Surprisingly Messi and CR have played the same number of games in all comps this season and CR has killed Messi in stats, especially in the CL. The main thing though is the fact that Messi has let down his club big time this season in critical games that counted the most and this has been in the spot light a lot recently. You're an idiot if you think Messi will win the next Ballon if he doesn't win the WC for Argentina. He's ********ed up that badly. https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/why-barcelona-consider-selling-messi-134000757--sow.html
There's no way Messi wins the Balon D'Or this season unless he obliterates the World Cup and leads Argentina to victory. The truth is that he has been non-existent in the three most important matches of the season. There's nothing wrong with stating that. He's a fantastic player and when he's on, he's brilliant and the world's best. Suarez is performing week-in-week-out for a team that is currently heading towards a championship in a major European league, and when you look at their squad strength you wonder how that could happen. Anyhow, other than 2010, I think Unclesox proved that the Balon winner in a World Cup year goes to a player on the World Cup winning team. Edit: No need to attack Condor, he is one of the most balanced posters on here. You have your opinion and he has his. No worries.
Bada Bing does have a point, you guys keep mentioning seasons when the first half is irrelevant in voting. Although, it must be said that Messi didn't perform well in the Champions League match, so if voting were to be conducted today i'd give the nod to Suarez(since id put more weight on important matches than just goal scoring feats). He definitely ranks higher than C.Ronaldo though that much is clear. Not to spark a whole CR7 vs Messi debate With that said, Messi not exerting his full potential at the Champions League is not surprising considering world cup winners in the past have only had to play 30 games before a world cup, Messi has been playing 60!! I don't blame him. Expecting a very electric world cup from him.
I can certainly understand the type of pressure Messi is going to face at the WC He is being discussed/compared to Pele and Maradona and all he can hear are people saying he has failed at WCs, so one can certainly understand that winning the WC has got that added bit of pressure to show he belongs in that conversation with Pele and Maradona or even to cement his place above those two guys as the GOAT so yeah I can see why there is an appearance he is saving his legs for the WC and that is probably highlighted by the fact the team is not quite working out tactically at the moment
There are 3 reasons why IMO Messi is not even close to be compared to Maradona. 1- He hasn't won the world cup or even come close. 2- He hasn't played and carried a team like Napoli. I would love to see him play for Sevilla or a Napoli like team. (Can you imagine Maradona playing along side Iniesta and Xavi who in my opinion are the best players this game has seen since Maradona) 3- I am biased. I grew up watching Maradona and now that I am older I finally understand why older people used to tell me "Maradona will never be Pele".
Maradona carrying napoli is an often over-exaggerated claim that has been debunked many times. When he was banned in 90-91 they still had the same goal output as when he was playing in 89-90, despite conceding more goals. This points to a defensive error, not an attacking one. After Maradona leaves they manage to rank 4th still but after that the team crumbles as players leave and Napoli incurrs a massive debt at thia point. Its all coincidental. If you believe Maradona to be the best ever that is a justifiable claim. To say he won't reach Maradonas level is without ground. If you watch full games from what was Maradonas best club season (84-85) performance wise to Messi's best club season, Messis performances are far more impressive. The argentina of 86 was a GOOD well balanced team, despite the myth you hear of them being a buncha farmersdiego dragged to victory. 6 players on argentina ranked in the top 10 on castrol rankings for the world cup, that is more in the top 10 than Brazil had in 1970!! Just trying to debunk some myths here, but if you believe Maradona to be the greatest ever that is a justofiable claim as I said
A piece of advice: Please check the other teams that won Serie A around those years Napoli won it. Then you will understand how lame your argument is. Verona won the Serie A in 84, and Sampdoria in 90. Using your logic, their best player should also be mentioned as one of the greatest players of all time. How about Diego Costa if Atletico wins La Liga this season? Both the Argentine team that won the WC And Napoli side that won the Serie A were very strong sides. BTW, I am not saying Messi is the best player ever or vice versa. I didn't see Maradona play every week as I do with Messi, so can't judge how consistent Maradona was. However, if I have to judge a player by his ability And not consistency for many years, Ronaldinho was the best player ever for me.
@Jaweirdo and @ilovefotball I am not interested in arguing, just wanted to share my opinion. You can hear it you can poop on it, that's your choice.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...umber-10-shirt-semi-final-vote_n_1396081.html Everyone vote for Messi here!
I'm assuming that includes National Team play as well. According to Wiki, he scored "only" 38 goals for Barca in 08/09. It has been a truly remarkable goal scoring run for him in the last 6 seasons nonetheless.
CR7 is quietly sneaking up on Messi on the all-time CL goalscoring chart. Messi has a comparatively superior ratio though.
True (and impressive from him). But being notably older than Messi, if he is "all that", he should lead Messi by some gap at this point.
Ronaldo has 66 Champions League goals in 102 games, Messi 67 in 86..... Messi needs to start scoring in bunches again in the CL; otherwise, Ronaldo will break the record before him..... As far as the Ballon D'Or 2014 goes, if CR7 wins the treble, God Forbid, then Messi will really need to have an 86 Maradone-esque performance in the World Cup to have any chance of reclaiming that --- which I hope he does, God-willing. I believe, though, in 2014 that Messi has outscored everybody. Also, on Whoscored.com, Messi is the number 1 player this season ---- but can anyone tell me what SpG means, and how they come up with the overall rating? Player Statistics RNameTeamPosAppsGoalAYelRedSpGPS%AWMoMRt 1Lionel MessiBarcelonaAM(R),FW26(2)27101-5.284.90.1138.5 2Luis SuarezLiverpoolAM(CLR),FW3130125-5.574.90.7148.49 3Cristiano RonaldoReal MadridAM(CLR),FW28308417.280.61.8108.29 4Franck RibéryBayern MunichAM(L)18(4)10102-2.783.90.478.23 5Ricardo RodriguezWolfsburgD(L)32582-1.280.3377.96
Messi could potentially score 10 + in each of the next 5-6 seasons and have a CL record that will be impossible to beat. The only thing that CR7 might have as advantage is if he pulls a Giggs, plays until he is 40 and consistently bags 5-10 goals each CL season after the age of 34 until he retires. This assuming he doesn't blow out his leg or goes to Galatasaray to retire..