No he didn't.... ;-) You have to remember that Messi is still young. He has the POTENTIAL to be the best player ever. 3 sucessive CL winners medals could go some way to help this. But for me, at the moment the best players ever (well strikers) are as follows: Merson Pele Maradonna Messi
Everything is different and more focused now, back in the day it was shove 11 people out there and get the ball Nowadays everything is very disciplined and players are alot fitter stronger faster smarter more organized etc making everything alot harder
Cant really agree with this considering the Champions league is a better platform with a higher standard of teams than the World Cup. (Besides the last argentina side was managed by Maradona not exactly the smartest most astute man in the universe.)
International football was tougher back then. the break up of USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, etc etc has created lots of mediocre teams when in the past these teams were very good. The standard of International football now is poor. so again, back in the past, the achievement of Pele, Maradona et al were far greater. David May won 2 league titles and a Champions League title. Winning the CL with the probably the best ever club team in football history is not some massive deal. Abidal has won more titles than Messi !! what does that prove ?
Messi is amazing, but what annoys me is the drop in performance when he plays for Argentina. That for me can't make him the best of all time. Ronaldinho in his prime does it for me
Some people are acting as if Messi is shocking when in an Argentina shirt. At the world cup he was instrumental to the Argentina team being involved in the play leading up to every single goal they scored - no scoring and setting the world on firel ike when he plays at Barca but he stills plays to a very very high standard of football. I also have no doubt he will perform to the top level for several years more and do very well still at International level. Not gonna say who is the best ion the world ever but currently it is Messi hands-down - he realyl is a special player.
Football is just like any other big money sport. Athletes are fitter, stronger and bigger than they have ever been due to advances in sports science. (nutrition, weight training etc..) Tactically the game has moved on also. Messi is excelling in a time where it is considerably harder than ever before to do so Its not comparable
There is no way in a million years, the standard was higher in the 90s. The standard of players improves every year.m, in every sport, because people are getting physically fitter, due medical development. This is a fact. Look at Athletics, runners from the 00s are generally setting faster times than those from the 90s, the same as the times were faster in the 90s, than they were in the 80s. I have no doubt in my mind that if Pele in the physical condition he was in the 60s, played in modern day football, he wouldn't even be impressive playing in League 1. The same as Jessie Owens wouldn't even be in the top 500 sprinters nowadays. I'm not going to say Pele wasn't a great, because he was, he was a great of his era, but there is no way in a million years, he could of been a better footballer than Messi, it's impossible. This is not because Messi was born with more ability (even though he might of been) it is because Messi has had far better training, and his body will be in far better physical condition. Alot of players in the 60s would smoke a *** at half time, that's how unhealthy they were, because people weren't aware of the risks of cigarettes back then. Thehothead......As for the "fat" Ronaldo carrying Brazil in 98 and 02. Ronaldo was a world class player, along with Zidane the best of his generation, but don't be so ridiculous, as to suggest they were a 1 man team. Alot of the players in 98 were the same players who won the thing in 94. The likes of Cafu, Carlos, Dunga, Leonardo, Ze Roberto and Emerson were in the side in 98, all world class players. Whilst in 02 they had Carlos, Cafu, Lucio, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Juninho. Ronaldinho was a 2 time world player of the year, whilst Kaka and Rivaldo both won it once. So I think it's one of the most ridiculous comments ever to suggest Ronaldo played in an average side, and carried them
The Magic Man.....Are you for real, atleast try and be objective. Henry, maybe deserves a slight mention, when talking about the greats of football, but Paul Merson, I've heard it all now
please log in to view this image It just makes you wonder how good PELE would be if he was starting his footballing career today
Sorry but I cant agree with this, Fitness is only one element to judge a players standard but the most important aspect is talent you say Pele wouldn’t even be impressive playing in league 1 but if you consider the fact that his generation did not have perfect pitches such as today’s standards, had footwear that was more akin to Workman's boots and had to kick around something that was extremely heavy and resembled a medicine ball rather than the football's used today. If Pele could not survive today’s standard then the same can be applied to today’s footballers who are pampered in comparison. I highly doubt messi would be able to perform to such a high standard if he was to play under these conditions, especially when tackles were far more dangerous back then. Therefore I believe that Pele would be more comfortable adjusting to today’s standard of football in comparison to Messi playing in Pele's generation. Fitness is only one part of the game and its far easier to improve your fitness in today's standard and so I believe players such as Pele, Eusebio and Garrincha would have not had much trouble improving their fitness to play in today's standard.
please log in to view this image Wot are you chatting about Jamram? Cym & I are have a serious debate
