The Messi, 24, has already won the Golden Ball as best player in the world for three consecutive years. But in an interview with French daily Le Monde published on Friday, 71 Pele, said the star from Argentina to prove even more.
"If Messi 1283 goals like me who has won three world championships, has to say, we do," said Pele in the world. Changes in football. "Records are made to be broken, but it will be difficult to break me.
"People always ask me:" When is the new Pele is born? "Never. My father and my mother closed the factory."
Although many observers Pele and Diego Armando Maradona, one of the largest in history to believe, like Messi in Barcelona should be mentioned in the same group.
Messi has scored 55 goals for Barcelona in 2011 and has a total of 200 for the club. He was the top scorer in European Cup Final, scoring in 2009 and 2011, when Barcelona beat Manchester United.
"I like Messi, who is a great player," said Pele when asked who his favorite player now. "Technically, we are virtually the same."
But Pele was also quick to point out that Messi not shone for Argentina at major tournaments.
Surprisingly, the ability for a player to Messi, who is not in the 2010 World Cup and Copa America has scored a goal last year and has a modest number of 19 goals in 67 internationals.
"It's a great player from Barcelona, but if he does not play for Argentina the same success," said Pele.
Pele also believes that may have had the opportunity to be better than Messi.
"Nobody knew that the foot was drawn, I was with both feet. I scored many goals with his head," said Pele.
However, Pele knows that the debate is about the greatest player in the history of the world are still differences of opinion.
"Some people could not say that Beethoven did not play the piano, others say that Michelangelo could not paint, and Pele play football," he said. "But we all received a gift from God."
