“Pele Will Always Remain Second Best To Me” – Maradona

Argentina legend Diego Maradona, has once again taken a shot at his great rival Pele, saying that he will always be superior to the Brazilian.

Last week, Pele was awarded the Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in Switzerland, since he was not able to win the original Ballon d’Or in his time, because it was meant exclusively for players in Europe.

Maradona however, has criticized FIFA’s decision to honour the former Santos player.

“How can you say that Pele received the Ballon d’Or before me? I received the award in Paris [in 1996]. So to make Pele the first one to receive the award before me is a huge mistake,” he said.

“According to me, Pele will always remain second best in football when compared to Maradona. Look at it this way, in his own country, Brazil, Pele is the second best sportsman after Ayrton Senna [the former F1 driver].

“Pele will always be second, be it in international football or in Brazilian sports. The sad thing is that he is second best and he will continue to stay in that position.

“While presenting the award [this year’s Ballon d’Or] to Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele uttered his name as ‘Cristiano Leonardo’. This just shows where he belongs.

“I am happy with what I am doing for football and for myself. I am content living in a home in Dubai, but Pele lives in FIFA.”

dAILY sPORT