Tite Dismisses Hogwash Pele-Messi Comparisons
Brazil manager Tite has opined that Pele remains the greatest footballer of all-time and any comparison between him and Argentina icon Lionel Messi is far-fetched.
Tite is perhaps still reeling from his confrontation with Messi in last Friday’s friendly international between Brazil and Argentina, which the Barcelona captain won for the Albiceleste with the only goal of the game.
Tite called for Messi to be booked for a challenge on Casemiro in the course of the game and the five-time Ballon d’or winner responded by asking the Brazil manager to shut up.
Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of Brazil and football legend Pele scoring his 1000th career goal.
The 79-year-old remains the only player to have won the FIFA World Cup three times and is widely considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all-time, though Messi also lays claim to the title with some exceptional 21st century performances.
Brazil, winless in their last five games, take on South Korea in a friendly on Tuesday, and ahead of the game, Tite set his countryman aside as the greatest ever.
"Messi better than Pele? Pele is incomparable," he said, per Marca.
"Anyone who wants to compare Pele with another athlete knows nothing. Messi is extraordinary, but within humans. Pele is outside humans, is outside normal parameters.
"I do not say this because I am Brazilian, I say it because I saw that story, the magnitude of Pelé, his plays, the individual technique, the header, ambidextrous, his strength, his impulse. If you want to find a defect, you will not find it."
"As if that were not enough, Pele had an extraordinary charisma," he added.
"What happened with Messi the other day, I just called for a yellow and he told me to shut up."
