Who Is The Greatest Dribbler Ever

"Zidane volley"

 

Currently still unanswered:

"whole team cutting, perfectly weighted throughball"
"slalom penetration through parked bus"
"halfwayline dribble, top corner from 20+ yards"
"catch and carry over goal keeper goal"
"full speed hurdle over goalkeeper"
"full speed long pass control, goal"
"Zidane volley"

 

"Candidate", I meant he is still playing ... and got years (>7) before he 'll retire.
Like Ronaldo before 99 injuries ( at 19,20 even younger than Messi now) , many did believe he would dethrone Pele/Maradona. Time passing by .. and those moments remained as a nice hope and speculation.

If continue this rate as he got fully mature in playing, yeah he will probably be in TOP5
=====================================================

To Gmon, and Dr Know

Well only thing to say is WATCH more and WATCH close. Agree with you that there is no tangible proof (unless we got all the clips available and all the crews like Optastats or Castrol ranking to re-watch and careful analyze their games: to see who did more successful dribble run, more attempts ... and against which teams, players ... )

Even let's assume Messi did more with Barca then Maradona did with Barca/Napoli, there are still other facts that STATS could not tell the whole pix. For example, Maradona's Barca team mates (83-85) were no Xavi, nor Iniesta, Busquet ... to have supported him (in passing, maintaining possession..) besides his sickness there!

People forgot that Maradona's Barca 83-85 (same as Ronaldo's Barca 97) were playing in UEFA CUP - not like this Barca 08-12 are cruising in liga and UCL! I brought this up as easier to compare them with same club, same liga! But again, not so obvious!



One thing for sure though, Maradona's WC86 remained as most "dribbling runs and successful" ever since WC66 (thanks to Castrol Stats) Again, who were with Maradona in Midfield? I challenge many here can list them out (also Barca and Napoli) without WIKI?

 

These kind of throughballs are bread and butter for Messi, there are a lot of them, a lot



also to show some variety, some outside foot lob assists

 

It is apparently those sources that only have documented such stats.

Statistically Castrol states that he was the most successful dribbler in the 1982 WC as well. Besides, he was the most fouled player in 3 straight World Cups – ‘82, ‘86 and ‘90.

 

Some inside foot lob assists

 

Bing,

It's not like we don;t believe you or we have not watched Messi playing. I have seen and known well what Messi is capable of!

Again, one thing for sure ... Messi could not do like Maradona (kick the ball hitting the post from outside the box, let it boucing back and kick again for 5 times on a row) - refer to Zidane's comment about Maradona in you tube! there, Zidane admitted he could not even do just once! (I knew Ronaldinho tried and hit the post 2 but failed to kick 2nd time, same with Ronaldo)

If you can find Whether Messi doing such, then that would be great info here! Do not waste many clips (which already in youtiube) here!

 

Patented dribble from halfwayline perfect throughball





Penetrate the defence, tap in assist

 

So that's why Maradona could do evertyhing that Messi does?

I would like to see him scoring two goals with one shot.

 

Also the cut in halfwayline dribble perfect (one touch goals) throughball

 

NO, let's say Messi had tried hard to copycat Maradona (from solo run to hands of God) but he still has a mountain to climb (WC performance) and the bouncing kick ...
======================================

Now if you are impressed with such kick 2 balls, Lets' watch Il fenomeno did (before he retires) hit a water bottle from 30+yards on a kid's head!


And let Messi growing old over 50+ to do what Maradona does here(bouncing a tennis ball with the back of his heel


Messi has a lot to learn from his elders!!!

 

Indeed. There are things that Maradona did, such as the corner-kick goal (vs Lazio in 1984-85), bicycle and scissor kick goals, and assists, goal from the halfway line (friendly 1992 in benefit match), header goal from 25 yards out (vs AC Milan 1988), chip over defender's head using his chest (friendly vs Chile 1994), goal from a throw-in on the corner of the pitch (1981 vs River Plate), free-kicks scored from the wings (for many teams), goal controlling the ball with his chest with his back to goal and volleying without the ball ever touching the ground (1992/93 vs Sporting Gijon), lob over a defender on the wing and then ran past three defenders to make an assist (vs Juventus 1987/88), lob goal vs Real Sociedad on the left wing in an acute angle with two defenders on him (1983 Copa del Rey), goal rounding the GK and then waiting for the defender to arrive to elude him (League cup 1983 vs Real Madrid), chapeau over defender's head and goal with his right foot (vs Bologna Coppa Italia 1988), lob goal with the outside of his left foot on the right side of the wing on the edge of the box (vs Belgrano 1996), free-kick goal inside the box chipped over the wall (vs Juventus 1985/86), goal on the byline on the right wing (vs Talleres 1980), one-two pass with his chest and shot goal without the ball touching the floor (vs Lazio 1984/85), assist with a 'rabona' (vs Switzerland 1980 and Torino 1985), headed-assist from the right wing outside the box (vs Stuttgaart 1989 UEFA Cup), cross and assist from a tight angle on the left wing after eluding a defender (vs Bulgaria 1986 WC), headed assist from bouncing the ball off the wall on a free-kick (vs South Korea WC 1986), goal from 40-yards lobbed over GK (vs Verona 1985/86), etc.

The list can go on, since it's just off the top of my head.

With all due respect to Messi, since he's on my side for personal reasons, these types of goals, assists, plays, he's never been able to emulate and reproduce.

 

Oh, with just one minute thinking similar stuff







Although I think freekicks (and leadership) are the important part of the games, that Maradona still had an edge on Messi. But Messi is catching fast also in these.

 

Messi is actually great header for his size, just doesn't use it really often, scored 11 headers in his professional career.

 

Of course, Messi is a great player and anyone that appreciates good football should admire quality when one sees it.

In regards to the images you just sent, I’ve seen Maradona do that countless times. But the example of the free-kick I mentioned was inside the box, not outside, and the headed pass was outside, not inside.

 

Of course, Maradona was GOAT player for me over 20 years. But even I have had to submit on yearly Messi onslaught.

Outside inside, the difference is rather neglible, you don't find exactly similar stuff from Maradona, that I've posted here from Messi. So it also works in both ways, I think we should stick in the what is similar stuff in principle.

 

That's just trivial stuff, it's only impressive when you do it in competitive enviroment. Just like there is a great trick shots in snooker, but that doesn't mean you are the best in the game.

 

Maradona has the disadvantage that more than half of the games of his career was not recorded on film, which mostly makes this pointless. You have to understand that.

But some of you brought up this game of comparing plays, goals, assists, which I'm not interested in, but I've just pointed out to the forum that there are things that Maradona did on the field that Messi could not emulate! We cannot say the same thing for Messi, because cameras did not always follow Maradona around like it's done to today's players. So who knows what Maradona may have done that was never captured on film... They are different, under different circumstances. But before anything else, I'm a fan of good football, so they are on my side.

 

Of course, but the stuff that is recorded give a good indication that "Messi is a faster Maradona", what was my original argument.

And Maradona couldn't do stuff that Messi did, pointed out here. With such arguments we could say the same about every player of history. So that's that really.

 

"three touch catch & panna & chip into top corner"

 

Faster in what? None of them have ever been compared with a clock.

 

Dribbling, ball manipulation, decision making etc.

 

Oh, that’s right… you are the word of authority on this forum. You know more than the rest of us. I had almost forgotten about that.!!

As for the example you provided above, it didn't result in a goal, Maradona's did!!

 

Again, I'm definitely not the voice of authority, but I think it's rather obvious when you watch both and compare. I actually can't believe someone could make other conclusions from it.