Maradona or Messi?

That's true, but his european and international goals back up his claim. He did lead Santos to the European cup AND was Brazils top goals scorer when he won them the cup. Give the bloke some credit. He's overrated, but he was still immense. Shearer was better though..

 

As they say in Brazil "Pele was best, but Garrincha was better"

 

Yup, he was surrounded by immense quality and you are probably right about the name thing. If I'm honest Pele is not even in the top 10 of all time in my opinion, when you have Maradonna (at the top by a country mile), Di Stefano, Banks, Moore, Charlton, Puskas, Eusebio, Zidane, Cruyff, Platini, Best, Fat Ronaldo, Muller, Beckenbauer

 

That is a top quality list of players. I'd put Maradona as being above them (as you say) with the rest, Pele, Garrincha and Zoff in the same category. Messi is the only current player I would consider adding to that list at the moment.

 

Pele no question, followed by Maldini, and Messi. Maradona probably 4th, but he was a dickhead, and was also only good for about 5 years.

Plus, on the the Brazilian leagues, Pele was about when they were properly class, they went **** after 1970ish until the mid-2000s. Problem with Brazilian football is that below the Serie A, there is no quality, and the ridiculous State Championships mean teams can play 90+ games a season, not including friendlies. Ridiculous.

 

Always forget Zoff and am sure there are a couple more Hungarians and Portugese players I could have put as well

 

Sorry but disagree with all your statements here -

 

Disagree with most of it. But I do agree that 90+ games a season is terrible. No wonder it's killing the league..

 

Why compare 2 players that are in 2 completely different era's of football, it shows lack of football knowledge!

 

Because we want too

 

Mainly because they play the same sport and so if one were to discuss who is a better, or best ever, player players from different eras would be compared!

 

Maradona retired in 1998 (club) or 1994 (international) and his glory years were late eighties to early nineties. Are you really suggesting that football has changed so much in that time that they are not comparable and we are idiots for comparing them?

 

We're not comparing Ferenc Puskás and Fernando Torres here, we're comparing Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, they're very similar players. And as Donkey Toon said Maradona was playing until 1997, football hasn't changed greatly since then has it?

 

Yup

Football has changed massively on and off the pitch, if people cannot see that then they need their heads checking

 

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football advances a huge amount every year. If you sent a current mid table side back in time 10 years ago i'm pretty sure they would be challenging for the league

 

I disagree with your main point totally. I don't think that the game has changed or advanced anyway near as much as you suggest. But even supposing I did.

Maradona was several classes above any other player of his day. You I take it are suggesting that the modern fitter and faster player would negate that? You therefore don't take into account that Maradona would also have been fitter and faster due to the better diet and training regimes were he to play today. It is also true that his game was not based on athletic ability so much as incredible skill, very much like Messi. Therefore I have no problem in suggesting that he would still be several levels above any current player.

I also think it is incredibly arrogant for a 23 year old to make such sweeping statements about the stength or otherwise of a sport at a time when you would have just been born. To suggest that people who think otherwise need their heads testing just adds another level of arrogance.

 

Ronaldinho at his peak was the best in the world its just a shame he didn't retain that phase of his career for longer!

 

His ignorance is burning my eyes!

Completely agree