I also am unable to judge due to not fully watching him but from what I've seen he looks like he had the playmaking side of Messi, and also the dribbling ability

The added goals is what makes Messi superior for me but again I can't really judge too well having not been able to view live

I heard a few days ago he came out saying Ronaldo and Messi are on the same level. Jealous much Diego? Deep down he knows Messi is better than him. What a load of bull Messi needs a World Cup to be great, he's already great as he is.

A better battle would've been Ronaldo (Brazil) vs Messi imo

Real Ronaldo would destroy today's La Liga and like Messi he absolutely terrorised defences, top defenders too (Nesta, Maldini, Puyol) etc..

In my lifetime:

1. Messi
2. Ronaldo (Brazil)
3. Zidane

Very hard to put Zizou 3rd I adore the type of player he was but that 3 eludes any others for me

Yeah it's hard to imagine Maradona being as good as Messi.

From the clips you see, the style of play is as similar as it gets. But Messi's extraordinary goal scoring and assists make him untouchable. Some will say stats don't mean everything, but they do, especially when you've broken every record, including 100 years old ones.

And also CL is as high level as you can get in modern game, World Cup may hold more prestige but not as competitive. Messi has rinsed it.

Boys Maradona was unbelievable.

Different game back then when he was kicked up and down the pitch. The man was a genius .... Absolute Genius.

Won a World Cup on his own.

Hacked to bits at Barca and had his leg broke.

Went to Napoli and won the league and a CWC I believe. Mesmerizing player.
Partied like George Best and still was unbelievable.

I was pretty young watching Maradona, so maybe it's a bit of a romanticised view, but he was incredible. Incredible against some of the best defences there's ever been in football. He carried Napoli to titles (similar to how Suarez carried Liverpool last year) against probably the best AC Milan team of all time.

Messi is something else, he might be better, I'm not sure. But I'd be reluctant to say he definitely is.

Maradona was unbelievable. As someone alluded to, he played when tackling was more brutal than today, yet most couldn't get close enough to kick him.
Pure genius.

I'm a pretty old guy and have seen (and can remember) all the contenders for 'best player ever' from Puskas and Di Stefano onwards.

My own personal favourite is George Best but because he never played in the World Cup finals it's hard to judge him. In terms of club football, I'd certainly take Best but wouldn't argue too much with anyone who took Messi.

Maradonna was a great international player but I don't know enough about him as a club player to have an informed opinion. same goes for Pele but I'd pick Pele over Maradonna every time just because he seems like a much nicer and more humble guy. I accept that's nothing to do with football but I like my heroes to be someone I'd like to have a few beers with.

The party side aspect definitely gives him bonus points

The early 2000s were the days for me. Todays players just don't compare.

Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
Rivaldo
Zidane
Henry
Nedved
Nesta
Pirlo
Davids
Maldini
Figo
Batistuta
Bergkamp
Zola
....

Ronaldo and Messi obviously, then Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar, Hazard. The memories of these guys will not match it.

so many things have changed the reality is you can't compare

some people seem obsessed with proving their hero was 'better' or a player they don't like or want to be seen as better take the top spot so they create an argument to suit their opinion.

pffffft

some players who were great then might not be the top of the top now, and some of the top of the top players now would have not been as good then.

go have a pint and enjoy what you can see and then bore your grandkids with stories about how much better the players you watched were

the only truth is they were great in your era

Kaiser we're having a friendly chat about the all time greats. Move your negativity elsewhere

Pele humble? He is his own biggest fan he loves himself and considers himself the best ever s while he might be many things humble would not be one of them. As for beers surely maradonna would be a more entertaining night than pele.

ADMIN!! Shut this thread down, TKT says we are not allowed to mention anyone not from his era.

BTW, what does that even mean? This is still my 'era' is it not??

Garrinchas my favourite from the boys of Brazil. Unreal dribbler. Pele never resonated with me for some reason, bit like cr7 doesn't.

Depend what era you grow up in, or really start watching football in. Nothing will compare to the guys who were the best when you were a kid

I agree that the 90s/00s had loads of great players though and a lot more teams had top class players, not just a handful.

Truth is, if you wanna talk about Maradona vs Pele then by a mile Diego is better. Pele supposedly scored a thousand goals which most were not even that good and won 3 World Cups. I don't care, he's overrated and they're many, I mean many players better than Pele. The guy is a joke

Truth is,
===========
Erroneous start to the paragraph.

i am the authority on all matters football so bow down and respect my authoritah!!!!!!!!!!!!

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 5 minutes ago
Truth is,
===========
Erroneous start to the paragraph.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
it's still the truth

No it is not. It is an opinion, one based on rather flimsy reasoning.

I believe it's the truth. You believe what you wanna believe. Will agree to disagree.

Best would have been the guy to have a few beers with - night out with Maradonna likely to end in bar room brawl and I'm way too old for that kind of stuff.

Sorry, but anyone who thinks Pele wasn't great is probably too young to have seen the 1958 (voted Best Young Player) and 1962 World Cup finals - and maybe even the 1970 finals when he won The Golden Ball (Best Player).

Truth is, you can agree to disagree if you want Magesterial - meanwhile I'm disagreeing to agree to disagree.

Maradona was a God, a leader.
Messi, wait till he wins a World Cup.