[Football] Messi GOAT?

[Lenny Rider]

Lauded by Jim Proudfoot on Talk Sport yesterday as the greatest player to ever grace a football pitch?

After the shenanigins at United, Piers Morgan etc, clearly his legacy is intact unlike Ronaldo's but is he better than Pele, Cryuff or Maradona?

 

[fly high]

Pele, 3 times WC winner

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

My personal favourite player of all time is Zinedine Zidane.

But how do you compare someone like Messi to people like Di Stefano and Puskas, who were playing before I had any awareness of Football, and I'm 70 next Birthday.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I still think Ronaldo is better and has proved his worth in the major leagues across Europe......even if he is a bit of a knob

 

[Swansman]

Technically speaking, yes he is better than all of those players... thats what happens when you have access to professional training, nutritionists and what not from the age of 3 or something.

Always difficult to compare between eras since the conditions have changed so much. Difficult to compare Messi with Pele, difficult to compare Pele with Josef Bican and so forth.

 

[brightn'ove]

Yep

 

[Swansman]

I still think Ronaldo is better and has proved his worth in the major leagues across Europe......even if he is a bit of a knob

So that rules out Maradona, Cruijff and Pele from the debate then as they played in as many or fewer European leagues than Messi.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Pele, Maradona, Messi - different players from different eras.

I don't like to compare them, just think of them as three wonderful footballers.

Pele won three WCs - and scored 77 international goals in 92 games - but perhaps international football wasn't as competitive in the late 50s / early 60s? Also Pele played (with the exception of a stint in USA) all his football at Santos in Brazil. Maradona and Messi did it at the highest level in Europe too.

As I say, different eras.

 

[Silverhatch]

Pele, Maradona, Messi - different players from different eras.

I don't like to compare them, just think of them as three wonderful footballers.

Pele won three WCs - and scored 77 international goals in 92 games - but perhaps international football wasn't as competitive in the late 50s / early 60s? Also Pele played (with the exception of a stint in USA) all his football at Santos in Brazil. Maradona and Messi did it at the highest level in Europe too.

As I say, different eras.

Different pitches, rules and rule interpretations too. And no VAR.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

You can't compare players from different eras as it's like apples and oranges...and drugged up cheating

 

[Weststander]

Personal favourite is Johan Cruyff. From age 18 at little known Ajax, with his coach they changed football forever.

GOAT … Messi is the equal of anyone. Only those that didn’t have access to CL and La Liga football missed two decades of genius.

 

[aolstudios]

Cruyff for me.
The most influential man in football

 

[Swansman]

Pele, Maradona, Messi - different players from different eras.

I don't like to compare them, just think of them as three wonderful footballers.

Pele won three WCs - and scored 77 international goals in 92 games - but perhaps international football wasn't as competitive in the late 50s / early 60s? Also Pele played (with the exception of a stint in USA) all his football at Santos in Brazil. Maradona and Messi did it at the highest level in Europe too.

As I say, different eras.

From the almost 100 friendlies Peles Santos played in Europe, stomping most of the opponents, I don't think any European league was better than the Brazilian league in the 60s.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Maradona.

Look at the pitches he did it on and the GBH every game.

Messi may have been able to do it those pitches, but Maradona did.

 

[Badger Boy]

I think you can only really compare players once their careers are over. Messi is almost there, Ronaldo seems definitely there. I think at this point that Messi has overtaken Ronaldo, who is overstaying his welcome. Messi is still an insane talent and the most natural footballer there has been. Nobody is going to match his longevity or his success over the last 15 years.

That other Argentinian was an incredible player, but a dirty rotten cheater.

 

[Gabbafella]

Zinedine Zidane or Ronaldinho, two of the most amazing players to watch.
And that headbutt is unreal.

 

[schmunk]

I still think Ronaldo is better and has proved his worth in the major leagues across Europe......even if he is a bit of a knob

He's only even the 2nd best Ronaldo.

 

[Farehamseagull]

For me, yes. Closely followed by Maradona.

Zidane?! Not in the same league.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I think he's the greatest of the last 30 years. Difficult to say beyond that as football has changed so much and I wasn't really to cognizant of the players in the 80s and earlier. I do love a bit of Cruyff and Maradonna though.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The Brazilian Ronaldo?