Football legend Pele on Monday said that though Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo have been the best players in the last 10 years, Brazilian Neymar has the opportunity to become the best in the world in the days to come.
“Messi and Ronaldo played in different styles and now Neymar can emerge as best in the world,” the three-time World Cup winner told an interactive session at a private college in the city.
“We now have Neymar in Brazil. I have a very big pleasure which I want to share. My son was a goal keeper for Santos and Neymar coached under him during that time. I feel that Neymar has very big opportunity to be the best in the world,” Pele said.
The football icon while replying to queries of the participants in the interactive session said that apart from skill and stamina, the most important thing that counted in football was physical fitness.
“The most important thing that is needed to succeed in football is good physical condition, physical fitness. Many players have skills, many have stamina. But they can’t play the entire season,” Pele said.
Pele was given a rousing welcome at the NSHM college campus, where he unveiled his own statue in the famous “bicycle kick” position as hundreds of wide-eyed students watched.
After he was given a memento and a shawl, he kicked a ball towards the cheering crowd and did a head-the-ball action.
The ‘Black Pearl’ recalled that it was street football which helped him to develop as a footballer.
“Of course I played street football a lot. I played with kids in the streets. During the rains when my clothes got dirty my mother scolded me for playing in the rain and told me she won’t give me a football. Later on I told my mother that you asked me not to play in the rains but now I am a footballer!” he reminisced.
