Messi and 500 Barcelona goals

[Hibernia&Alba]

How is it possible to score 500 goals in a career? That should take decades, but the guy isn't thirty for another couple of months. He is setting records that will never be beaten, and I'm sure will finish with more Champions League than Ronaldo. The guy is a freak of nature.

[calumhibee1]

The best there has ever been.

[Keyser Sauzee]

Tbh there has never really been an arguement and never will be, he is the best there has been, the best there is and the best there ever will be

[Navids Numpties]

The best player ever end of. The way he drifts past players and uses his body to fool players into going one way then goes the other. His long-passing and free-kicks are something else. He is the best at everything in the world an attacker should have minus pace. He won't leave Barca but I would like to know his price valuation.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Tbh there has never really been an arguement and never will be, he is the best there has been, the best there is and the best there ever will be

It's hard to argue against that really. Maradona perhaps? But he's averaging fifty goals per season over ten years. It's bonkers; who scores fifty goals in a season once in their career? Very few.

[emerald green]

A really remarkable goal scoring record, especially since he's playing against some of the best defenders in the game. Not complete donkeys.

Messi is someone who most definitely deserves to be called an "all time great", and he's got years left in him.

[FilipinoHibs]

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A really remarkable goal scoring record, especially since he's playing against some of the best defenders in the game. Not complete donkeys.

Messi is someone who most definitely deserves to be called an "all time great", and he's got years left in him.

Once you get past mid table then defending is pretty dire. Has not scored against Real for a while.

[jacomo]

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Once you get past mid table then defending is pretty dire. Has not scored against Real for a while.

He scored against Real yesterday.

Pele claims to have scored 1,000 goals in his career - this figure is highly dubious and only possible if you count absolutely everything - friendlies, kickabouts, the lot.

I would say Messi's 500 are twice as credible.

[yonder1875]

The GOAT.

[Stewboy]

Still Maradona for me.

Played in an era where defenders could boot him in the air, plus what he achieved with Argentina & Napoli is very special

[WeeRussell]

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Once you get past mid table then defending is pretty dire. Has not scored against Real for a while.

Brilliant. You choose the day after he takes his place as all time leading goalscorer in El Clasico games to criticise his goalscoring record against Real Madrid.

Show me a league where the bottom half of the table is blessed with great defences. Of course they get worse as you go further down, it's how league tables work. He has shown every single season that he is capable of doing what he does against the very best Europe has to offer.

He could score ten goals with his cock every week and some would refuse to give him credit.

Undoubtedly the best player I've ever seen, or could ever hope to see.

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Impossible to compare against era's

Greatest of his generation? Absolutely

One of the all time greats of the game? Absolutely

[-Jonesy-]

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Tbh there has never really been an arguement and never will be, he is the best there has been, the best there is and the best there ever will be

Didn't we say that about pele, Maradonna and Russel Latapy?

[Tinribs]

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Tbh there has never really been an arguement and never will be, he is the best there has been, the best there is and the best there ever will be

Considering we have only been playing Association football for 150 odd years, it's a little early to declare him the best there will ever be. He is certainly a decent and entertaining footballer though, almost as good to watch as Cruyff.

[Keyser Sauzee]

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Considering we have only been playing Association football for 150 odd years, it's a little early to declare him the best there will ever be. He is certainly a decent and entertaining footballer though, almost as good to watch as Cruyff.

Fair doo's, too early to say he is the best we will ever see, however he is the best there has been. Cruyff, Maradona, Pele etc all done things we had never seen before and the same has to be said about messi except he is doing things we never seen the likes that I've just mentioned which in my eyes puts him above every1 there has ever been.

[Andy74]

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He scored against Real yesterday.

Pele claims to have scored 1,000 goals in his career - this figure is highly dubious and only possible if you count absolutely everything - friendlies, kickabouts, the lot.

I would say Messi's 500 are twice as credible.

In official games Pele still scored over 600 goals - just about a goal a game. He also won 3 world cups, scoring in two finals. At 17 he scored in the quarters, a hat trick in the semi and two in the final.

There is certainly no doubting Messi is up there but Pele is comparable if not a bit more accomplished at world level.

[#persevered]

Messi is 29, could play for years yet. He has 500 and still has six games left this season. He will eclipse Pele in club goals at this rate no bother. On international stage it's true Argentina haven't delivered at world cups but he's been in a final and 58 international goals isn't bad especially when you have to qualify against Brazil, Chile, Uruguay etc.

He's absolutely awesome to watch.

[Devonhibs]

Undoubtedly the best player I've ever seen, or could ever hope to see.[/QUOTE] Aye but did you ever see Benny Brazil, now that was a player

[emerald green]

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Once you get past mid table then defending is pretty dire. Has not scored against Real for a while.

Defenders playing for teams in the lower half of La Liga are "pretty dire"? Really? Teams like Celta Vigo, Valencia, Malaga & Deportivo for example?

When you say "pretty dire", what are you comparing these teams/players with? The Scottish Championship?

[Haymaker]

He's no Karl Fletcher.

[Pete]

If Mighty Mouse was as fit as today's players he'd slot right in and probably be considered the best of the best.

[Hillsidehibby]

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Still Maradona for me.

Played in an era where defenders could boot him in the air, plus what he achieved with Argentina & Napoli is very special

Agree. I worked beside an Argentinian guy recently and he reckoned Messi couldn't lace Maradona's boots.

A very special player all the same.

[sambajustice]

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Messi is 29, could play for years yet. He has 500 and still has six games left this season. He will eclipse Pele in club goals at this rate no bother. On international stage it's true Argentina haven't delivered at world cups but he's been in a final and 58 international goals isn't bad especially when you have to qualify against Brazil, Chile, Uruguay etc.

He's absolutely awesome to watch.

It's 500 goals in his career, not this season... ;-)

[McD]

Something that works for and against Messi is the coverage available.

Those fortunate enough to see Pele play (in the flesh or live on tv) didn't get to see much at all, World Cup games every 4 years, and little else. In some of those cases, only edited highlights. That raises his legend, as we only see the best of Pele's footage.

Messi on the other hand, we have wall-to-wall coverage, which means we see his best achievements, but also warts and all. The plethora of coverage also can bring an element of fatigue, we see him all the time, whereas looking forward to seeing a World Cup happen so you can see the likes of Pele, Cruyff, etc brings an excitement that Messi probably doesn't get to enjoy in the same way.

all in all, I think he's the best I've ever seen play properly (can't really remember Maradona to compare), he's the fulcrum of the most influential club team in the last 15 years (at least), he consistently does things that take your breath away, get you off your seat and make you say 'Wow!'.

Where he ranks in the all time list, I don't think is necessarily the question to ask, but 'is he in a select group that I'd want to watch over and over and over?', or 'has he made his mark on the game in a historic manner'? To both those I would say undoubtedly yes.

I also think that we've probably been lucky to see an era where he and Cristiano Ronaldo have been competing at club and international level so closely for such a sustained period of time. I believe they've both been spurred on to their best by the other.

[Eyrie]

It's impossible to compare between eras.

Messi has benefitted from modern sports science, so who knows if Pele or Maradona would have been as good or better than him had they had that assistance?

And I confidently predict that in 20-30 years time there will be someone else along who is described as being even better than the above three.

[ACLeith]

In my lifetime I've managed to watch Messi, Pele, Maradonna, Zidane, Cruyff, Xavi, Iniesta, what a privilege. Sadly only saw Gordon Smith towards the end of his career and too young to appreciate him.

[Since90+2]

People tend to think a player from their era when growing up was the best of all time.

[WeeRussell]

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Defenders playing for teams in the lower half of La Liga are "pretty dire"? Really? Teams like Celta Vigo, Valencia, Malaga & Deportivo for example?

When you say "pretty dire", what are you comparing these teams/players with? The Scottish Championship?

I suspect he isn't comparing them to anyone, and just doesn't really like messi.

[Allant1981]

obviously a great player and often see the argument that he only scores the goals he does because he plays for Barcelona, do people think he would score as many in italy or england?

[Dashing Bob S]

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Brilliant. You choose the day after he takes his place as all time leading goalscorer in El Clasico games to criticise his goalscoring record against Real Madrid.

Show me a league where the bottom half of the table is blessed with great defences. Of course they get worse as you go further down, it's how league tables work. He has shown every single season that he is capable of doing what he does against the very best Europe has to offer.

He could score ten goals with his cock every week and some would refuse to give him credit.

Undoubtedly the best player I've ever seen, or could ever hope to see.

Hmmm...throw in a few assists and we have a deal.