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Legendary Pele believes that Lionel Messi is far from being the best footballer of all time.
The 24-year-old striker was named the best FIFA player of the year for the third time in a row this month, but Pele is convinced that illustrious titles can only be used when the player starts scoring goals for the Argentine national team.
"When Messi scores 1283 goals like I did, when he wins three World Cup titles, then we can talk about it," said the 71-year-old Pele to "Le Monde."
"I really like him because he is a fantastic footballer. Technically, we are practically on the same level. Leo looks great at Barcelona, but such results are not achievable with the national team."
He added: "People often ask me when a new Pele will be born. The answer is - never. My parents closed down the production of this product."
