Pelé’s praise for Cristiano Ronaldo is indeed powerful—and rare coming from a Brazilian legend about a non-Brazilian player. When someone like Pelé, who is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, says “I would have loved to have Cristiano on my team,” it carries real weight. His comments underline Ronaldo’s work ethic, influence, and longevity—traits that clearly resonate with Pelé’s own values.
Whether there’s an underlying rivalry with Messi, given the historic Brazil-Argentina football tension, is speculative. Still, Pelé has occasionally been critical of Messi in the past, especially regarding comparisons to Maradona and himself. So it’s possible that his strong endorsement of Ronaldo is partially shaped by that rivalry.
