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Football's greatest - where does Lionel Messi rank?


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It's getting to the point where players like Zidane aren't looking fit to lace his boots.

 

:thup: They aren't. This guy is on another level. The only one to come close was Ronaldo if he hadn't been done by his knees 24times and even then I'm certain he'd never be at Messi's level anyways. Zidane, Ronaldo, CRonaldo were all fantastic but this guy is on the top top echelon of football with the likes of Maradona and Pele. Viva South America. :lol:

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Guest firetotheworks

It's getting to the point where players like Zidane aren't looking fit to lace his boots.

 

It makes me realise that we were all wrong and the older generations were right when we were pontificating about the likes of Zidane and saying he was one of the best ever, when older blokes would tell us that he's nothing compared to Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and even Zico. I had no idea that a player could be this good.

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The CRonaldo header against Roma is one of my favorite goals ever. The cross is played and Ronaldo just comes out of nowhere to head in.

:thup: I'm a big fan of well headed goals and that one always stands out for me, along with Kluivert in the France 98 semi final against Brazil. Loved that.

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Firmly believe if Ronaldo's knees weren't fucked he would be at that level too.

He is already for me, I've never seen anything like the original Ronaldo.

 

Aye, I was kind of meaning from a longevity standpoint. Seeing Ronaldo totally changed football for me. :thup:

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Seeing Cruyff play changed everything for me. The shit he could do at speed and still smoke like a chimney...I wonder how good he would have been in the modern era of training regimens.

 

Even as a young kid, seeing him play on the Washington Diplomats, it was so clear that he was in the top echelon of footballers. Granted he was playing against fuckers with two club feet in the old NASL, but still. He constantly demonstrated how beautiful the game could be in his short stint in DC.

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Who was it Coloccini hit the bar against with one of the most ludicrous headers you'll ever see from a corner?

 

Cisse against the Ivory Coast too.

 

Wigan away I think.

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Who scored that ridiculous power header at the ACON? I remember watching it at a service station (random I know) and thinking it's probably the most powerful header I've ever seen

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Messi's vision and passing is so good, that I think (hope) he'll still be world class once his pace has gone.  Can easily see him dropping a bit deeper, dribbling a bit less, but just carving defences apart with through balls and diagonals.  Whilst still weighing in with goals running from deep and curling in ridiculous long rangers.

 

It's the argument I use when dealing with CR7 fanboys.  That whilst Ronaldo is a flat track bully and the complete athlete.  He will never be a footballing genius in the way Messi is.  Once his pace has gone, I think he'll end up playing for PSG or in Turkey or somewhere for about 500 grand a week and just won't be the same.  Obviously he may prove me wrong and to a degree my argument is based on what may happen over next 3, 4, 5+ years.  But I think ultimately, Messi will go down in the history books as the better player due to the traits mentioned. 

 

I can really appreciate both and we're spoilt by having these two in their prime, really.  But whilst they are different types of attacking players.  Overall, Messi is out in front on his own IMO. 

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A slow Ronaldo will be something like Drogba today. He'll have his games and he'll score, but he won't be good enough to play regularly in a top team. Messi, should, if he can create space for himself, be able to play until he's super slow and even then would be good as a substitute.

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He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

 

 

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He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

 

 

 

I'll never understand why the World Cup has to be the thing that defines a great player personally, the Champions League is probably more competitive.

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He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

 

 

 

I'll never understand why the World Cup has to be the thing that defines a great player personally, the Champions League is probably more competitive.

Because it's the second biggest worldwide sporting event.

 

Thus making it football's biggest worldwide event.

 

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The CRonaldo header against Roma is one of my favorite goals ever. The cross is played and Ronaldo just comes out of nowhere to head in.

:thup: I'm a big fan of well headed goals and that one always stands out for me, along with Kluivert in the France 98 semi final against Brazil. Loved that.

 

Tino v Barca, first one I think. The jump man.

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He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

 

If Tevez was in Argentina's team last year he would be a World Cup winner.

 

I'd expect a call up before Palacio ffs.

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Guest firetotheworks

He's a fantastic player, he really is. But until he has a World Cup finals , not even a World Cup win but a finals that he stamps his class on, then Pele and the likes of Maradona still come above him in my GOAT list.

 

 

 

I'll never understand why the World Cup has to be the thing that defines a great player personally, the Champions League is probably more competitive.

Because it's the second biggest worldwide sporting event.

 

Thus making it football's biggest worldwide event.

Whilst I agree that it is, I don't see how that shows it's the most competitive. I do think that the World Cup and possibly playing for another team are the only things that he has left to do to end the arguments, but I personally believe that he's already the greatest of all time.

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