi has proved to be the best footballers in the world when he secured his seventh Ballon d’Or. On the other hand, the Brazilian King of soccer Pele is regarded as the greatest of all time.
The duo, Lionel Messi and Pele is undoubtedly the greatest football legends to ever grace the field with stunning records, history, achievements, and unmatched awards.
Messi has scored 806 goals in his career with 338 assists in 1,027 appearances, while Pele scored 767 goals and 352 assists in 832 appearances.
Although their tallies in terms of appearances and goals are almost at par, Messi overtook Pele to become the leading goal scorer for the South American continent when he scored a hat-trick against Bolivia in the 2021 World Cup qualifiers.
Who is the best, Messi or Pele?
According to statistics, the Argentine Lionel Messi has proved to be the best footballers in the world when he secured his seventh Ballon d’Or. On the other hand, the Brazilian King of soccer Pele, is regarded as the greatest of all time.
Career Goals and Assists
- Messi has more career goals and assists than Pelé, with Messi overtaking Pelé as the leading goal scorer for the South American continent in 2021.
- Messi’s international goal ratio is 0.59, while Pelé’s is 0.84, indicating Pelé’s higher scoring efficiency in international matches.
In terms of total goals and assists, Messi has surpassed Pelé, making him the leading goal scorer in South American history.
Pelé himself acknowledged Messi’s greatness, along with other legends like Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane. The article concludes that comparing Messi and Pelé is challenging due to their different eras and styles. Both have left significant marks in football history, making the debate about the GOAT more about personal preference and perspective rather than a definitive answer.