Football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, 'Pelé', revealed at the Tribeca film festival on Thursday that he very nearly signed for Real Madrid.

When asked why he never ended up playing in Europe like the majority of the great Brazilian players, Pelé replied, "I was on the point of signing for Real Madrid but I've regretted staying at Santos".

As for the current Champions League, Pelé said, despite their recent elimination from the competition, "it's clear that during the last 15 years Barcelona have been the best team, just like the Dutch sides played the most attractive football in previous years".

The film: "Pelé: birth of a leyend" charts his career from the moment he developed a taste for football in the favelas of Três Corações - one of his favourite moments in the film: "It's shows the importance for any person to believe in themselves", he explained.

"What Pelé repersented for the whole nation in the 1950s and 1960s is a message of hope for all children", says the film's co-director Jeff Zimbalist.

Pelé congratulated the youngsters who protrayed him in the film but joked "they're not quite as handsome as I was back then..."