Pele: Messi ´an incomplete player´

Brazil great Pele celebrated his 71st birthday by branding Lionel Messi an ‘incomplete’ player.

The three-time World Cup winner, who was in London, UK for the global launch of his new sports lifestyle collection ‘The Beautiful Revolution’ told Goal.com he believed the English Premier League to be Europe’s top league.

But his words on Messi proved the most provocative: “I would love to play with Lionel Messi,” Pele said on Thursday.

“But Messi is an incomplete player because he can’t use his head. Also I played football for 20 years, Messi has only played for several years.”

“If there is one player in the world today I would love to play with it is Neymar,” Pele added.

Pele was speaking at a special drinks reception held in London’s Covent Garden to mark his 71st birthday, with guests including Rio Ferdinand, brother Anton, ex-Bayern Munich and Barcelona defender Patrick Andersson and Pele’s 1970 World Cup opponent Terry Cooper, formerly of England and Leeds United.

Pele paid tribute to England’s top flight: “The English Premier League is the best league in Europe, better than La Liga,” he said.