After growing up watching Maradona, Zidane, Messi, Ronaldo I can safely say Maradona is the greatest footballer I've ever watched
I can't speak for Pele, Best etc as I'm not old enough to have seen them
Love to think it was best. But his career was just too short. Besides at the time, as a kid, i wanted to be bobby Charlton.
For that reason i have to say maradona. Better than what i saw of pele, and miles more influential than messi.
Messi has never had any particular ability to impress without impressive players around him. Maradona made all his team mates world beaters - whoever they were.
Football is a team game. Maradona just made the whole team better, and that is important to me
Messi has never had any particular ability to impress without impressive players around him.
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I've read some drivel on this site but this has to be the worst comment in the history of the internet. Unless you are on the wind up
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Messi hasn't done it in the premier league so is firmly stuck behind Ronaldo atm.
Messi plays in an era where defenders can't break your legs and get away with it. That wasn't the case 30-40 years ago. Rules have changed. What would Maradona be like in the modern era? Hard to say. Best, would be have had a better and longer career? The term GOAT can not be applied as each had their era, their own rules and even types of balls. And Messi isn't even undisputed number 1 in the current time.
Messi has certainly had a better club career, and has longevity on his side, whereas Maradona has that world cup in his corner.
Having seen both, I'd plump for Messi. His goal ratio is sublime, he can drop deep and provide, and has scored some of the greatest goals you'll see.
Footballers who come close, who I have seen are, Platini, the two Ronaldo's, Zidane, and Ronaldinhio.
The only thing and I mean ONLY thing Messi has over Maradona is goal numbers, if that's your criteria for greatest ever players you might as well say Shearer was better than Cruyff
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
Maradonna moved to different clubs and was successful, he made his international team successful whereas Messi while excellent hasn't moved from one club who had a hand full of excellent players but as soon as those players disappear I honestly believe he won't be able to lead the rest to glory whereas Maradonna made a career from that
The world cup was more important in the 80s than now. The quality of international football doesn't come close to that of club football in the modern era.
I wouldn't say that winning it is therefore as important to one's greatness as now.
It's a taste thing.
Mourinho, Koeman or Conte could win the PL, CL and World Cup for the next ten years on the spin and they would not be the greatest in my eyes.
However brilliant Maradona and Messi are/were their speedy, low centre of gravity game doesn't do it for me.
Give me a player who glides like Best, Bergkamp or Zidane every time.
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2. I have known older people who say Pele and even older often say Eusebio was the GOAT.. When I was a kid a lot of people said Stanley Matthews
When they played should have nothing to do with it. Changes in sport science and equipment make a big difference as well. Someone like Pele as an example played with thick leather boots and a heavy leather ball.
I'm not sure when they moved fro pigs bladders to lightweight rubber and then plastic/synthetic inners, but if Ronaldo or Messi kicked one of the balls Stanley Mattews played with they would probably be crying all the way to the hospital with their broken foot.
The point being that for the older players to be able to curl a ball and do tricks that modern players can do, but do it with the old ball and boots compared to the modern high tech equipment designed to make it far easier to control a ball is more impressive. I would like to see a game where the old equipment is used to see how they cope.
So greatest I have seen is probably Maradona for being above everyone else around him at the time. The greatest of ALL TIME which the term means when taking everything into account is probably Stanley Matthews or Eusabio, but I've never seen more than short clips of them.
comment by (U19770)
posted 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
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If its longevity you think is important, Stanley Matthews played until he was 50.
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
comment by CurrentlyInChina84Again (U11181)
posted 5 hours, 2 minutes ago
Messi plays in an era where defenders can't break your legs and get away with it. That wasn't the case 30-40 years ago. Rules have changed. What would Maradona be like in the modern era? Hard to say. Best, would be have had a better and longer career? The term GOAT can not be applied as each had their era, their own rules and even types of balls. And Messi isn't even undisputed number 1 in the current time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotta remember though maradona came from a generation of players who just could not defend. Look at his goal for england for evidence of that. Some of the worst defending on show
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2.
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Can you explain what? What things could he do that surpassed either of them?
comment by I'm a WOKO - thats Wenger out, Kronke out (U16927)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by (U19770)
posted 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If its longevity you think is important, Stanley Matthews played until he was 50.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Longevity isn't the be all obviouslybut it does come into the argument, like his goal ratio, and CL wins etc.
Many love Best but admit he wasn't at his best for that long, meaning he falls down the ladder when talking about the GOAT.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
The problem here is that with football especially, too many focus too much on goals scored. Those are very much "In the present day" measuring sticks. When asking the question who is the GOAT you have to include the measuring stick of the past.
When you do this you then factors outside the game itself come into play. Because of this the term 'Greatest' takes on a whole new connotation. It has to mean more and be about more than W/L ratios and individual tallies. Unfortunately for the modern day best, this leaves them all back of the bus in the GOAT running, due to their eras being abundantly more priveleged than their predecessors. Your modern day athlete is effectively (and in Messi's case literally) a genetically enhanced human being in comparison to those of the sixties.
For this reason football's GOAT is still Pele. The political and social landscape of the world in his time and what he done to fuel change is a measuring stick which trumps all others. Because the "Greatest" in life, no matter what aspect, all share 1 thing in common which makes them great. They didn't just excel and succeed lots. They all changed the world for the better whilst doing it.
Usain Bolt is the fastest man ever, saved his sport etc. Yet the GOAT in athletics terms is still the scrawny black guy who went to Germany and whipped Hitler's best on their home turf and shoved every arian face in the mud with the whole world watching on. The one and only Jesse Owens. Whom given world history, for his achievement and it's significance in his time, is arguably the GOAT of sport, period.
comment by Clay (U21628)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
you see the same crappy nappy run I do
comment by Pep The Final Straw!! (Formerly WB2) (U8276)
posted 45 seconds ago
comment by Clay (U21628)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
you see the same crappy nappy run I do
----------------------------
Crappy nappy drug stash
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you explain what? What things could he do that surpassed either of them?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's not what he's saying. He means that in his time Maradona was a better player than all around him by a much greater distance than Messi or C Ron are beyond their fellow players. Messi does things many footballers can do, only he does them so much better. Same with Ronaldo. Where Maradona simply done things that nobody else could.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
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Era and affections
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posted on 20/9/17
After growing up watching Maradona, Zidane, Messi, Ronaldo I can safely say Maradona is the greatest footballer I've ever watched
I can't speak for Pele, Best etc as I'm not old enough to have seen them
posted on 20/9/17
Love to think it was best. But his career was just too short. Besides at the time, as a kid, i wanted to be bobby Charlton.
For that reason i have to say maradona. Better than what i saw of pele, and miles more influential than messi.
Messi has never had any particular ability to impress without impressive players around him. Maradona made all his team mates world beaters - whoever they were.
Football is a team game. Maradona just made the whole team better, and that is important to me
posted on 20/9/17
Messi has never had any particular ability to impress without impressive players around him.
-------------
I've read some drivel on this site but this has to be the worst comment in the history of the internet. Unless you are on the wind up
posted on 21/9/17
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/9/17
Messi hasn't done it in the premier league so is firmly stuck behind Ronaldo atm.
posted on 21/9/17
Messi plays in an era where defenders can't break your legs and get away with it. That wasn't the case 30-40 years ago. Rules have changed. What would Maradona be like in the modern era? Hard to say. Best, would be have had a better and longer career? The term GOAT can not be applied as each had their era, their own rules and even types of balls. And Messi isn't even undisputed number 1 in the current time.
posted on 21/9/17
Messi has certainly had a better club career, and has longevity on his side, whereas Maradona has that world cup in his corner.
Having seen both, I'd plump for Messi. His goal ratio is sublime, he can drop deep and provide, and has scored some of the greatest goals you'll see.
Footballers who come close, who I have seen are, Platini, the two Ronaldo's, Zidane, and Ronaldinhio.
posted on 21/9/17
The only thing and I mean ONLY thing Messi has over Maradona is goal numbers, if that's your criteria for greatest ever players you might as well say Shearer was better than Cruyff
posted on 21/9/17
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
posted on 21/9/17
Maradonna moved to different clubs and was successful, he made his international team successful whereas Messi while excellent hasn't moved from one club who had a hand full of excellent players but as soon as those players disappear I honestly believe he won't be able to lead the rest to glory whereas Maradonna made a career from that
posted on 21/9/17
The world cup was more important in the 80s than now. The quality of international football doesn't come close to that of club football in the modern era.
I wouldn't say that winning it is therefore as important to one's greatness as now.
posted on 21/9/17
It's a taste thing.
Mourinho, Koeman or Conte could win the PL, CL and World Cup for the next ten years on the spin and they would not be the greatest in my eyes.
However brilliant Maradona and Messi are/were their speedy, low centre of gravity game doesn't do it for me.
Give me a player who glides like Best, Bergkamp or Zidane every time.
posted on 21/9/17
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2. I have known older people who say Pele and even older often say Eusebio was the GOAT.. When I was a kid a lot of people said Stanley Matthews
When they played should have nothing to do with it. Changes in sport science and equipment make a big difference as well. Someone like Pele as an example played with thick leather boots and a heavy leather ball.
I'm not sure when they moved fro pigs bladders to lightweight rubber and then plastic/synthetic inners, but if Ronaldo or Messi kicked one of the balls Stanley Mattews played with they would probably be crying all the way to the hospital with their broken foot.
The point being that for the older players to be able to curl a ball and do tricks that modern players can do, but do it with the old ball and boots compared to the modern high tech equipment designed to make it far easier to control a ball is more impressive. I would like to see a game where the old equipment is used to see how they cope.
So greatest I have seen is probably Maradona for being above everyone else around him at the time. The greatest of ALL TIME which the term means when taking everything into account is probably Stanley Matthews or Eusabio, but I've never seen more than short clips of them.
posted on 21/9/17
comment by (U19770)
posted 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If its longevity you think is important, Stanley Matthews played until he was 50.
posted on 21/9/17
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
posted on 21/9/17
comment by CurrentlyInChina84Again (U11181)
posted 5 hours, 2 minutes ago
Messi plays in an era where defenders can't break your legs and get away with it. That wasn't the case 30-40 years ago. Rules have changed. What would Maradona be like in the modern era? Hard to say. Best, would be have had a better and longer career? The term GOAT can not be applied as each had their era, their own rules and even types of balls. And Messi isn't even undisputed number 1 in the current time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotta remember though maradona came from a generation of players who just could not defend. Look at his goal for england for evidence of that. Some of the worst defending on show
posted on 21/9/17
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you explain what? What things could he do that surpassed either of them?
posted on 21/9/17
Three foot line....?
posted on 21/9/17
comment by I'm a WOKO - thats Wenger out, Kronke out (U16927)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by (U19770)
posted 2 hours, 56 minutes ago
He also has longevity, and a better club career. His ball control is as good, as his ability to play in others.
TBH, Im not going to disagree too much with anyone who prefers Maradona. He was flippin awesome, especially on the biggest international stage, which Messi hasn't really conquered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If its longevity you think is important, Stanley Matthews played until he was 50.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Longevity isn't the be all obviouslybut it does come into the argument, like his goal ratio, and CL wins etc.
Many love Best but admit he wasn't at his best for that long, meaning he falls down the ladder when talking about the GOAT.
posted on 21/9/17
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 21/9/17
The problem here is that with football especially, too many focus too much on goals scored. Those are very much "In the present day" measuring sticks. When asking the question who is the GOAT you have to include the measuring stick of the past.
When you do this you then factors outside the game itself come into play. Because of this the term 'Greatest' takes on a whole new connotation. It has to mean more and be about more than W/L ratios and individual tallies. Unfortunately for the modern day best, this leaves them all back of the bus in the GOAT running, due to their eras being abundantly more priveleged than their predecessors. Your modern day athlete is effectively (and in Messi's case literally) a genetically enhanced human being in comparison to those of the sixties.
For this reason football's GOAT is still Pele. The political and social landscape of the world in his time and what he done to fuel change is a measuring stick which trumps all others. Because the "Greatest" in life, no matter what aspect, all share 1 thing in common which makes them great. They didn't just excel and succeed lots. They all changed the world for the better whilst doing it.
Usain Bolt is the fastest man ever, saved his sport etc. Yet the GOAT in athletics terms is still the scrawny black guy who went to Germany and whipped Hitler's best on their home turf and shoved every arian face in the mud with the whole world watching on. The one and only Jesse Owens. Whom given world history, for his achievement and it's significance in his time, is arguably the GOAT of sport, period.
posted on 21/9/17
comment by Clay (U21628)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
you see the same crappy nappy run I do
posted on 21/9/17
comment by Pep The Final Straw!! (Formerly WB2) (U8276)
posted 45 seconds ago
comment by Clay (U21628)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Even though you couldn't get the ball of Maradona - he still ran like a baby with a full nappy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
you see the same crappy nappy run I do
----------------------------
Crappy nappy drug stash
posted on 21/9/17
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
Maradonna is the greatest I have seen. Not because of the era but because more than mesi and ronaldo he could do things that surpassed other players of the era by far more than the modern 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you explain what? What things could he do that surpassed either of them?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's not what he's saying. He means that in his time Maradona was a better player than all around him by a much greater distance than Messi or C Ron are beyond their fellow players. Messi does things many footballers can do, only he does them so much better. Same with Ronaldo. Where Maradona simply done things that nobody else could.
posted on 21/9/17
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
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