Is Messi Now Officially the Greatest Footballer in History?

Is Messi the greatest player in football history?

  • Yes

  • No

Results are only viewable after voting.
Messi and Maradona if we areclooking at just footballing talent/ability and the ability to genuinely effect/influence a football game on their own.

There are players with fantastic amazing individual prowess (Ronaldo...both of them, Pele etc) but Messi and Maradona stand alone to me

Drop Ronaldo into lets say a Notts forest team he wouldn't do anything.....drop Messi into that team and he improves it..that's the difference for me

For me, the best player has never been in question.....

Mbappe and the next generation aren't even on the same planet as Messi. I'd rather have peak David silva than Mbappe for inatance
 
Xhavenjoe said:
There are a few that come close to Messi.
The fact that the question is being asked should tell you that.
There is no doubt that he is the best over the last few decades and I think possibly of all time but Maradona and Pele run him close.
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There aren't though. There have been some wonderful players and Maradona and Pele clearly were outstanding. But they don't come close to Messi. Maradona scored iconic goals but he was nowhere near as prolific and he had most of Colombia up his nose. Pele never tested himself outside of Brazil and that counts against him. In these days where talent is one thing, but fitness is a huge part of the game, Messi has dominated. He's not just the best goalscorer, he's the best dribbler, passer, creator and has the best vision. He's on his own by some distance.
 
supercity88 said:
. There have been some wonderful players and Maradona and Pele clearly were outstanding. But they don't come close to Messi.
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I don't think he's on his own the best, as you say y some distance.
I'm not arguing who is the best but I was born in the 50's and personally think Maradona was the best.
Facts like goal scoring, dribbles completed, trophies won etc. indicate that Messi is at the top.
It is impossible to really compare as they are not playing at thd same time, a bit like comparing Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
supercity88 said:
Messi has dominated. He's not just the best goalscorer, he's the best dribbler, passer, creator and has the best vision. He's on his own by some distance.
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He thoroughly deserves his World Cup Winners medal. This Argentina team won 3 games against Poland, Australia and Croatia, lost their first game and won the other 2 on penalties.
Didn't excite me like the Argentinian teams of old.
 
Xhavenjoe said:
I don't think he's on his own the best, as you say y some distance.
I'm not arguing who is the best but I was born in the 50's and personally think Maradona was the best.
Facts like goal scoring, dribbles completed, trophies won etc. indicate that Messi is at the top.
It is impossible to really compare as they are not playing at thd same time, a bit like comparing Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.

He thoroughly deserves his World Cup Winners medal. This Argentina team won 3 games against Poland, Australia and Croatia, lost their first game and won the other 2 on penalties.
Didn't excite me like the Argentinian teams of old.
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The Argentine team was a unit and had steel running throughout the side. On one of the ocassions that de Paul got clattered you could see the persperation running off him. Bringing Alvarez in to harry the opposition freed up Messi to drop deaper and access the game, he ows a good deal to Julian.
 
Xhavenjoe said:
I don't think he's on his own the best, as you say y some distance.
I'm not arguing who is the best but I was born in the 50's and personally think Maradona was the best.
Facts like goal scoring, dribbles completed, trophies won etc. indicate that Messi is at the top.
It is impossible to really compare as they are not playing at thd same time, a bit like comparing Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.

He thoroughly deserves his World Cup Winners medal. This Argentina team won 3 games against Poland, Australia and Croatia, lost their first game and won the other 2 on penalties.
Didn't excite me like the Argentinian teams of old.
Click to expand...

Considering Diego had most of Colombia up his nose and was still better than anyone, I think Messi is miles ahead. It was a different era but plenty back then scored a shit tonne. Tackling was tougher, pitches were shite but fitness these days makes it so much harder to stay at the top of your game. You could be naturally gifted, turn up half cut and still be miles better than anyone back then. These days you have to do so much more to become successful. Plenty of people with natural talent have done fuck all.

I get what you're saying about Argentina's world cup campaign but that's more evidence that Messi is the greatest. He's been through disappointment after disappointment with Argentina, in much better teams too. But he came back fighting, won the Copa America being the best player and has now added the World Cup. Turns out if you get a squad that works for him and with him, you win things! He scored in the group and every knockout stage. He's undoubtedly the best ever. Maradona doesn't come close, he was just a cult hero who on his day was exceptional. But he had plenty of poor games, doesn't have a record anywhere near as good, and as I said at the start - he liked his drugs.
 
supercity88 said:
Considering Diego had most of Colombia up his nose and was still better than anyone, I think Messi is miles ahead. It was a different era but plenty back then scored a shit tonne. Tackling was tougher, pitches were shite but fitness these days makes it so much harder to stay at the top of your game. You could be naturally gifted, turn up half cut and still be miles better than anyone back then. These days you have to do so much more to become successful. Plenty of people with natural talent have done fuck all.

I get what you're saying about Argentina's world cup campaign but that's more evidence that Messi is the greatest. He's been through disappointment after disappointment with Argentina, in much better teams too. But he came back fighting, won the Copa America being the best player and has now added the World Cup. Turns out if you get a squad that works for him and with him, you win things! He scored in the group and every knockout stage. He's undoubtedly the best ever. Maradona doesn't come close, he was just a cult hero who on his day was exceptional. But he had plenty of poor games, doesn't have a record anywhere near as good, and as I said at the start - he liked his drugs.
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Southampton have a mural in their academy; "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". Always loved that one.
 
aguero93:20 said:
Southampton have a mural in their academy; "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". Always loved that one.
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Very true. I don't give much credit to the idea you can't compare with previous generations. The game is quicker and harder now than it used to be. Back in the day, as I said, you could turn up pissed out of your arse and still win because you were naturally better than the other team. Maradona was brilliant when he wanted to be, but his record overall isn't great. He was the Jack Grealish of his time. Big fish in a small pond. ;)

If Grealish had have stuck with Ireland he would have probably taken them to WC success by now. Shame he isn't actually Irish.
 
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