Maradona or Messi?

I'm surprised that C.Ronaldo hasn't been mentioned. For me he is the greatest player i have ever seen behind only Zidane. Messi comes third for me. I just prefer Ronaldo for having two feet and being able to head the ball! Also he has scored just as many goals as Messi did this year in what is believed to be by many a lesser side. But all of this is subjective opinion, I prefer the style and finesse of Ronaldo's play, i admit that Messi is a much better dribbler of the ball but for me it has to be Ronaldo.

On a side note, you can compare players from different eras no problem; it's the same as comparing states and empires from different points in history. You set out a list of things needed to be the best and see if each player has done said thing.

I can't comment on Messi/Maradona argument as I never saw Maradona play, only ever seen highlight reels of his best bits. It's like asking me who's the better band is between arctic monkeys or a band from the 80's that i have never heard a full album from just certain amazing songs on a 'greatest hits' album.

 

It also depends on how old you are and how much of Maradona you have actually seen. I'm only 20 so i never got to see Maradona play, but i have seen Messi play, so i can't really compare the two.

 

You're starting to sound like my 7 year old cousin.

"it shows lack of football knowledge!"

"then they need their heads checking"

That to me sounds like you're calling us idiots. You're doubting our footballing knowledge simply because we are comparing two footballers. As DT said, you can see now even though N'Zogbia is still only young he'll never be a Maradona. Do I have a lack of footballing knowledge due to that opinion? Does DT? No, we don't. Stop being nuts. You're the one who came into this sounding like you didn't like all the opinions being thrown around.

 

I only read the first 2 pages as i'm lazy.

Messi was class in the last world cup! Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fickle fan and picks goalscorers above great footballers. He was so good it was unreal, just didn't score.

He is the greatest of all time, Maradona second and others some way behind.

 

Ronaldo can't touch Messi. The scored the same amount of goals but Messi got 3x assists, was involved in way more build up play and isn't a selfish little girl. Messi > Xavi > Iniesta > Ronaldo.

 

Well put! Rep'd

 

Yeah I understand that Messi is better for the team at Barca, but i personally prefer Ronaldo, probably because i have seen more of him and he is a beast on Fifa.

What you might consider is how well each player would do if they swapped sides? Though that would require a lot of what ifs and give us a very shoddy answer!

You have your opinion i have mine

 

Now your the one who is making these assumptions based upon what i have said and they aren't true.

Did i call anyone an idiot? No - you seem to be reading between the lines and coming out with that, by doing that your now calling everyone else an idiot.

When i say 'lack of football knowledge' i meant in this particular subject, not football in general, now that IS an ignorant thing to say.

We could argue about this until the cows come home but i have an opinion on this particular subject which you (and others) happen to disagree with.

Lets just agree to disagree and get on with other matters, like who next in/out of our club

 

If you compare 2 players from different eras on ability or 'statwise' as if it were a game i don't think this can be done because of advancements in the game
I think you have to compare players compared to the people they were playing against. Maradona was way ahead of his time and deserves to be recognised for that. Personally i think if you had them playing against each other Messi would murder him but i don't think that makes him any less of a great player

 

Messi for me.

 

I find it so hard to comprehend how people think Messi is better. The potential is there, but so far he's only performed at club level, where he is playing with the best players in the world, in a gameplan suited around him. Until he replicates it at another team or on the international stage I simply cannot put him next to Maradona

 

Spot on. He also has to keep playing at a high level for along time. Maradona didn't just perform for a few years he was streets ahead of anybody (for club and country) for a long long time.

 

you have to remember players were not as good then as they are now

 

See this is it! Such a generic saying. Why weren't they? They had as good technique. They were often as quick (or would have been given the sports science today). They had as much brains. It's like saying Einstein is not as clever as a modern day scientist because a modern day scientist can do more. But the modern day scientist works with the ideas Einstein brought about. They were as good, people simply cast them off with an arrogance because they believe that they can't be as good as what they see now.

 

Ronaldo is an animal on fifa hate playing against Madrid online!

But why should Messi's class be doubted because he is loyal? I think Ronaldo would struggle at Barca and Messi wouldn't be as good at Madrid. Ronaldo is not enough of a team player for Barca or anybody like that, whereas Messi has great understanding with his team mates at Barca which wouldn't be replicated in Madrid.


Also, people say Messi doesn't perform internationally... he does? He plays a completely different role though. Just because he doesn't score a goal a game for Argentina, doesn't mean he is playing badly, he is their main man. He is the playmaker and everything goes through him, just as he doesn't have the same quality around him, he doesn't get as many chances to finish things off.

I don't see how people punish him for being loyal. Maradona was once the best of all time. But Messi has been so consistent, 4 seasons of being one of the best in the world, and 3 of being the best.

Champions League top scorer 3 seasons in a row.

 

If people were as quick 20 years ago why is the 100m record broken so often? The sport has evolved and is of a higher quality now.

 

Excellent answer. Couldn't have put it better myself.

The most frustrating thing for me is that I have noticed the ages of many of those who make these comments about the standard of football twenty years ago and they weren't even alive or were too young to have been able to judge it. Yet they are such experts on the quality of footballers of that time. Really quite extraordinary!

 

"or would have been given the sports science today"

Since 1988, we've knocked .2 seconds of the 100m sprint record. And sports science has developed beyond recognition. I think the main link between us getting quicker is sports science allowing us to know how to stretch our muscles (etc) so we're primed for action. I don't think we as a species have got recognisably faster in the last 20 years or so

 

Ask Usain Bolt, the secret to getting faster is Chicken Nuggets

 

I should be like lightning then!