Messi scores 91 goals in a calendar year

[pernunz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY6m8sOjenU

[Litmanen]

Yeah but Stoke etc.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Yeah, doesnt count untl you have done it at Stoke and Millwall on a rainy wednesday night.

Plus C Ronaldo is still better.

[Le King]

Took him 66 games, took muller 60 to hit 85

[Jay Walking]

Greatest player ever?

By far the best player in the world at the moment.

[totsreds08]

Greatest player ever.

[Bomber]

Greatest player ever.

Not even close yet.

[totsreds08]

Greatest player ever.

Not even close yet.

Why not?

[Bomber]

Greatest player ever.

Not even close yet.

Why not?

Why is he? How long have you been watching the sport? He may turn out the best ever ONE DAY but until he rips it for the Argies against the best there is, he hasnt achieved his full potential. Ask him if he thinks he is the best ever and whether he has done enough to claim the "best ever".

[El Pibe D'Oro]

There is no doubt that statistically he will be.

There will always be arguments to best ever. He is in a great team with great service which helps, but for me at the moment he is the best and will continue to be for a long while.

[The Kop]

Don’t understand the Messi haters out there, people literally fall each other to bag the guy and find a flaw. Funniest fanbase to fit this rhetoric are the Man Utd fans who think this Messi bagging ties into the narrative of the self-filfilling profecy of Ronaldo someday returning to their club.


Best ever might be debatable now aged 25, but if he continues at the same pace and with the same injury record by the time comes to hang them up in 9-10 years’ time he will be by a canter.

He’s on track to break the La Liga and Champions League scoring records next season, on track to overtake Zanetti and Batistuta for caps and goals records for Argentina and build a big enough buffer on all those to ensure it will be a long time before they’re topped. Won everything available to him at club level, multiple times over. All that eludes him is a World Cup but he’ll have at least 2 more probably 3 more cracks at it.

And the frightening thing, he’s half-way through his career….

[pernunz]

The World Cup argument is a load of crap.

He's the greatest of all time.

[Raich Carter]

The World Cup argument is a load of crap.

He's the greatest of all time.

To be just as succinct...

No its not and maybe one day he will be

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Don’t understand the Messi haters out there, people literally fall each other to bag the guy and find a flaw. Funniest fanbase to fit this rhetoric are the Man Utd fans who think this Messi bagging ties into the narrative of the self-filfilling profecy of Ronaldo someday returning to their club.


Best ever might be debatable now aged 25, but if he continues at the same pace and with the same injury record by the time comes to hang them up in 9-10 years’ time he will be by a canter.

He’s on track to break the La Liga and Champions League scoring records next season, on track to overtake Zanetti and Batistuta for caps and goals records for Argentina and build a big enough buffer on all those to ensure it will be a long time before they’re topped. Won everything available to him at club level, multiple times over. All that eludes him is a World Cup but he’ll have at least 2 more probably 3 more cracks at it.

And the frightening thing, he’s half-way through his career….

Agree with everything here. I think he has had an advantage being with the playing group he has at the moment.

You might be old enough to remember when Maradona went to Napoli and how second rate that team was and what he did with them. Same could be said for the Argentina team.

That is not saying he is not and will not be better than Diego either.

[Bomber]

He scores at will in a league where Ronaldo does similarly.

I love this "best ever" tag from people who probably havent even seen players from the 60's or 70's.

He is the best around now, no doubt, but please, save the best ever quips for when he is nearing the end of his career as sometimes things can turn to shit and then what? What if he decided to play EPL or Serie A at 30 and was a miserable failure?

[pernunz]

He scores at will in a league where Ronaldo does similarly.

I love this "best ever" tag from people who probably havent even seen players from the 60's or 70's.

Oh, please tell me how many Napoli games you watched in the 80's, and how many Santos games you watched in the 60's.

What if he decided to play EPL or Serie A at 30 and was a miserable failure?

Diego's last couple of years in Argentina weren't too flash, I suppose that must mean we must disregard all his past achievements then

The World Cup argument is a load of crap.

He's the greatest of all time.

To be just as succinct...

No its not and maybe one day he will be

Why does a player need to win a world cup to be considered one of the greatest ever players? Why does a player need to win team trophies to justify their individual talent? The two aren't related. You may as well take into account Diego Maradona's managerial career in that case.

You can't use the argument "Oh, he has Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa, Fabregas, Busquets all supporting him" which invalidates his club performances, then say "Oh, he also needs to win a World Cup against all these players who happen to play in the same team"

http://averageopposition.com/2012/03/25 ... -maradona/

[Ricky Tan]

If Messi really is "the best" then I would like to see him change teams, change leagues even. I don't doubt his ability at all, however, even Ronaldo has changed teams/leagues and has been very good in both.

They shouldn't label him "the best ever" as he isn't. Best player of the last 5-10 years maybe, and even then there are players who come very close to this tag too, but don't receive the recognition or the exposure that Messi receives.

[Bomber]

Oh pernunz, if only you could see mine and my mates video collection of old football games you would crawl back into your shell quick smart. Answer - Hundreds, albeit the quality is very poor from the 60's and 70's and didnt everyone watch SBS in the 80's and marvel at the Serie A's wonder years?
I dont disregard Maradona's failures as he was well known to be a druggie then and lost the plot, hence why he isnt the greatest ever either!
Lastly, you now ask "why does someone have to win a world cup to be one of the greatest players?". I have highlighted the bit the makes sense of it, but I am merely counterclaiming him as the BEST EVER.
George Best didnt even compete in a WC from memory, yet I agree, he was ONE OF the best, not THE best either.

[pernunz]

So, you're excluding any player born in the late 1910's, early 1920's. There was 12 years without a World Cup. I can't name you any players from that time period, but it doesn't matter because they didn't play in a world cup, ergo they can't be the best ever player

And, given only 19 World Cups have been awarded, assuming a 23 man squad, in your eyes there are only 437 players (ignoring double ups) who are eligible to be classed as the world's greatest player, which must have come from one of 8 nations.

If Deigo Maradona was from San Marino, then no matter how good he was, he would not have won the World Cup. If Lionel Messi happened to be from Moldova, would you put the same conditions of him being the best ever?

In fact, if the World Cup is so important, then why isn't a player who scored 13 goals in a single World Cup Finals Tournament ever mentioned?

[Le King]

One, go win a World Cup on your own
Two, play in another league n see if you can dominate that

Not saying he isn't great, but he's certainly no Maradona

[ozzie owl]

Without knowing the stats I would Messi would be ahead of Mueller on goal assists as well.

[pernunz]

One, go win a World Cup on your own
Two, play in another league n see if you can dominate that

One, answered
Two, Pele?

[Bomber]

So, you're excluding any player born in the late 1910's, early 1920's. There was 12 years without a World Cup. I can't name you any players from that time period, but it doesn't matter because they didn't play in a world cup, ergo they can't be the best ever player

And, given only 19 World Cups have been awarded, assuming a 23 man squad, in your eyes there are only 437 players (ignoring double ups) who are eligible to be classed as the world's greatest player, which must have come from one of 8 nations.

If Deigo Maradona was from San Marino, then no matter how good he was, he would not have won the World Cup. If Lionel Messi happened to be from Moldova, would you put the same conditions of him being the best ever?

In fact, if the World Cup is so important, then why isn't a player who scored 13 goals in a single World Cup Finals Tournament ever mentioned?

Who was voted as sportsperson of the 20th century?

I'll tell you - Pele.

He beat Maradona, Muhammed Ali, Babe Ruth, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Martina Navratilova, Rod Laver amongst every other legendary sportsperson that played in that century.

Now if he can beat a field of people who were masters in their sport, what does that tell you where he might rank in footballing terms?

I know we wont be around when they name the sportsperson of the 21st century, but my money is that Messi wont win it, as great as he is today.

[pernunz]

But he didn't do it in Europe

[Bomber]

But he didn't do it in Europe

Is that all you got?

Where was the 1958 World Cup played?

[pernunz]

Only played in one league

In case you can't tell I'm being facetious to show how crap these arguments are

[Bomber]

Only played in one league

In case you can't tell I'm being facetious to show how crap these arguments are

Still incorrect!

[pernunz]

I'd hardly say you can count achievements in a league which puts a new line on the pitch to change the offside rule.

[Drusetta]

I think performing well at the highest level, and therefore getting accolades as "one of the best" means having a very good World Cup.
That is, against the best opposition attacks, defences, midfielders
I don't think it is necessary to win it.
E.G. Alfredo Di Stefano, Ference Puskas, Johan Cruyff, Roberto Baggio, Michael Laurdrup
All exceptional international players in their day.

Opinions wouldn't change if Zinedine Zidane or Ronaldo (and many others) had never one a World Cup I'm sure

But I think Messi needs the opportunity to perform at the highest level, thereby confirming his ability.
And by "opportunity" any player needs to be played in the position/s that suit him tactically - sometimes this doesn't always happen.

[pernunz]

The World Cup isn't the highest level though.

The highest level is the UEFA Champions League.