Argentine Santiago Solari, coach of the Mexican soccer America, asserted that his compatriot Lionel Messi has once again put the debate on the table to know who is better, if he or the Brazilian Pele.
“In his own words, Pelé had postponed this debate until Messi could score more goals than he could and now that it has happened, he can start talking again,” said the Águilas coach.
Messi scored the three goals with which Argentina beat Bolivia in the Conmebol tie heading to Qatar 2022. Those three goals served 10 of the albiceleste to reach 79 goals and surpass Pelé, 77 points, as the top scorer of South American teams .
That is why Solari referred to a few words said by Pelé that the debate on the best player in the world would only take place when Lionel Messi could surpass him in scores with his national team.
Before Messi’s performance last Thursday with Argentina, the América coach said with some irony that it is fortunate that now it is possible to debate again about who is better.
“How lucky that this debate can be opened again because of what Pele himself had mentioned, because now with Messi’s performance we can talk about them again,” he emphasized.
Santiago Solari, former Real Madrid coach, arrived at América for Clausura 2021, a tournament in which his team finished second in the tournament with 38 units; in the final phase he was eliminated by Pachuca in the quarterfinals.
In the current Apertura tournament, the Eagles march on top without conceding a loss with 17 points, the product of five wins and two draws to date seven.
On the eighth day of the contest, the Eagles will host Mazatlán FC at the Azteca Stadium next Saturday, opponents with Solari warned they should be careful.
«The Mexican league is highly competitive, each team is well organized and you see results that you did not expect every week. Mazatlán is a careful rival, that’s why we have to work hard to get the victory and we are preparing for it ». EFE (HN)