World Cup 2026
- Thread starter FellTop
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Confession. I don't see what's so great about Messi. I know he's very good like but even if he scores a normal goal the commentators are all how great it is. Plenty rate him as the best, and I expect they are correct. Maradonna always seemed better to me, albeit far less likeable. So what's so great?
Think it’s a generational thing,
For me, he is the greatest but Thats because I’ve grown up watching him,
That Barca team of the 00s/10s was something else
It was some team, but so dominant. Wonder how good he'd have looked in a mid table side without complete domination of possession
He's a great player, certainly one of the greatest ever, but I think the way commentators go on is enough to put you off him. I feel the same about Mbappe. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Mbappe as a top footballer, one of the best out there right now. But the hype about him is over the top and enough to turn you against him and find faults. I'm starting to get that way about Yamal as well.
My son was born in 1996 and got into football from an early age. He was absolutely obsessed with Barca and Messi growing up. It was as @Hannah1989 said, some team back then.
I bought him a Barca scarf for his 18th birthday. He unwrapped it and was pleased, then his eyes nearly popped out of his head when match tickets fell out of it!
Had a weekend in Barca. Flew there and did the Camp Nou tour, went to the match and saw Messi score twice, watched us beat the mags (the last minute Johnson header at their place) in a pub off Las Ramblas and did some touristy stuff. Not a bad birthday weekend!
Messi is also a great example of a player being so good they're able to completely adapt their traits to a new style of play, he can't run anymore but that's okay because he can exploit space like almost no one else, add that to his deft touch and incredible finishing and he's still one of the best in the world. The only draw back I can see is that he does require the team to carry him a little bit, but it's worth it when you consider he can win the match for them.
Its a bit of a shame we dont get behind our own players the same tbh.
Our press etc rather try find ways to slag them off or ruin there lives.
Maybe I'm being a tad optimistic but I feel like since the tournament has started and especially since the Croatia game, which admittedly is less than a week ago, it feels like there's a bit of a rally around the players and manager, we even got some great press for Bellingham since the Croatia game, him talking about standing for the anthem and talking about his grandad, people saying he settled the number 10 debate in the Croatia game, people finally appreciating Harry Kane, even Tuchel getting some love.
I was always a fan of the country have a seige mentality about the team, "eff the noise just back the boys" type of thing.
Totally agree. On the BBC sports have your day site yesterday about the Cape Verde goalkeeper and his record number of saves in a match an the first comments were slagging off Pickford calling him "t-rex". Every English player that gets a bit of hype is slagged off or put down by the media on a whim (it's different for the Welsh and Scots who do seem to go a bit overboard backing their players at least until they fail). In fact you get more from the media taking pleasure in a defeat or poor performance, the way Jordan Henderson was hammered by people like Alan Green was disgusting and it wasn't until Klopp came along and used him that he started to get credit. There's plenty of other examples when you look.
The media will just be sharpening the knives ready for the chance later. If we win the world cup then they pretend they were always in support, if we don't they'll stick the knives in.
My heads absolutely scrambled at Lionel Messi being questioned 
The way he controls and loves a ball, picks passes, uses dead balls and directs and leads teams is waaaay beyond generational.
Any team with prime Messi in would have dominated, just so happened was a great team but any team he was in would have been regardless.
Absolutely unplayable and an absolute magician. His stats are absurd even for team of that calibre.
That said, for me the best ever is ‘none of the above’ with him and Ronaldo.
It’s Zizou, at an absolute canter. The man who could do everything.
The way he controls and loves a ball, picks passes, uses dead balls and directs and leads teams is waaaay beyond generational.
Any team with prime Messi in would have dominated, just so happened was a great team but any team he was in would have been regardless.
Absolutely unplayable and an absolute magician. His stats are absurd even for team of that calibre.
That said, for me the best ever is ‘none of the above’ with him and Ronaldo.
It’s Zizou, at an absolute canter. The man who could do everything.
Living all women’s dreams, not wearing a bra in this heatThat Argie supporter bloke had bigger tits than me
I think it's like music. What you like as a teen and in your early 20s has the biggest impact and stays with you. Watching Zidane when you're a young un was just mind blowing.My heads absolutely scrambled at Lionel Messi being questioned
The way he controls and loves a ball, picks passes, uses dead balls and directs and leads teams is waaaay beyond generational.
Any team with prime Messi in would have dominated, just so happened was a great team but any team he was in would have been regardless.
Absolutely unplayable and an absolute magician. His stats are absurd even for team of that calibre.
That said, for me the best ever is ‘none of the above’ with him and Ronaldo.
It’s Zizou, at an absolute canter. The man who could do everything.
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I say Zidane cos he literally did everything. Pas,shoot, touch, dribble, head, shoot, volley, tackle. And he did it for 90 mins.
Utter monster.