Pele: 'I was better than Lionel Messi, Ronaldo'

Brazil icon Pele has acknowledged that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best of their generation, but has stressed that he was better than both.

The Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars have dominated the individual awards since their emergence, with nobody else winning the Ballon d'Or for the last eight years.

The Argentine and Portuguese pair scored 126 goals for club and country last season, but when asked if they are on a par with him in his heyday, the 75-year-old told Marca: "Please forgive my lack of modesty, but I've never seen a player as good as Pele was in 1970.

"In my honest opinion, I think that every player has his era and, right now, Leo [Messi] and [Cristiano] Ronaldo are the best.

"I think that Messi is an example of determination and perseverance. He didn't have it easy when he was young. [Ronaldo] is an outstanding goalscorer, he just never stops. I admire that in him."

Kaka, in 2007, was the last player apart from Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or.