Greatest male footballer of all time

[KWJ]

2 years ago I'd have said Messi but C Ronaldo somehow kicked on at the age of 31. Phenom.

[Shrekko]

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Imagine Pele in todays limited contact game. All records would be broken.

Think it’s generally accepted that it’s harder to score goals these days as marking is far tighter and defenders are more athletic.

You ever watch old footage of games in the 50’s and 60’s? The space you got on the ball is incredible.

Pele only ever played in Brazil so absolutely impossible to say that.

[Shrekko]

How come Ronaldo all of a sudden is a greater international player than Messi? He’s only scored 3 World Cup goals before last night. Messi can’t rely on games against teams like Andorra and San Marino to pad his stats either. Ronaldo has won a Euros but he certainly didn’t do it single handedly -he missed most of the final and was extremely poor in the early games.

In saying that I think only Maradona compares to the 2 current superstars and even he didn’t do it for 15 years solid.

[Sir David Gray]

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Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time.

I think people are being caught up in the moment with Ronaldo's free kick last night.

Barcelona don't have anywhere near as cohesive a side as Real Madrid these days yet Messi still drags Barca to league titles which for me is a bigger achievement than Ronaldo playing in a Champions League winning side.

Ronaldo has scored 311 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in just 292 games. He also has 84 goals for Portugal in 154 games.

It's hardly just last night that people will be basing their opinions on.

[yonder1875]

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Ronaldo has scored 311 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in just 292 games. He also has 84 goals for Portugal in 154 games.

It's hardly just last night that people will be basing their opinions on.

Of course they're not basing it directly on last night but when Ronaldo's just scored a fantastic free kick like that in front of a world audience, there will be heat of the moment calls.

And it's a myth that Ronaldo is a better goalscorer than Messi, the stats favour Messi.

[JeMeSouviens]

Ron is great but generally the team plays for him rather than the other way round.

Messi is incredible and has been consistently brilliant for over a decade.

Original fat Ron before his knee injury was unstoppable.

Went for Maradona though, who was patchier and ended up in disgrace but in 86 dragged a not great team to the world cup. And played when defenders were still allowed to kick **** out of him.

[Sir David Gray]

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How come Ronaldo all of a sudden is a greater international player than Messi? He’s only scored 3 World Cup goals before last night. Messi can’t rely on games against teams like Andorra and San Marino to pad his stats either. Ronaldo has won a Euros but he certainly didn’t do it single handedly -he missed most of the final and was extremely poor in the early games.

In saying that I think only Maradona compares to the 2 current superstars and even he didn’t do it for 15 years solid.

Messi has only scored 5 World Cup goals so there's not much in it. Why don't you just say that you just dislike Ronaldo and we can all move on?

[hibs#1]

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Of course they're not basing it directly on last night but when Ronaldo's just scored a fantastic free kick like that in front of a world audience, there will be heat of the moment calls.

And it's a myth that Ronaldo is a better goalscorer than Messi, the stats favour Messi.

Messi is also 3 years younger.

[theonlywayisup]

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As great and talented player that he was, Best had far too short a career to be considered among the greatest players ever. At the peak of his career he was undoubtedly one of the world's top players, maybe even the greatest at the time. If he had not self destructed at such a young age and been able to continue at the top level well into his 30s as so many do nowadays then I'm sure he would be in the top 10 greatest players ever at the very least. Unfortunately he never realised the limits of what his talents could achieve after winning the European Cup at a young age. That was part of his downfall as he saw that as the most he could ever achieve in the game.

Totally agree - if Best had been playing at the top level for much longer then maybe I would include him in the list. But his career at the upper levels was far too short. I would say Gareth Bale is more aggrieved not to be on the list as he's achieved a lot more than Best in his career and consistently at a higher level (e.g. Euros Semi).

[Scouse Hibee]

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Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time.

I think people are being caught up in the moment with Ronaldo's free kick last night.

Barcelona don't have anywhere near as cohesive a side as Real Madrid these days yet Messi still drags Barca to league titles which for me is a bigger achievement than Ronaldo playing in a Champions League winning side.

Oh I think Barca have few players!

[Zazu62]

Messi or Austin Macphee

[Sir David Gray]

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Of course they're not basing it directly on last night but when Ronaldo's just scored a fantastic free kick like that in front of a world audience, there will be heat of the moment calls.

And it's a myth that Ronaldo is a better goalscorer than Messi, the stats favour Messi.

Do they?

Messi has a La Liga record of 383 goals in 418 appearances over 13 years and as stated previously Ronaldo has 311 La Liga goals in 292 appearances over 9 years.

For Argentina, Messi has 64 goals in 124 appearances over 13 years and for Portugal, Ronaldo has 84 goals in 151 appearances over 15 years.

At the World Cup, Ronaldo has 6 goals in 14 appearances and at the time of writing this post Messi has 5 goals in 16 appearances.

At the European Championships Ronaldo has 9 goals in 21 appearances and at the Copa America Messi has 8 goals in 21 appearances.

For me the stats are so close it's impossible to separate them.

[nellio]

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Ronaldo is a goalscorer, if that there is no doubt. He plays centre forward now and I can’t honestly say he brings as much else to the team (not that he needs to due to the volume of goals he scores). Messi is a footballer who also happens to score barrowloads of goals. Messi will pop up all over he place making things happen, a magician at times. It’s harder for him as a 10 to play against 10 man defence Iceland as it is for Ronaldo to play as a 9 against a wide open Spain.

A fair point. Just thankful were alive in an era where we can watch both and discuss who's best!!

[hibs#1]

Messi can't take penalties right enough.

[yonder1875]

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Ronaldo has scored 311 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in just 292 games. He also has 84 goals for Portugal in 154 games.

It's hardly just last night that people will be basing their opinions on.

Please see.

https://twitter.com/utdtj/status/977532235074195456?s=21

[Shrekko]

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Messi has only scored 5 World Cup goals so there's not much in it. Why don't you just say that you just dislike Ronaldo and we can all move on?

I think if that’s what I wanted to say I’d have said it. Seeing as it’s not true and I also said he was one of the 3 best players of all time I think you’re talking rubbish and trying to put words in my mouth. Be great if you wouldn’t do that- thanks!

Neither have international records to match their club form which isn’t actually the be all and end all IMO- the Champions League is just as high a standard of football.

[calumhibee1]

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Do they?

Messi has a La Liga record of 383 goals in 418 appearances over 13 years and as stated previously Ronaldo has 311 La Liga goals in 292 appearances over 9 years.

For Argentina, Messi has 64 goals in 124 appearances over 13 years and for Portugal, Ronaldo has 84 goals in 151 appearances over 15 years.

At the World Cup, Ronaldo has 6 goals in 14 appearances and at the time of writing this post Messi has 5 goals in 16 appearances.

At the European Championships Ronaldo has 9 goals in 21 appearances and at the Copa America Messi has 8 goals in 21 appearances.

For me the stats are so close it's impossible to separate them.

If you use a fairer comparison of their goals ratio over their whole careers, then Messi will have a better league goal ratio. Using Messi’s league appearances as a 16 year old to lower his ratio but removing Ronaldos and starting his stats at the time he was the most expensive footballer in the world and at 24 pretty much in his prime isn’t really a fair comparison. Put in his Man Utd and Sporting Lisbon appearances and goals and it’s a fairer way to do it.

Ronaldos career club goals average is a goal every 1.33 games. Messi’s is a goal very 1.18 games. Which when you’re getting to the level they’re at is quite significant.

[Stokesy's on fire]

Messi all day long

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

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Not a trick question, but what has George Best achieved to be on a list of the top 11 players of all time. Not denying he was a great player, one of the best from the British Isles, but the greatest male footballer of all time? To be included in the list of greatest players of all time, I think you've got to do it at the World Cup or Euros latter stages, which George Best never did. Yes, he wasn't playing in a great team, but there are enough examples of nations that became great teams on the back of just one superstar (e.g. Hagi at Romania)



Question as per George Best



Eusebio - good shout and I did consider including him and Puskas. Both from a generation well before my time.

What's this 'greatest male player' pish?

Just greatest player surely? No woman would make the top 10,000.

On the topic, Messi is the greatest I've ever seen in my lifetime (just too young to have fully appreciated Maradona).

Older players can't win, because the surviving footage of them just doesn't compare- imagine every game Pele, or Di Stefano, era had been televised in full, YouTube mash-ups etc

[Killiehibbie]

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Think it’s generally accepted that it’s harder to score goals these days as marking is far tighter and defenders are more athletic.

You ever watch old footage of games in the 50’s and 60’s? The space you got on the ball is incredible.

Pele only ever played in Brazil so absolutely impossible to say that.

A few world cups say he would've.

[1van Sprou7e]

Messi is the greatest male of all time

However we all know the greatest player of all time is our very own Lizzie Arnot

[Sir David Gray]

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I think if that’s what I wanted to say I’d have said it. Seeing as it’s not true and I also said he was one of the 3 best players of all time I think you’re talking rubbish and trying to put words in my mouth. Be great if you wouldn’t do that- thanks!

Neither have international records to match their club form which isn’t actually the be all and end all IMO- the Champions League is just as high a standard of football.

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I think if that’s what I wanted to say I’d have said it. Seeing as it’s not true and I also said he was one of the 3 best players of all time I think you’re talking rubbish and trying to put words in my mouth. Be great if you wouldn’t do that- thanks!

Neither have international records to match their club form which isn’t actually the be all and end all IMO- the Champions League is just as high a standard of football.

Heard you the first time.

[heretoday]

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Oh I think Barca have few players!

That Suarez bloke is quite good! I'm loving this Ronnie v Messi thing that's threatening to take over every thread on here!

[ancient hibee]

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Think it’s generally accepted that it’s harder to score goals these days as marking is far tighter and defenders are more athletic.

You ever watch old footage of games in the 50’s and 60’s? The space you got on the ball is incredible.

Pele only ever played in Brazil so absolutely impossible to say that.

However,attacking players receive much more favourable treatment from refs than they ever did in the past.As an example Pele was kicked out of the 1966 World Cup.If any of today’s players ever equal Pele’s feat of being the star of two World Cups 12 years apart I’ll be surprised.

[Scouse Hibee]

For me trying to pick one of all time is impossible due to the different eras, the players can never really be comparable.

I would rather select:

The greatest player I have seen regularly play in the flesh- King Kenny

My favourite all time player from TV coverage- Messi (seen him twice in the flesh)

[Keith_M]

John McGinnn.

[21.05.2016]

The Ronaldo v Messi debate is a hard one. I tend to go for Messi but there really is nothing you can say against Ronaldo either, both truly magnificent players, we're very lucky to be in an era with them both. Frighteningly good the pair of them. Certainly the two greatest players in my lifetime and it's difficult to see how anyone could come along and top them.

[Andymac85]

All about opinions, but for me Messi operates at his best when surrounded by world class players. Hence his comparatively poor form when representing Argentina. Ronaldo can completely change a game regardless of the supporting cast. That’s why he’s the better player for me. Wouldn’t say no to hibs taking either though.

[Hibby Mike]

Diego every day of the week. You would have to combine Messi with Ronaldo to even get near him. Ronaldo (the new one) 2nd behind him, because his balls are bigger than Messi's, with Roberto Baggio then behind.

[Andymac85]

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Diego every day of the week. You would have to combine Messi with Ronaldo to even get near him. Ronaldo (the new one) 2nd behind him, because his balls are bigger than Messi's, with Roberto Baggio then behind.

I used to love watching Baggio play, absolute magician.