The legendary combo of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi, according to former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh, should not be regarded as the best player to ever play football.
Sunday Oliseh believes that Brazilian legend Pele is the best player of all time, far surpassing greats like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pele is the role model for many successful modern footballers, in addition to his extraordinary feat of winning three FIFA World Cups over the course of a legendary playing career spanning two decades.
When asked who the greatest football player of all time was, Oliseh replied, “This is who everyone looks up to to succeed in their football careers. Pele is his name.
“He is the greatest player of all time, G.O.A.T. You cannot win three world cups, and anybody will want to compete with you.
“I know people, especially the young ones, will not be happy with my choice, but those of us who are elderly can identify with him.”
PSG player Lionel Messi, however, further solidified his claims to be among the best players in history when he helped Argentina lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Throughout his career, Pelé scored nearly one goal per game and was skilled at striking the ball with either foot in addition to reading the movements of his opponents. Although he was primarily a striker, he had the ability to drop deep and assume a playmaking role. He would use his vision and passing prowess to provide assists, as well as his dribbling abilities to elude defenders. He is revered as a national hero in Brazil for both his football prowess and his vocal advocacy for measures that advance the social conditions of the underprivileged. Inspiration stemmed from his rise to fame at the 1958 World Cup, where he became the first black sporting icon on a global scale. In both his professional and post-career years, Pelé received numerous individual and team awards for his performance in the field, his record-breaking achievements, and his legacy in sport.
