Tottenham forward Richarlison has hit out at FourFourTwo for their decision to place Brazilian great Pelé as just the fourth greatest player of all time.
The famous football magazine this week published their updated best ever list and caused some fanfare in the process.
Their last all-time greatest list was published in 2017 and the updated selection has put Lionel Messi first, Diego Maradona second, Cristiano Ronaldo third and Pelé in fourth.
That’s not gone down well in Brazil, where Pelé is not only a national icon and treasure but widely considered to be the best ever after a career that saw him score 1,279 goals in 1,363 games according to Guinness World Records.
That debate usually sees him compared to other former footballers such as Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona, but FourFourTwo’s list has instead put him behind the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
One man who is less than impressed is Tottenham’s Richarlison, who believes more respect needs to be shown to Pelé and other Brazilian players.
“For some English magazines, Pelé is not the greatest of all time,” the Tottenham man told ESPN Brasil.
“There is no discussion. Those magazines don’t know football, Pele is the greatest of all. They have to respect Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar.
“The masters lack a bit of respect. I say masters because they are from another planet.”
