Pele Says Lionel Messi, Not Cristiano Ronaldo, Best Player in Last 10 Years

The debate surrounding the greatness of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may never reach a consensus. That said, Pele, one of the greatest players to ever step on the pitch, believes the edge goes to the Barcelona and Argentina stalwart.

BBC Sport passed along comments from the 74-year-old Brazilian legend. He recognizes the two superstars don't play the same type of football but thinks Messi holds the overall edge for his play over the past decade.

"At the moment people always try to compare Ronaldo with Messi [but] it's a different style," Pele said. "They are two great players, but in the past 10 years the best in the world was Messi."

It's a conversation that never really ends. The talk just tends to heat up every time the two biggest attacking threats of the current era face off. That's the case on Sunday with the latest edition of El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Since the FIFA Ballon d'Or took on its current format in 2010, either Messi or Ronaldo has won the top individual honor. Messi won the first three, but Ronaldo followed up with the last two and will look to level the score with a big 2015.

Sky Sports Football passed along a comparison of the duo:

Messi brings a certain level of wizardry to the sport that few in history have been able to match. Yet, Ronaldo possesses a combination of power and quickness that's equally dangerous to an opponent.

Pele thinks Messi holds the edge. We'll see if the Barca star makes him look wise on Sunday night.