Pele is the greatest ever IMO. It was just unlucky for him that all his magical and amazing feats on the football pitch were not immortalized forever in film, like it is today for Maradona and Messi. Every single game Messi has played in will be available on video somewhere and there for playback, and on TV for all the younger generation to watch now.
Some of Pele's greatest goals were never caught on film. Games in which he scored 4 and even 5 goals sometimes. It is a shame. A lot of old timers say Pele was in the prime of his career at 17/18, it is just a shame that we don't have the video to see for ourselves. Reading Sir Bobby Robsons(man who brought THE RONALDO to PSV, then Barcelona) autbiography tells you all you need to know about Pele. BEST EVER!
That said Messi seems to do all the exact same things Pele did looking back at the videos that are available of him.
As for Pele not liking Argentinies, That is NOT the case. Pele has talked $h** out of his a$$ about Brazilians like Ronaldo, Romario, Robhino, and even Ronaldinho I think! Pele protests too much when he feels someone is a threat to his exclusive status as World Greatest Ever, or if a player is talked about in the same breath. Can you imagine if Pele had Cristiano Ronaldo's personality? Now that would be something.
Anway Messi is Right up there with Pele on the same level, but he will never be ahead of Pele for me. Messi may be 0.00001*10^100 decimal points behind. But no one will ever be better than Pele.
And of course imagine if Pele had the benefit of todays advanced training methods, medical methods etc along with all the TV coverage. it is an unfair comparison sometimes.
But yeah Pele is Jealous.