Legendary Brazilian striker Pele has shockingly left out Cristiano Ronaldo from his FIFA 21 Team of the Year. Ronaldo and Messi are regarded as two of the best players to have stepped onto the football field, and their records are nothing short of jaw-dropping. While they would feature in fantasy team of most football lovers, Pele didn't pick either of them in his Team of the Year. Although the two talismans have been impressive, their clubs have struggled lately. Messi's Barcelona had a disappointing season so far whereas Ronaldo's Juventus haven't also performed as per expectations. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Arthur Melo Picks His Favorite Between the Two Football Stalwarts.

The Portugal talisman has scored 20 goals in as many games in all competitions this season, but Juventus find themselves fifth in the Serie A table. Under the guidance of Andrea Pirlo, the Italian giants have struggled to perform as a unit. On the other hand, the Catalan Giants are undergoing a transition period as many big names including Luis Suarez left them last summer. At the moment, Ronald Koeman's men are third in the La Liga table. Speaking of Messi's performance, the Argentine talisman has scored 14 goals in 22 games in all competitions for the club. Lionel Messi Thanks Pele For his Kind Words After Football Legend Praises Argentine.

Pele Announces His FIFA 21 Team Of The Year!!

Meanwhile, Pele picked fellow countryman and Liverpool's Alisson as the goal-keeper of his team. The four-man defence in Pele's side comprises Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and Chelsea's Thiago Silva. Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, Real Madrid's Toni Kroos and Liverpool's Thiago Alcantara have been picked as three mid-fielders in Brazilian talisman's list. Joining PSG duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is the other striker in the team.

Pele's FIFA 21 Team of the Year: Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Alphonso Davies, Kevin De Bruyne, Thiago Alcantara, Toni Kroos, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Neymar

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 23, 2021 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).