Lionel Messi

[Arginald Valleywater]

Best footballer of the current crop...but where does he stand against Pele, Cruyff, Eusabio, Platini???

[BRFOT]

He is far better, the athleticism of players now is far above those of the past, thats not to say if Platini, Pele etc had not been subjected to similar training methods they too would not be as good but its impossible to compare sides from the past and the present, most Champions league sides would wipe the floor with Brazil 1970 the 'greatest side ever' on fitness, stamina and speed alone.

[Dave Wells]

He's up there. That second goal last night was just simply - brilliant !

[dimi]

He is good, wether he is as good as Rickie Lambert is another thing all together...

[Arginald Valleywater]

We had a discussion in the office this morning and the consensus was pretty solid, all time great, no disagreements, few comparisons with Ronaldo or anybody else in the last decade. Even Zidane was rated second fiddle. Watching him play reminds me of when Warne was coming down the pitch to run, the opposition had little idea of what was he was going to do either.

[Meatus]

"Best footballer of the current crop...but where does he stand against Pele, Cruyff, Eusabio, Platini???"........................

.......aren't we missing someone here? Namely, Diego Maradona!

The greatest footballer who ever lived!

[beutelwolf]

Arginald Valleywater wrote:

> Best footballer of the current crop...but where does he stand
> against Pele, Cruyff, Eusabio, Platini???

Very talented guy. Thing is though: how instrumental has he been to his club and country winning trophies? With Messi we find one Champions league title (I think), and then? In South Africa last year he played well but left little impact (still, compared to another supposed-best-player-of-the-world, Wayne Rooney, he did brilliantly).

Pele won 3 world cups with Brazil, scoring in two finals. Platini won Euro 1984 for France almost single-handedly. Cruyff moved Dutch football from total obscurity to the top, winning two Champions cups with Ajax and almost the world cup. One can make similar cases for Eusebio, van Basten, Beckenbauer, Zidane, Maradona. Many of these were not merely very gifted players they were also the kind of player that could grab hold of a match that was going badly and turn it around.

Messi still has a way to go there.

[Arginald Valleywater]

In the words of Viz comic....Maradona is a stumpy, cheating Argentinian Twat. Nuff said. Great player but a cheat and a junkie.

[Jonone]

Beutel, I think it's unfair to foreground Platini because, as I remember, Tigana and Giresse were also exceptional in midfield and possibly Bossis in defence. Platini was the great player but it was an exceptional midfield, no ?

[Meatus]

"One Handball" in "One Match" Doesn't take away the sublime talent of the man, who won the league in Argentina with Boca Juniors, won numerous La Liga's with Barcelona and single-handedly won the World Cup for Argentina in 1986 and took them to the Final in 1990. But probably his biggest achievement was taking unfancied and unfashionable Napoli to the Serie A title twice and winning a UEFA Cup with them. Plus his second goal against England in Mexico 86' was the best goal ever scored!!! He went through the team like they were the Solomon Islands national team!