Pele was better than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, says Soccer Bowl opponent Jocky Scott
Jocky Scott, a former professional soccer player and opponent of Brazilian legend Pele in the 1977 Soccer Bowl, believes that Pele was a superior player to both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Former Sounder Jocky Scott: "Any player like Pele, Maradona, George Best, Cruyff ... nowadays, with the way the game is played where you're virtually not allowed to tackle anybody, I think they would be much, much better players."
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Pele, who passed away last week at 82, spent two years playing for North American Soccer League club New York Cosmos. He was part of their triumph in the 1977's Soccer Bowl against the Seattle Sounders before hanging up his boots.
Reminiscing about the three-time World Cup winner with Brazil, Scott argued that the modern game, with its emphasis on avoiding tackles, would have allowed players like Pele, Diego Maradona, George Best, and Johan Cruyff to thrive even more than they did in their eras.
Scott specifically pointed to how Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been lauded as the best players in football, but he believes this accolade should be seen as specific to their own era. He argued that players like Pele and Maradona would have shone even brighter at a different time, with different rules and a different style of play.
He told Stat Platforms via Yahoo Sports:
"I think you've got to recognise different eras in football, and over the last 10 or 15 years with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, they deserve the accolades they get for being the best players. But I think they're the best players of this era, or have been the best players of this era.''
Picking Pele as the best player of all time in the football world, the former Seattle Sounders legend said:
''I will always say Pele is definitely the best player.''
He continued:
''To be honest, I think any player like Pele, [Diego] Maradona, George Best, [Johan] Cruyff – attacking players who are great individuals and can all score goals – nowadays, with the way the game is played where you're virtually not allowed to tackle anybody, I think they would be much, much better players''
According to FIFA's official website, Pele had a staggering 1281 goals to his name in 1363 appearances for different clubs across his trophy-laden professional career.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Portugal legend Ronaldo has 701 club goals and 118 international goals to his name, slightly behind him is Argentina's World Cup-winning skipper Lionel Messi, who also has 701 club goals and 98 international goals.
Some incredible numbers 🤯
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Lionel Messi fans are buzzing as PSG are set to face Cristiano Ronaldo's new club Al Nassr in a friendly match in January
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fans are buzzing and having a go at each other as PSG is set to face the Portuguese international's new club Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia later in January. The rumored friendly match is set to be played on January 19, as per several media reports.
PSG set to travel to Saudi Arabia to face Al-Nassr in friendly later this month. (RMC)
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Lionel Messi fans are enjoying his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Fans believe Messi's masterclass in Qatar has overshadowed Ronaldo's professional career, to which Cristiano Ronaldo fans do not agree.
However, with the friendly match potentially set to be hosted in a couple of weeks, fans of both the modern greats are buzzing with enthusiasm as they will get to witness them both on the pitch for the last time.
Here are some of the interesting takes by the fans:
@GFFN Ronaldo seeing Messi 👀 https://t.co/I9TyjMrBp6
@GFFN This gonna be real https://t.co/VLeYMZ9BiP
@GFFN This might become the most watched friendly of all time
@GFFN Messi flexin his World Cup winners medal on his op that’s cold
@GFFN Messi going to Saudi just to flex his world cup on Ronaldo 😭😭
@GFFN Ronaldooooooooooooo would win
@GFFN Ronaldo and abu Baker will humble them