[Warchant]

Pele has dubbed AC Milan midfielder Kaka 'the best player in the world', ahead of Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid target Kaka, 25, was in sparkling form in Europe this season and won Pele's admiration after leading AC Milan to a seventh Champions League/European Cup crown.

The Brazil international finished as top scorer in the competition with 10 goals, including three in the Rossoneri's 5-3 aggregate semi-final win against United.

'Kaka is the best player in the world, without a doubt,' said Pele in Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Kaka and Portugal international Ronaldo have arguably been the stars of European football this past season, with the media and pundits alike clamouring to have their say on who is the more talented of the two.

Ronaldo, 22, recently won the English PFA Players' Player and Young Player of the Year awards, and walked off with the 2007 Portuguese Footballer of the Year gong in the wake of his starring role in United's successful Premiership campaign.

But for Pele, compatriot Kaka has the edge over the talented winger.

'Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in England,' he added. 'But from that to being the best player in the world there is still some way.

'Kaka is a player with great quality and that makes him stronger than Cristiano Ronaldo and that will help him become one of the best players ever.'

[Jack Sparrow]

Ha...I knew that...The great Pele and all he does is state the bloody obvious (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Zed.D]

I don't like the way he always gives his opinions like he's God Almighty or something. But... he's damn right!

[LaPalma]

My god...that guy is as enerving as Franz Beckenbauer....saying what everyone knows when no one asks him (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Warchant]

I don't like the way he always gives his opinions like he's God Almighty or something. But... he's damn right!

on this side of the world (to some people) Pele is about as close to God as you're going to get

[bigmacmtl]

he's so predictable, he only comments when it brings prays on brazilians and predicts brazil to win every tournement they play (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

This post has been edited by bigmacmtl: Jun 19 2007, 01:24 AM

[jbryant1]

Cristiano Ronaldo was better in his league this season than Kaka was in Italy. I think Kaka lacked real striker partnership which kind of made him a lone star out there against a multitude of defenders.

Kaka's strength was in the world stage in the champions league which the world followed outside of their own league. I mean Cannavaro won the World Player award for the World Cup. With most players its their performances on the world competitions that give them this kind of status. But honestly Kaka in Europe was totally different than Kaka in Italy.

For some reason we get to Europe and destroy teams like Man U, Liverpool, Bayern and others yet we can get barely by Sampdoria in serie A.

So I think it depends how you look at this thing. Kaka is a better player in my view but Ronaldo was much more consistent and solid in the prem than Kaka was in Serie A.

This post has been edited by jbryant1: Jun 19 2007, 04:42 AM

[Warchant]

Cristiano Ronaldo was better in his league this season than Kaka was in Italy. I think Kaka lacked real striker partnership which kind of made him a lone star out there against a multitude of defenders.

Kaka's strength was in the world stage in the champions league which the world followed outside of their own league. I mean Cannavaro won the World Player award for the World Cup. With most players its their performances on the world competitions that give them this kind of status. But honestly Kaka in Europe was totally different than Kaka in Italy.

For some reason we get to Europe and destroy teams like Man U, Liverpool, Bayern and others yet we can get barely by Sampdoria in serie A.

So I think it depends how you look at this thing. Kaka is a better player in my view but Ronaldo was much more consistent and solid in the prem than Kaka was in Serie A.

i think our team played tactically different in the league than they did in the CL. I think that's why Kaka shined more in the CL than he did in the league. He was given more opportunities when he played in the CL to score.

[kurtsimonw]

i think our team played tactically different in the league than they did in the CL. I think that's why Kaka shined more in the CL than he did in the league. He was given more opportunities when he played in the CL to score.

Cristiano didn't play 'better' he was just more of a show off. He was very poor in both Liverpool games, same with the home and away ties against Arsenal. Yet when he came to Villa Park he played like a star. It's easy to pick on the weaker teams, not to mention having the most shots attempted in the league this season, of course you're going to score a bunch of goals.

I think it shows what kind of player he is, to me in last years World Cup he was a complete none-factor in the later rounds of the competition, same goes with the CL against us.

Kaka' plays well 99% of the time, he was the only Brazillian 'star' to turn up at the World Cup and was the MVP of the CL as a whole. He's clearly the best in the World.

[KillerMax]

Cristiano didn't play 'better' he was just more of a show off. He was very poor in both Liverpool games, same with the home and away ties against Arsenal. Yet when he came to Villa Park he played like a star. It's easy to pick on the weaker teams, not to mention having the most shots attempted in the league this season, of course you're going to score a bunch of goals.

I think it shows what kind of player he is, to me in last years World Cup he was a complete none-factor in the later rounds of the competition, same goes with the CL against us.

Kaka' plays well 99% of the time, he was the only Brazillian 'star' to turn up at the World Cup and was the MVP of the CL as a whole. He's clearly the best in the World.

Even though I like Ronaldo, I have to agree with what you are saying there. Ronaldo has yet to shine big on the big stage.

[Rossoneri7]

Cristiano Ronaldo was better in his league this season than Kaka was in Italy. I think Kaka lacked real striker partnership which kind of made him a lone star out there against a multitude of defenders.

Kaka's strength was in the world stage in the champions league which the world followed outside of their own league. I mean Cannavaro won the World Player award for the World Cup. With most players its their performances on the world competitions that give them this kind of status. But honestly Kaka in Europe was totally different than Kaka in Italy.

For some reason we get to Europe and destroy teams like Man U, Liverpool, Bayern and others yet we can get barely by Sampdoria in serie A.

So I think it depends how you look at this thing. Kaka is a better player in my view but Ronaldo was much more consistent and solid in the prem than Kaka was in Serie A.

Well .. I think Warchant was 'spot on' .. Cuz, in a knock-out match, you have to play differently than in a championship match.

I mean against United, u win two games and u go to the final. So the team gives it their all, and Kaka having "the experience" destroyed United.

But in the championship (Serie A), we can beat Samp and Cagliari and Catania etc .. Still it's a long way to get to the end of the championship. Therefor the coach adapts a different tactic which doesn't take a lot from the player's, seeing as they have another competition to play in (in the same week, CL).