Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[adr2.8i]

messi is magical, majestic a genius but so was maradona on worse pitches and against better defenders who were also allowed to hack you down 10 times in a game and not even receive a yellow card.
i grew up watching maradona and maybe it sways my decision but he really was a genius. He could run faster dribbling a ball than some could without a ball! the hand of god and the drugs tarnish his reputation a little i know but in his prime, i dont think even messi was as good.

i know theres 100's of videos of maradona on youtube but if you watch the one below you will see how often he was hacked down and how often he was tried to be hacked down as well as the ridiculous skills, dribbling and goals he scored on some atrocious pitches! its 30 mins of amazement i think. So its maradona for me then messi a very close second!

 

[mccity]

He's alright but can he have a fruit pastille without chewing?

 

[TheThirdDeano]

Can already hear pulis instructing his team to kick Messi off the park - "go for his ankles"

 

[citytilllidie]

Real Madrid get beat. Messi going nowhere

 

[Johnny_on]

messi is magical, majestic a genius but so was maradona on worse pitches and against better defenders who were also allowed to hack you down 10 times in a game and not even receive a yellow card.
i grew up watching maradona and maybe it sways my decision but he really was a genius. He could run faster dribbling a ball than some could without a ball! the hand of god and the drugs tarnish his reputation a little i know but in his prime, i dont think even messi was as good.

i know theres 100's of videos of maradona on youtube but if you watch the one below you will see how often he was hacked down and how often he was tried to be hacked down as well as the ridiculous skills, dribbling and goals he scored on some atrocious pitches! its 30 mins of amazement i think. So its maradona for me then messi a very close second!

I get the reasoning about pitches etc

...but better defenders? Really? The fitness, science and tactical awareness of coaches and players are infinitely better today.

Also for me, the biggest difference when its Messi against Maradona is goals.

Maradona 491 apps (259 goals)
Messi 591 apps (519 goals)

Maradona was truly amazing to watch too, but I think Messi is probably the best of all time.

 

[Yates]

I still say Maradona was better, he'd have a field day today when defenders aren't allowed to tackle

That's disingenuous to say, you mean defenders can't kick and hack at you anymore, of course they are allowed to tackle. What could Maradonna do that Messi can't?

 

[Yates]

I get the reasoning about pitches etc

...but better defenders? Really? The fitness, science and tactical awareness of coaches and players are infinitely better today.

Also for me, the biggest difference when its Messi against Maradona is goals.

Maradona 491 apps (259 goals)
Messi 591 apps (519 goals)

Maradona was truly amazing to watch too, but I think Messi is probably the best of all time.

Yep agreed and also a huge contradiction in saying better defenders and also saying they could hack you down, if players are restricted in the latter then they have to be more astute and better defensively as they can't rely on being a big brute.

I'd also like to see a video of Maradonna dictating the pace of a game, linking the play up, through balls, overall reading of the game as all that is ever shown is him dribbling.

 

[adr2.8i]

Can we say they are the joint bestest to save arguments! :-)

 

[bluemoon32]

That's disingenuous to say, you mean defenders can't kick and hack at you anymore, of course they are allowed to tackle. What could Maradonna do that Messi can't?

Actually achieve something at international level?

 

[Yates]

Actually achieve something at international level?

Ah you have misinterpreted what I was asking, I was asking what can Maradona do as a football player that Messi can't do, not team achievements. I'll bite anyway and give Maradona that one thing he achieved that Messi didn't but I guess getting to the world cup final isn't an achievement? and I hope you have never had an issue with Maradona cheating against England to get that international acclaim. I'd be 100% confident that Messi would beat Maradona in every statistical category available if you can counter that claim please do so.