Pele settles Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, brands himself G.O.A.T

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are widely regarded as two of the best players of all time. Even after more than a decade at the top, the duo continues to dominate football with 11 Ballon d'Ors shared among them. The long-standing debate over who is the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T) doesn't seem like being settled anytime soon. However, the Portuguese superstar got validation from arguably the best player of all time - Brazil legend Pele.

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Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Pele makes his pick

During a recent interview on YouTube channel Pilhado, Pele shared his opinion about who is currently the world's best between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The three-time World Cup winner was quick to choose Ronaldo over Messi, claiming the Juventus forward is 'more consistent' than his Barcelona counterpart.

Here's what Pele had to say about the Ronaldo vs Messi debate, "Today the best player in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo. I think he's the best because he's more consistent, but you can't forget about Messi, of course, but he's not a striker."

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Ronaldo vs Messi: Best rivalry in football history?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will both go down in history as two of the best football players of all time. Apart from winning the Ballon d'Or, the duo has a whopping 9 Champions League titles and 16 league titles among them. Ronaldo, having played in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy, has managed to excel in each of the domestic leagues. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has so far been a one-club-man, helping Barcelona keep a hold on their supremacy in Europe and Spain. 

Where Ronaldo leaves behind Messi is when we analyse their success with the national sides. Messi does have an Olympic gold medal and one World Cup runners-up medal to boast of. However, Ronaldo helped Portugal win the Euro 2016, which fans have repeatedly pointed out to argue his greatness over Messi.

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Meanwhile, Pele picks the best of all time

While Pele did shower praise for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Brazilian legend did point out that there have been some great footballers before the duo. Pele named Brazilian legends like Zico, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario, while he picked Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff from Europe. The Brazilian did, however, fail to mention one of his biggest rivals from his playing time - Diego Maradona.

Although Pele had respect for all legends of the game, when it came choosing the best of all time, the 79-year-old said, "Now, it's not my fault, but I think Pele was better than them all."

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(Image Credits: FIFA official website, Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi official Instagram handle)