Football legend Pele believes Lionel Messi can still be a World Cup winner despite missing out in Brazil this summer.
According to Pele, the 1-0 loss to Germany in the final does not detract from Messi as a footballer and he will still have a chance to shine in Russia in 2018, although the Argentine will by aged 31 by then.
“Messi has still got a chance to win it because he is a well-balanced player who is in good physical condition,” said Pele in a Rio de Janeiro interview with O’Rei.
“There is no doubt he is a great player and I’m sure he will be playing in the next World Cup. Maybe he was not very good at Brazil 2014 but that does not mean he is a bad player.
“Both Argentina and Brazil had people who could have won it for them but they didn’t manage to do so.
“Messi is undoubtedly a great footballer and we can’t take that away from him just because he hasn’t won a World Cup.”
