Getting a bit O/T here, but its not like Barca had great minds running the club 5-7 years ago either (Laporta + Rijkaard ). But what is so different between 21 year-old CR7 and Neymar?
Obviously he won't be forgotten. Even Ronaldinho will be remembered and CR7 already surpassed him even if he got a career-ending injury tomorrow.
CR7 was more of a trickster and showboat man. As start. Naturally more powerfully gifted. Laporta not a great mind? Would like to know the explanation for that. Either way, they have different men now with slightly different philosophy.
But I'm sure he (and Messi) will be remembered as one of the legends who didn't win the WC (unless 1 of them wins it, which I highly doubt but you never know in football). They have been the best players in the world for a very long time now, and both are consistent performers.
But Maradona didn't shine just only in the 1986 World Cup, but during most of his career (at least during the period between 1978 and 1990). He showed an extraordinary level almost since his beginnings in Argentinos Juniors and in the late 70's (1979-1980) he had a strong argument to be considered the best player in the world. In the early 80's with Boca Juniors and Barcelona he was the best South American player alongside Zico and when he arrived to Napoli in 1984 reached his peak with awesome performances. That occurred during the rest of the 80's decade. Internationally, he became a young superstar after his performance in the 1979 U-20 World Cup, performed well in the 1982 World Cup despite the low of Argentina and was one of the stars of the 1990 World Cup despite an ankle injury that affected his overall performance. To paraphrase the cited: "Maradona was Maradona every day for a bit over a decade". I think Messi hasn't reached yet the enough time span in his 9-year career and his about 6 years as phenomenal star (2008-2013).
Messi's club and individual achievements far succeed already that of Maradona's. And Messi is already ahead of Maradona in U20 WC (also top scorer), Olympics, Copa America, has carried Barcelona 2 seasons like Maradona did once in Napoli and so on... Only thing that Maradona still has that Messi doesn't, is World Cup. And if Messi happens to win with this lopsided team World Cup, his career is well beyond Maradona's, in any relative comparison.
I don't see how Maradona's 1982 world cup was any better than Messi's in 2010. Both played pretty well in the first 4 matches, but had zero impact in the 5th as their team was blown-out by their arch nemesis. Remarkable similarity now that I think about it...
The achievements of their clubs doesn't show any guideline about their invidual levels for a comparison because doesn't have similar realities. Maradona showed his best in Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors and Napoli. The Italian club was a small team that looked up in those years, but never came close to having a period of world domination as recently had Barcelona. Even the individual achievements doesn't show a balanced comparison. Nowadays there are many more awards than in the 80's, Messi is an eligible player to win the Ballon d'Or, the individual trophies have multiplied over the years (many of them on the same event) and the only ones that remain constant are those about goal ratings, which aren't usable because Maradona was mainly an AM and Messi a FW (without taking into account that the best period of Maradona was probably in the most difficult league in defensive terms of all-time). Finally, comparing their achievements seems me a bit useless for determining their historical greatness at this case, I can only measure that Maradona shone in a upper top and for longer than Messi up to now.
It is problematic to compare different eras and teams but I think Ronaldo, Messi and a couple of others have a similar amount of excellent years at club level as Maradona had. Maradona was not a success at Barcelona (and one can think about various reasons). His playing level slowly regressed, and had probably only one really good game in Europe (Red Star Belgrade). They - the Barcelona management - were happy that they could sell him, that is well-documented. At Napoli the problematic part of his tenure is that the inconsistency of his performances increased towards the late 80s, and that he (again) has a rather meagre catalogue of really good performances - and results - in European club competitions. During the 1986 World Cup, many observers thought that he had not reached quite the same level in the 1985-86 club season (as opposed to 1984-85). He looked in a bit better physical shape and form. Amazement among humans is sometimes also induced by unexpectedness. The interesting part is still the years in Argentina and how that should be assessed (I still would like to see a list with friendlies and other games against foreign teams/clubs) but for the NT those years were not an unmitigated success within a stacked squad and strong generation of players (certainly 2nd strongest team of the continent). His goal-ratio was significantly lower, and the 1979CA, 1981Mundialito and 1982WC did not result in performances and output that people expected. With a qualifier in place for the early years, the peak was around 1984-1987 and tailed off at the late 80s. So, say about three very strong seasons (arguably top 2 player in the world) and three other good ones (arguably top 5 player in the world, performance wise). I can see the argument why people think, if they add up all superb seasons that C Ronaldo has (best player of the world; best player in his position etc.) so far accumulated a similar amount of years at the summit, or close to the summit (taking into account league form and UCL form obviously).
Only because he played in the final, and because he was carried there by his team, unlike Messi in WC10. Messi WC10 - Maradona WC90 Passes per 90min 64 - 34 Pass accuracy 86.3% - 71.2% Accuracy opponents half 81% - 59.7% Chances created per 90min 3.2 - 2.1 Assist 4/10 40% - 2/5 40% Involved goals 4/10 40% - 1/5 20% Shots per 90min 4.20 - 0.65 Example how stretched Messi was WC10, in relation to Cronaldo (striker), Xavi (CM) and Maradona WC90 (10): (tackles + created chances + shots per 90 minutes) 9.4 Messi 10 (10+16+21)/5 8.4 Maradona 86 (13+27+22)/7 7.0 Cronaldo 10 (3+7+18)/4 6.5 Xavi 10 (10+30+6)/7.06 4.0 Maradona 90 (10+16+5)/7,67
So how does winning a World Cup show that? It doesn't, you need a team to win World Cup. Nobody talked about goals. Maradona would have never won more than 3 Ballon d'Or's. Based on Onze d'Or, which had Maradona eligible from Barcelona 82-83 onwards, he won the best player 2 times, 85-86 and 86-87. Messi already 3, excluding 2010. Messi's consistency and achievements in the highest level has well surpassed Maradona already.
He had an easy group stage, even for the 32 teams era, and was quite simply less good against Mexico and Germany; the first two proper opponents Argentina met. Greece, South-Korea and Nigeria are not the type of teams that always made it in the 24 and 16 teams era. Maradona in 1982 was a bit similar (at his best against Hungary, but that was not among the best defences he met), with the addition that he was also 'non-existent' against El Salvador (France Football gave 3/6).
Matthaus, Stojkovic and Gascoigne in midfield alongside Maradona; Schillaci, Milla and Klinsmann up front; Brehme, Maldini and Baresi in defence; Goycochea and Conejo in goals.
I would assume the same people that vote for the the World Cup all star team every four years - I think it was covered in the WC sheep draft that this process began in 1978.
If Messi wins the World Cup next year and the Copa in Chile (putting in great perfomances) then we start talking about who's the 2nd greatest between Pele & Maradona. Cristiano is anywhere between 10-25, if he perfoms well next year and say 2016 (being the protagonist) then he can creep into the top 10...
No. Official FIFA Golden Balls began in 1982. Official FIFA teams of the tournament, initially chosen by some committee, started in 1994. However, they did assign retrospective Golden Balls in the late 90s. I wonder who created those all star teams prior to 1994.
Yes, Maradona didn't have a successful spell at Barcelona for several reasons (the hepatitis and the serious injury caused by Goikoetxea are probably the main of them), but I've to say I watched him playing in a superlative level at overall (despite not being on par with his all-time legendary status wrought by his overall career). He scored 38 goals in 58 games there. It's difficult for me identify a considerable period of inconsistency of Maradona in Italy between 1984/85 and 1989/90 seasons. What I could check about him seems me really very consistent year after year during that period with sensational peaks. That's a bit odd history of Argentina as a team. Their best generations haven't often been successful and have been world champions with 2 of the lowest in terms of acclaimed figures. About only Maradona, his scoring production in those years at international level only declined when he established more as a classic playmaker than a free-role attacking-midfielder/forward, as he played until 1987: 1985 6 goals | 10 matches 1986 7 goals | 10 matches 1987 4 goals | 6 matches 1988 1 goal | 3 matches 1989 0 goals | 7 matches 1990 1 goal | 10 matches
That's an argument in which we agree. I'm not sure why you use it as a counter-response. That's just your opinion. From my article Mejor Futbolista del Año I would draw that Maradona could be considered the best footballer of the year 5 times (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987 and 1989) and runner-up or podium 3 times (1985, 1988 and 1990). In front of him I'd consider Messi 4 times (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and runner-up or podium in 2007, 2008 and probably 2013 (I never exclude him his 2010).
No it's not just my opinion, it's the opinion of the voters in the Onze d'Or. And Maradona would've never won Ballon d'Or playing in Argentina, where he scored 4 seasons more as a teenager than he ever scored since in Europe.