The GOAT Controversy: Is Pele Right About Lionel Messi?

 The GOAT controversy: Pele in a recent interview when asked if messi is the greatest player ever, he politely said Messi has only one skill and so you can’t label him the GOAT.

As much as I don’t like to dabble into the debate of the GOAT controversy, but this statement got my attention.

And i have to put down some of my thoughts down.

Pele said in his own words…..

“How can you make a comparison between a guy who heads the ball well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right… and another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill, doesn’t head the ball well?”

In a nutshell, he’s trying to say Messi’s only skill is to run, dribble with the left leg and score.

No other skill…

Messi hardly does the “rabona”, or ‘elastica’ or other skills left footed players like Maradona are known for.

But does playing with both legs make one better than the other that uses only one foot?

Only very few players in the GOAT category are very good with both legs- Pele, zidane, Ronaldinho, CR7.

Does this makes them better than the left footed ones like Messi and Maradona.

Pele even said in the interview that Maradona was far better than messi though both uses the left foot and has similar styles.

Is Pele also implying that he’s better than Maradona in the same way because he uses only one foot and doesn’t score much with his head?

Two Argentine greats, Maradona and Messi: Who is the GOAT

Let’s not go far.

Just come home to Brazil.

One player who till date a lot have said is still better than Pele is none other than a left footed intelligent player- Garrincha.

Garrincha is so good that he’s loved by all in Brazil while Pele is just revered.

Still many Brazilians consider him better than Pele- though its on record that Brazil never lost any match that Pele and Garrincha played together.

For me a distinction should be made from Pele’s statement, which is separating the ‘best(GOAT)’ from the most ‘complete player’.

What Pele is trying to say in essence is that he’s the most complete player ever, and that makes him the GOAT- still debateable.

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So is it Messi’s or maradona’s fault that they are born left footed.

Playing with both legs and scoring with all parts of the body doesn’t make one the greatest(it only makes him the most complete), its the contribution to the team, the indispensability, and the overall presence and aura such player brings to the team both for club and country- None other than Maradona have these attributes.

Conclusion:

Jürgen Klinsmann of FIFA Italia 1990 world cup scored 6 goals and was adjudged the most complete striker because; he score 2 goals with right foot, 2 goals with left foot and 2 goals with a header- That’s a Pele’s kind of player.

Pele’s statement is a bit faulty when using that criteria to judge for the better of two players.

Though we know his status of “King of football” is indisputable, but many are coming to challenge him for that crown and throne which makes him a bit uncomfortable, and hence his always diplomatic statement and reply.

-Quora