Lionel Messi...

[aussie pride]

In my personal Opinion the Primera liga as a whole is not as difficult in terms of defence and tactics as Italy. I think a ture test for Messi or Ronaldo would be to play in Italy. Having Said this, I feel they would still be very successful but in no way shape or form would they produce such stats as they currently are. Any one who disagrees need not reply to this statment as it would demonstrate a lack of football knowledge.

[vertu1]

make an impact at a world cup ..

then he can be talked about in best ever terms but until then , meh

How many champions league titles does Maradona have?

you can't buy world cups....
but you can go a long way to buying a CL

[LFTWNG11]

Gotta admit though, Messi's clearly the best going around currently. I think the Argies will be a strong contender to lift the Cup in neighbouring Brazil in 2014 from his abilities alone. He's bound to crack it internationally soon, and what better stage than there?

Clearly? There is an argument for Cristiano Ronaldo.... Whichever one cracks it internationally first has my vote.

IMO - No way.
Yes, he scores goals & plenty of them but will never be the footballer Messi is.

He is not the same type of footballer as Messi, agreed but he is just as, if not more effective on the field.

He has proven himself across two leagues, basically carried Man United when he was there and is the star of Real Madrid. Because of this he has proven he is more adaptable than Messi (not Messi's fault he hasn't moved clubs, but both have not produced at international level), which I think gets him some points over Messi.

[Litmanen]

Guys seriously

Was it cold ? no

Was it wet? no

Was he playing midweek at Stoke? no

[God is an Englishman]

make an impact at a world cup ..

then he can be talked about in best ever terms but until then , meh

How many champions league titles does Maradona have?

the champions league started after the drug cheat had retired

[Le King]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

[Ubietz]

I found this article quite interesting: http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/lists/11 ... unked.html

Five goals for the first time ever in a Champions League game (beating his own jointly-held record of four), seven goals off the top of the all-time Champions League scorers chart at the age of 24, 48 goals in 42 games this season (with 20 assists), 53 goals in 49 games for club and country, a total of 228 goals in 311 appearances for Barcelona (including 186 in his last 201 games), five Spanish league titles, three Champions League titles, an Olympic gold medal and individual awards up to his armpits.

Surely there can be no criticism of Lionel Messi? Wrong. The footballing world apparently needs analysis and scepticism, no matter how completely and utterly arbitrary it may be…

1. “He’s only breaking records because he plays in a great team.” – Partially true of course, Messi is joined on the pitch (and on his ‘wavelength’) by the likes of Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, etc, which can only ever be beneficial – though it can’t be glossed over that it’s Messi alone who’s breaking all the individual scoring records and winning three Ballon d’Ors on the spin. Hardly an anomaly.

However, our main gripe with this line of thinking is that it’s usually trotted out to extol the virtuoso virtues of the apparently solo Cristiano Ronaldo, who has to get by with the measly supporting cast that makes up Real Madrid’s bereft squad. Both players are fantastic and both play in fabulous sides.

2. “He’d struggle in the Premier League/cold, wet Tuesday night in Stoke, yadda yadda yadda…” – The logic seems to be that, due to the more physically intense defensive aspect of top flight English footbal, Messi would be starved of the space he needs to flourish. Firstly, need we remind you that Premier League defences tend to consist of the likes of Zat Knight and, secondly, La Liga has it’s fair share of Pepes and, thirdly, it’s fair to say that Messi could dribble a ball blindfolded through Piccadilly Station at rush hour without upsetting anyone’s lukewarm coffee. We reckon he’d probably be alright. Good for 10-15 goals a season at least!

3. “He’s off form.” – Last October, when Messi failed to score in three consecutive Barcelona games against Viktoria Plzen, Sevilla and Granada, the press jumped on him. ‘What’s wrong with Leo?’ they brayed in unison. He then scored a 15-minute hat-trick against Mallorca in the very next game – the point being that he has skewed perspective to the point where three games without a goal represents an all-pervading slump. Need we remind you, Fernando Torres has just passed the 24-hour mark without troubling the scoresheet. Messi hasn’t really been ‘off form’ since he got under way in 2008.

4. “He’s not Maradona!” - Nope. Neither is Carlton Palmer. Or the guy who invented paper clips…

5. “He’s better against the smaller clubs.” – ‘Footballer X puts in more convincing shift when playing against weaker opposition’. Not really an entirely shocking correlation, is it now? The exact same goes for every single footballer on the planet, the difference being that Messi also pootles along quite nicely in the odd Champions League final, El Clasico, etc.

6. “He’s incomplete, he’s no good with his head.” – Pele comes across as a bitter old sod at times, unable to accept his place in the history books as his legacy slowly but surely becomes ever-more redundant in the modern era. He’s been famously dismissive of fellow ‘Greatest Player of all Time’ nominee Diego Maradona ever since the comparisons began, and his reluctancy to allow anyone into the same bracket of greatness as him has now been extended to the latest pretender to the throne. The only fly in the ointment being that Messi is actually quite good with his head.

7. “He’s the square root of shite when he plays for Argentina.” – Messi has won everything worth winning as a domestic entity and been largely criticised to failing to piggyback Argentina to similar glory over the years. Now, Argentina aren’t geared up to play like Barca and, as such, he’ll probably never win the World Cup, but 22 goals in the space of 67 caps ain’t too shabby.

[BTAC]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

A team in the Champions League.

[BlackBrian_7]

How old was Maradonna when he won the world cup?

How many world player of the year trophies did Maradonna win?

The numbers don't lie, Messi is the best player of all time. He does it equally convincingly in the top club competition in the world as he does La Liga.

[candyman]

How old was Maradonna when he won the world cup?

How many world player of the year trophies did Maradonna win?

The numbers don't lie, Messi is the best player of all time. He does it equally convincingly in the top club competition in the world as he does La Liga.

"the best player of all time" wake up son...

[Juventino]

How old was Maradonna when he won the world cup?

How many world player of the year trophies did Maradonna win?

The numbers don't lie, Messi is the best player of all time. He does it equally convincingly in the top club competition in the world as he does La Liga.

Err, on the World Player of the year thing, the FIFA World Player award started in 1991, when Maradona was past his best and secondly, Maradona was not eligible for the Ballon D'Or as non-Europeans were not considered until 1995. So it's a big much to ask of Maradona to win such awards.

[FRANKEL]

Personally I don't think u can compare them picking the worlds best player is all about opinions
IMO not saying he's the best but if I was to pick my best 11 ever my first choice would be Roy keane I don't think u will ever see a player with the desire to win a football match than him..
The next person will say maradona
Then George best pele the list goes on I think it's ridiculous to pick any one player.
In my opinion maradona wouldn't survive the pace and fitness of today's game where as I don't think messi would survive the 80s where football was a mans game.
Both sensational players in there own right

[Fitz]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

A team in the Champions League.

bayer leverkusen. who beat bayern munich 2 nil on the weekend.

[BTAC]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

A team in the Champions League.

bayer leverkusen. who beat bayern munich 2 nil on the weekend.

I'm aware of who they played. I was more pointing out that it doesn't matter who it was, they were a team playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

[Fitz]

Was more aimed at Le King than your post BTAC.

[Bomber]

Was more aimed at Le King than your post BTAC.

le king's comments = irrelevant anyway............

[BTAC]

Was more aimed at Le King than your post BTAC.

le king's comments = irrelevant anyway............

[BlackBrian_7]

Maradona also played at Barcelona, what did he achieve when he was there?

People don't appreciate Messi as he keeps doing it all the time.

Messi is superior to Maradona, the numbers don't lie. He doesn't have to prove that by winning the world cup.

[rooboy1986]

In 86 years Napoli has won two championships, a uefa cup, 3 italian cups & a italian supercup.
Maradona was part of all of these titles with the exception of 2 italian cups.
Maradona, for the most part was not surrounded by the calibre of players you wouldn't typically associate with a side capable of winning a domestic title let alone a european one. Its not that Maradona is at fault for Napoli's lack of recent success more the fact that he was almost solely responsible for their only success in the past.

Barca was winning well before Messi and will continue winning long after him.
No doubt, Messi is exceptional; but to imply he is better than Maradona beacause he has won more chamionships or champions leagues is ludacris.
Not too mention the fact that Pique, Alves, Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta & Sanchez could walk into just about any eleven in the world.

Messi isnt even the best #10 to play for Barca.

Great post!!!

[Juventino]

Maradona also played at Barcelona, what did he achieve when he was there?

Starting a mass brawl?

He was ravaged with injury (*cough* Butcher of Bilbao) and illness which didn't help, but it was a largely disappointing two years.

[God is an Englishman]

Butcher of Bilbao - LOVE THAT BLOKE!

Messi's not as good as the drug cheat YET.

[Le King]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

A team in the Champions League.

Well obviously, but people just hype up everything he does
fair enough 5 goals is a good effort, but hes no maradona
id love to see his legs snapped, because people go on about him like hes god. Iniesta and Xavi dont get enough credit in that team. They make messi look better then he is

Diego >>> messi

[BTAC]

messi scored 5, but who did barca play??

A team in the Champions League.

id love to see his legs snapped,

You're not a football fan.

[Le King]

Was John krease not a karate teacher when he asked Johnny Lawrence to "sweep the leg"?

[totsreds08]

Messi does get snapped. Ever seen an el Classico? Watch how much real try to break messi. He is absolutely amazing. Pity it's unlikely he'd leave Barcelona. They are too good!

[Nice One Cyril]

make an impact at a world cup ..

then he can be talked about in best ever terms but until then , meh

That's got very little to do with an individual's brilliance, more pot luck whether they happen to have a good team at the same time as he's playing. George Best was a great player but what did he ever do in a World Cup?

[The Kop]

El Hadji Diouf, Toto Schillachi.

Playing well at a WC is basis for a good player theory is null and void.

And based WC performance it's safe to assume Forlan > Messi. Cos the former was the best player in the tournament and the latter was cag.

[Numba 7]

messi 50 goals in all competitions for the season already. wow this guy is a freak

[ronaldo07]

Messi and C Ronaldo = the world's best without a doubt ..
both of them bang goals for fun week in and week out!!!

[canayon]

Messi and C Ronaldo = the world's best without a doubt ..
both of them bang goals for fun week in and week out!!!

God > Messi > Ronaldo.....