--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best player ever? Pele. Messi and…" description: "\"The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better.\" — Osvaldo Ardiles" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/osvaldo-ardiles-73142_inspirational_the-best-player-ever-pele-messi-and-cris_1010492.jpg" --- # The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo… ![“The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better.” quote by Osvaldo Ardiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/osvaldo-ardiles-73142_inspirational_the-best-player-ever-pele-messi-and-cris_1010492.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/osvaldo-ardiles-73142_inspirational_the-best-player-ever-pele-messi-and-cris_1010492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/osvaldo-ardiles-73142_inspirational_the-best-player-ever-pele-messi-and-cris_1010492.jpg) > “The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better.” Osvaldo Ardiles ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He states that while Messi and Ronaldo are great, Pele remains the greatest overall. **In simple terms:** Pele is the greatest footballer. Key Takeaway Recognize historical impact in sports. Themes sports legacy comparison Mood analytical enthusiastic Type sports opinion When to use this quote - football analysis - coaching - fan debates Key Concepts greatness historical context Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define 'greatest'? - How do playing conditions affect legacy? A Different Perspective Different eras make direct comparisons difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) ## Related quotes > [Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfredo-di-stefano/messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-are-both-great-players-with-specific/) [Alfredo Di Stefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfredo-di-stefano/) > [Messi is the best player of all time. Better than Pele, better than Maradona and better than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriano-galliani/messi-is-the-best-player-of-all-time-better-than-pele-better-than/) Adriano Galliani > [The best player ever? Pele.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfredo-di-stefano/the-best-player-ever-pele/) [Alfredo Di Stefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfredo-di-stefano/) > [ It is good to be Compared with the best player \[Pele\]. But my dad told me about Garrincha's style as he moved forward, went… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/it-is-good-to-be-compared-with-the-best-player-pele-but-my-dad-told/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [People dislike Ronaldo because he's a great player, good-looking and has sex with all the ladies. They get jealous. The only bad thing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-felipe-scolari/people-dislike-ronaldo-because-he-s-a-great-player-good-looking-and/) [Luiz Felipe Scolari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-felipe-scolari/) > [Over the years I've learnt to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/over-the-years-i-ve-learnt-to-live-with-two-persons-in-my-heart-one/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [Everything you can imagine from a player, Pele has done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zico/everything-you-can-imagine-from-a-player-pele-has-done-it/) [Zico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zico/) > [Ronaldo is a great professional. He truly cares about details. That's why he is always fit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimiliano-allegri/ronaldo-is-a-great-professional-he-truly-cares-about-details-that-s/) [Massimiliano Allegri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimiliano-allegri/) > [Neymar and Ronaldo are great players, that can score in decisive games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo/neymar-and-ronaldo-are-great-players-that-can-score-in-decisive-games/) [Marcelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo/) > [Everybody at Juventus looks at Cristiano Ronaldo as a great example. Everybody wants to be like him, even the more experienced players like Chiellini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-cancelo/everybody-at-juventus-looks-at-cristiano-ronaldo-as-a-great-example/) [Joao Cancelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-cancelo/) > [Ronaldo is a great player. But those who claim that he is stronger than Messi do not understand football or are in bad faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/ronaldo-is-a-great-player-but-those-who-claim-that-he-is-stronger/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [I remember the first time I saw him play. It was for a Sporting CP youth team. I told my assistant, 'There goes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/i-remember-the-first-time-i-saw-him-play-it-was-for-a-sporting-cp/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [Cristiano Ronaldo is a great character, he talks a lot with his teammates, with the young players, and is always ready to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/cristiano-ronaldo-is-a-great-character-he-talks-a-lot-with-his/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Messi doesn't have to do it in the Premier League to prove himself. The Champions League is the ultimate club competition. If he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/messi-doesn-t-have-to-do-it-in-the-premier-league-to-prove-himself/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) > [Lionel Messi is the best player ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-souness/lionel-messi-is-the-best-player-ever/) [Graeme Souness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-souness/) ## More by Osvaldo Ardiles > [Pele was the most complete player I've ever seen, he had everything. Two good feet. Magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osvaldo-ardiles/pele-was-the-most-complete-player-i-ve-ever-seen-he-had-everything/) Osvaldo Ardiles > [Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osvaldo-ardiles/pele-was-the-only-footballer-who-surpassed-the-boundaries-of-logic/) Osvaldo Ardiles > [The best of all was Pele, who is a mixture of Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and Leo Messi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osvaldo-ardiles/the-best-of-all-was-pele-who-is-a-mixture-of-di-stefano-maradona/) Osvaldo Ardiles Explore all 4 Osvaldo Ardiles quotes ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) Brendan Mundorf > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best player ever? 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