Messi, 24, won the FIFA Golden Ball player in the world for the third consecutive year.But Pele believes it needs to improve for Argentina and score more goals.
Messi - It's a great player from Barcelona, but if he does not play for Argentina the same success
"If Messi 1283 goals like me who has won three world championships, has, we can talk," Pele told the French daily Le Monde.
Messi won the Champions League three times and five championship titles with Barcelona in the Spanish league.
But his victory only with the national team was the 2008 Olympics - and Brazil of Pele won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
The 71-year-old said: "I like Messi, who is a great player technically, we are almost at the same level ..
"It's a great player from Barcelona, but if he does not play for Argentina the same success.
"People always ask me:" When is the new Pele is born? "Never. My father and my mother closed the factory."
