Greatest football player of all time?
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If we are talking peak performances, I would have to go with Ronaldinho/Henry/Zidane. They also brought a amazing flair to football. If I had to rank them, Zidane by a hair.
All-time I believe Messi will take this crown comfortably, it is not his yet. Maradona's influence on Napoli has never been replicated, ie one player changes a team from minnows to champions.
All-time I believe Messi will take this crown comfortably, it is not his yet. Maradona's influence on Napoli has never been replicated, ie one player changes a team from minnows to champions.
Best AFL player would have to be Fraser Gherig. You could argue against this with stats and logic, but the man had a modern mullet. That has to count for something.LooK iTz Jinjo said:
George Best, Surprised he hasn't been mentioned.
Honestly, look what he is doing in this video. Looks like Messi or Ronaldo, but in a water logged pitch and with a ball that weights about 6 times as much.
He did more for Northern Ireland kicking a ball than any politician ever has, and his life was an absolute tragedy.
He also came of with an amazing quote "I spent 90% of my money on women and drink, the rest I wasted".
Maradona? good, Pele? Better, George BEST!
Honestly, look what he is doing in this video. Looks like Messi or Ronaldo, but in a water logged pitch and with a ball that weights about 6 times as much.
He did more for Northern Ireland kicking a ball than any politician ever has, and his life was an absolute tragedy.
He also came of with an amazing quote "I spent 90% of my money on women and drink, the rest I wasted".
Maradona? good, Pele? Better, George BEST!
My money's on Zidane,I could go on at length about how good I think he is but what I could write wouldn't do him justice.
Paolo Maldini should definitely be in this thread,the guy was one of the most consistent players ever and I certainly regard him as the best defender ever,ofetn that these lists tend to overlook defensive players in favour of record goal scorers and creative midfielders etc.
Oh and Bobby Baggio deserves an honourable mention,it's a shame he's so well remembered for the wrong reason: THAT penalty
Paolo Maldini should definitely be in this thread,the guy was one of the most consistent players ever and I certainly regard him as the best defender ever,ofetn that these lists tend to overlook defensive players in favour of record goal scorers and creative midfielders etc.
Oh and Bobby Baggio deserves an honourable mention,it's a shame he's so well remembered for the wrong reason: THAT penalty
This thread disappointed me. I thought it was going to be about american football, and I could sweep in and say "Johan Cruijff a hurr hurr hurr". But the op beat me to it 
I've always had problems deciding who i think the greatest player ever is. Cruijff led a revolution, is fantastic to watch in old videos, and has been successful as a manager. Similar with Beckenbauer, except that he managed to win the world cup, but the real Becks will have trouble getting much recognition, as defensive players generally don't get as much attention.
I don't think messi deserves a mention at all. one, because he's so young, and two, because for all his achievements (and I admit he's a great player, and best in the world right now) he has had the barcelona midfield behind him, and with that midfield, you can't not score, provided you've got two feet (unless your name is ibrahimovic). Messi scores much, much fewer goals with argentina, because their midfield is crap. Perhaps this'll change in the future, but until then, he doesn't deserve consideration with the true greats.
Unfortunately, a lot of the older players, anybody before pele really, we have little footage of. So it's hard for me to pass any kind of judgement on them, when I've hardly seen anything of them. even pele's "best goal ever" in which he reportedly beats every man on the field, we don't have footage of. which is a shame.
I also feel that a special mention should go to giuseppe meazza. Not for being highly successful in Italy with all big 3 teams, not for being good enough to have a stadium named after him, not for captaining italy to two world cups, but for having his pants fall down before taking a penalty, and using the keeper's confusion to score.
I've always had problems deciding who i think the greatest player ever is. Cruijff led a revolution, is fantastic to watch in old videos, and has been successful as a manager. Similar with Beckenbauer, except that he managed to win the world cup, but the real Becks will have trouble getting much recognition, as defensive players generally don't get as much attention.
I don't think messi deserves a mention at all. one, because he's so young, and two, because for all his achievements (and I admit he's a great player, and best in the world right now) he has had the barcelona midfield behind him, and with that midfield, you can't not score, provided you've got two feet (unless your name is ibrahimovic). Messi scores much, much fewer goals with argentina, because their midfield is crap. Perhaps this'll change in the future, but until then, he doesn't deserve consideration with the true greats.
Unfortunately, a lot of the older players, anybody before pele really, we have little footage of. So it's hard for me to pass any kind of judgement on them, when I've hardly seen anything of them. even pele's "best goal ever" in which he reportedly beats every man on the field, we don't have footage of. which is a shame.
I also feel that a special mention should go to giuseppe meazza. Not for being highly successful in Italy with all big 3 teams, not for being good enough to have a stadium named after him, not for captaining italy to two world cups, but for having his pants fall down before taking a penalty, and using the keeper's confusion to score.
The same. Theres a story about Best turning up for pre match meetings while at United, but he kept getting sent away and would have a kick about with youth players. After badgering the manager he was allowed into a meeting. After discussing defensive issues (opposition danger men and the like) they started to talk about attacking tactics.Soxafloppin said:
This was 'give the ball to George, he'll do something with it'.
Other issue with the players of the pre modern era; they took a hell of a lot of punishment. Bruises from kicks and stamping, so apart from the professional fitness stuff it should be remembered that the current era's preening flops get a lot of protection from referees. Apart from Messi who was stamped on the hand. Messi is the only player of the modern era that can stand up to the likes of Pele in terms of class.
And please, no more NFL jokes. It wasn't funny the first time. You are the only people who call a game where the ball is passed by hand 'football'. I like NFL, but its not football.
Well the question of who is the greatest is difficult to answer as there is so many different factors that make a player great.
But just for the sake of argument I'll say Diego Maradona, he pretty much won the 86 world cup by himself (by skill and by outright cheating). Whilst it his great mazy dribbling skills is what he is remembered for it was his control of the game that made him world class, games played at his tempo and to his style.
That said Messi has every chance to be considered the greatest player in the history of the game, few have done as much and were as good as Messi currently is at his age. Though if he wants to be remembered as a true great winning a world cup is very important. Lack of world cup wins is what stops the likes of Best or Weah being held in the same esteem as Pele or Maradona.
But just for the sake of argument I'll say Diego Maradona, he pretty much won the 86 world cup by himself (by skill and by outright cheating). Whilst it his great mazy dribbling skills is what he is remembered for it was his control of the game that made him world class, games played at his tempo and to his style.
That said Messi has every chance to be considered the greatest player in the history of the game, few have done as much and were as good as Messi currently is at his age. Though if he wants to be remembered as a true great winning a world cup is very important. Lack of world cup wins is what stops the likes of Best or Weah being held in the same esteem as Pele or Maradona.
Sami Hyypiä
Kenny Dalglish
Steve Gerrard
My top three
Guess my team!
I think "ranking" players as an overall of the pitch is a bad thing.
Individual talent is all good but defending and attacking are so different things and besides it's mainly teamwork what the sport is about.
My final answer is that I am the best footballer of all time.
Kenny Dalglish
Steve Gerrard
My top three
Guess my team!
I think "ranking" players as an overall of the pitch is a bad thing.
Individual talent is all good but defending and attacking are so different things and besides it's mainly teamwork what the sport is about.
My final answer is that I am the best footballer of all time.
Ill go in completely unbiased, but i have to go with Maradona. No player single handedly has won a world cup for his country. That 1986 Argentina team had no right to be world champions, and he somehow managed to win it for them. He also worked wonders with an average Napoli team in the 80's.
Pele is phenomenal dont get me wrong, but look at the team around him.
Zidane was a hero of mine growing up so special mention there.
But ill throw in this name, Matthew Le Tissier. Most under rated player of all time, anyone else on me with this one? The stuff he did with Southampton in the 90's, my god. He was the team, and some of his skills were out of this world.
(Ill put Messi up there when he produces for his country)
EDIT:
Pele is phenomenal dont get me wrong, but look at the team around him.
Zidane was a hero of mine growing up so special mention there.
But ill throw in this name, Matthew Le Tissier. Most under rated player of all time, anyone else on me with this one? The stuff he did with Southampton in the 90's, my god. He was the team, and some of his skills were out of this world.
(Ill put Messi up there when he produces for his country)
EDIT:
Mirrored what i saidPuddleknock said:
Wow, its an impossible question to answer, you have to takje into account the era the player played in and the quality of opposition he played against, thats why Maradona, Pele, Zidane and Henry have to be up there, as they played at the top level for top teams in a top league, and in the case of Pele, repeatadley performed on the international stage, which Messi hasn't done, and personally i can't rate a modern day player till they've played in the English Premier League, Messi against Stoke? he'll be on the floor more than he'll be doing anything.
I think Pele, Maradona, Eusebio and Luis Figo are among the best.
But picking the greatest player of all time is not really fair or easy. Football changed with the times.
Some things that happened when Pele or other players from other generations played, are unthinkable today. I won't say it got easier, but it certainly didn't get harder.
But picking the greatest player of all time is not really fair or easy. Football changed with the times.
Some things that happened when Pele or other players from other generations played, are unthinkable today. I won't say it got easier, but it certainly didn't get harder.
True that total football predates him, but Cruyff undoubtedly modernized and developed the concept to make it what a lot of people now define as "the beautiful game".Tanakh said:I wouldn't say greatest, not even great, but he sure is the luckiest one I have ever seen and being born under a good star is a great asset.metsplayer1 said:
For soccer player I would go with Messi, Cruyff was great but I think he is better as a manager and total football predates him.
That said i would go with the brazilian school for the most beautiful football
I'll agree with that and we'll see in the next world cup what Argentina does. The 86 Argentina team had no business winning the world cup, but that team at least worked with Maradona and the players were comfortable with the positioning and strategies...they just weren't very good besides Maradona. The last world cup Argentine national team was horrifically coached and as a result not only did Messi not have a great team to work with, but the horrific coaching also actually brought him down. But the next one will hopefully be better provided they actually use good players to their strengths such as Aguero and Tevez. Luckily I'm seeing them play in June against Brazil so that should be interestingPuddleknock said:
would have to say it depends by position but Id say terry Bradshaw.
go ahead and quote all you want, you're not going to change my answer.
go ahead and quote all you want, you're not going to change my answer.
I suspect it's Pele, but Messi might have changed a hell of a lot of minds by the time he's done.
If Zidane, Ronaldo and Henry are getting mentions, I have to make sure Totti's name is brought up at least once in this thread. I have a strong feeling that if he wasn't so fiercely loyal to Roma, and took a big money deal with one of the elite clubs...that we'd all be singing his praises.
I'm not damning him for being a loyal person. I just think he limited his own potential by being so. He's at least at Zidane's level by my estimations.
If Zidane, Ronaldo and Henry are getting mentions, I have to make sure Totti's name is brought up at least once in this thread. I have a strong feeling that if he wasn't so fiercely loyal to Roma, and took a big money deal with one of the elite clubs...that we'd all be singing his praises.
I'm not damning him for being a loyal person. I just think he limited his own potential by being so. He's at least at Zidane's level by my estimations.