Brazil legend Pele believes both he and Lionel Messi have received 'a gift from God' but admits the Barcelona ace has a long way to go to surpass him.

Messi is widely regarded as the best footballer of his generation - further confirmed by his third consecutive Ballon d'Or award earlier this month.

But whether he is better than Pele remains one of the most intriguing debates in football today.

The former Santos striker admits both himself and Messi have been blessed with skills from above, but insists the 24-year-old cannot surpass him until he has matched his achievements.

"Technically speaking, we are practically at the same level," Pele told Le Monde. "We have both received a gift from God.

"Records are made to be broken, but it will be hard to break mine. When Messi has scored 1,283 goals and won three World Cups, then we will talk.

"People ask me all the time when there will be a new Pele. I tell them: 'Never'. My parents shut down the factory."