“From another planet” - Argentine coach snubs Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona as he chooses greatest ever player

Argentine coach Reinaldo Merlo has risked the wrath of Argentina fans after he snubbed Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona to name Pele as the best player he ever saw.

Messi and Maradona, for many, are two of the very best players in the history of the sport. That is more so the case if one hails from Argentina. But Merlo (73), who made 526 appearances for local club River Plate during his playing days, believes Pele was a better player than the two Argentine legends.

During a session on local station Radio La Red (h/t La100), Merlo was asked to name the best player in the world. The interviewer seemed so certain that the 73-year-old's answer would be limited to either Messi or Maradona that he initially didn't provide him with a third option.

Merlo, while praising the Argentine duo, named Brazilian legend Pele as the greatest player he has ever seen. He said:

"Maradona and Messi, two phenomena, but Pelé is from another planet [when asked to name the best player of all time]. The only one that could happen to me? Pele." [translated from Spanish]

Merlo managed Argentina's U17 and U20 teams in the 1990s and last served as CA Defensores Unidos' head coach. He was a one-club man, playing as a defensive midfielder for River Plate from 1969 to 1984 before transitioning to management.

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Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona are both FIFA World Cup winners

The FIFA World Cup has been a focal point in debates questioning whether Lionel Messi can be regarded as the greatest of all time over Diego Maradona and Pele.

Until December 2022, Pele and Maradona were the comfortable winners in those discussions. Those who believe Messi is the GOAT would have to reference the 36-year-old superstar's 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball win to support their argument.

But in December last year, Messi led his country to their third World Cup title. He starred in Qatar, winning the Golden Ball once again after registering seven goals and three assists in seven games in the competition.

It was the only trophy missing from the former Barcelona superstar's glittering trophy cabinet. He is now on par with FIFA World Cup wins with Diego Maradona, who led his team to victory in the 1986 edition.

Pele, meanwhile, remains untouchable at the top in terms of World Cup wins. The Brazilian legend won the trophy three times (1958, 1962, 1970) — the most in football history.

The Brazilian icon was also named the FIFA Player of the Century in 2000, even though Maradona won the online polls by raking in 53.6% of the votes as compared to Pele's 18.53%.