Pele gives his thoughts on the Messi vs Ronaldo debate

Pele

- Football legend Pele believes Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world right now 

- The former Santos striker names 10 players in history who can be regarded as the best ever 

- Pele believes it is bad only Ronaldo and Messi are regarded as the best players right now 

Football legend Pele believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is the No 1 player in the world right now with Lionel Messi close behind.

Pele names 10 players he thinks are the greatest of all time; "George Best, Bobby Moore, Jairzinho, Bobby Charlton, Pele, Zico, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Zidane, Maradona."

Speaking to the Daily Mail UK, the three time World Cup winning striker thinks it is bad for football that only two names are mentioned when the world's best players are listed.

"Now you say Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi — Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. It's not too good for football."

"At the moment the best player in the world is Ronaldo. I admire him, if I had to set up a national team he would be my first pick. But in the meantime I feel sorry because today and the last five years, you just mention two big stars. Some years ago, you had a lot of players."

He added: "Ronaldo reminds Pele of Ronaldo — the Brazilian one. The one who terrified defenders with his pace and aggression and relentless pursuit of goals. In the modern age, everyone is obsessed with comparison."

Pele who has been called the greatest of all time by some explains why he cannot argue over who is the best of all time between himself and Diego Maradona, another player called the greatest of all time by some.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates beside Cristiano Ronaldo during a recent El Clasico ga,e

"Maradona, myself, it's a little bit different than him,' he explains. 'Cristiano is higher up the pitch, more central, more direct, more for scoring.

"But what is important is he is a player who decides the game. He is a player who scores goals. That's the same.

"But we cannot compare Pele and Maradona with Cristiano because we were players who came from behind. We played deeper. He plays in front. He's more like (the Brazilian) Ronaldo. This you can compare.

"It's the same with Messi. They are two players with completely different styles. Messi is playing more from midfield, he is an excellent player and passer. But Ronaldo is more forward, the No 9, the striker. He has a different style to Messi."

Messi and Ronaldo have shared the World Player of the Year title in its various forms for eight years, since Kaka won in 2007.

Ronaldo is 31 and Messi 28, and their days at the top are numbered. Gareth Bale, 26, and Neymar, 24, are believed by many as the best players after them.