MEXICO CITY: English soccer captain David Beckham may be a hero to millions of fans worldwide, but for Brazilian soccer legend Pele he is more a pop star than an athlete.

"The problem with Beckham is that he married the most famous Spice Girl and now he is more of a pop star than a soccer player," Pele told reporters on Thursday during a visit to Mexico City to promote the impotence drug Viagra.

"Football today is also entertainment and people want players to be stars rather than footballers," Pele added.

Beckham, 28, is married to Victoria Beckham, a former member of British pop group the Spice Girls. He has become a key marketing tool since joining Spanish champions Real Madrid from Manchester United for US$40 million on July 2.

Paraded by Real Madrid during the team's recent Asia tour, Beckham helped the Spanish team draw capacity crowds to four matches and more than 100,000 fans to their training sessions.

Pele, who helped Brazil win three World Cups and is considered by many the world's greatest player, lamented the divide between rich clubs and teams with tight budgets.

"It's clear that Real Madrid and Manchester have a lot of money and they can buy the best players in the world. But we've seen many times that stars don't always win championships," Pele said.

Agencies via Xinnhua

(China Daily 08/16/2003 page7)