How many of todays players will make it into the list All-time Hall of Fame?

[Dark Savante]

I made this thread two years ago. A lot has happened since then. As the title says, currently who are the players who are active who already all-timers? And who are the players very, very close to getting on any list and being revered 50 even 100years from now. Please realise what 'all-time' means.. no silly suggestions for your curtrent favourite player..more the ones who have or did do fabulous things for a number of years or at the very top level of the game please.

Throwing these out as cemented:


Cafu - Still going strong and a fantastic atttacking RB.
Maldini - the best LB the world has ever seen

Figo - His Barca form was immense, I'm not a fan of his RM days, but he oozed class and would not look out of place in any all-time xi if talent was a main factor for inclusion.

Ryan Giggs - His performances in Europe earned him his reputation. A consistent performer in the biggest games in his prime and a huge problem for the very best opposing flankers - his clases with Juve are legendary.

Roy Keane - Slowly he is getting the apppreciation he desrves, one of the best CM ever seen in Europe ranks right up there with the great Herman CM's and players like Colunha.

Kahn - Along with Ballack, Germany's saviour at the last WC. Kahn was ranked the number 1 keeper alongside Buffon for most of the last 5yrs and few could argue against him. Will definitely go down as one of Germany's best ever keepers. At his peak he was a one man army in goal.

Nesta - The best CB of his generation. Already a legend and one I have no qualms putting in the 'made it' catergory despite his age. Even if he fell off from now, he's done enough for me to merit his inclusion, from now till the end of his career it's simplky a matter of high he can rise up the list of all-time great CB's.

Roberto Carlos - one of the most, if not the most dynamic LB there has ever been.

Romario - I can't believe he is still active

Ronaldo - One of the best strikers of all time.

Rivaldo - Grossly underr-rated in by the general footballing populace, superior to Zidane when both were at their peaks!!!

Thuram - His career has wound down now, he was a behmoth at RB for nigh on 10years, almost unpassable on his flank.

Javier Zanetti - A brilliant all-round RB who was sublime at his peak and as consistent as you would like in a RB. He along with Rivaldo is one of those who consistently gets over-looked in any kind of discussion about the last 5-15 years, which is a tragedy. For my money, one of the best RB's ever. Not top 5, maybe not top 10 but I'd have no qualms with him being put int he top 20 which is no mean feat.

Zidane - Always courts controversy on forums, but his achievements and peak years between 2000-2002 are what being all-time is about. Longevity is definitely suspect with him imo so much myth on BS about Zidane..starting with him winning the WC for France or being Juve's best player in the mid 90's, both false.


Players teetering on the edge

Ballack - Hasn't done enough yet imo, but he's not one I would be surprised to make the leap if he gets the chance to do so. Was brilliant at Leverkusen and his last WC is really the stuff that takes you to that all-time billing. I think right now Ballack is a modern legend rather than an-time one however.

Davids - It's all too easy to diminish his contribution to teams and what he has done in his career. A brilliant level of consistency and a solid application to his tasks, because he isn't spectaclur or polished in his style of play he gets overlooked, frequently. Maybe the end of his career has not been as great as it should be, but in the 90's especially Davids was fantastic.


Henry - Simply has to take a major by storm. If he does not he'll be an Arsenal and EPL legend, but on a world scale he has to make the leap.

Ronaldinho - mainly because of his age and the fact he is just hitting his prime and the world is his oyster right now, he needs to take that and do something tangible with it next year. He is one great WC away from being an all-timer. The issue of longevity really isn't all that important. Two peak years of being THE best and doing great things is enough, make them memorable and no-one will forget, mainatain that standard and you simply move higher up the all-time list.

Shevchenko - I was considering putting him in the bonafide section, I probably should've, I think he'll be there in the end when all is said and done, I'll leave him here for now, open for deabte I'm sure.

Players who I thought were gonna be there, but have faded quite horribly

Del Piero - before injury and in the mid 90's he could definitely be considered top 3 for his position in the world. He was Juve's best player and simply a joy to watch. What eluded him at the time was comparable perfoermance for the NT and then he got the knee injury that completely altered him and he has never gotten back to what he was pre-injury, not even a shadow of it, so out of the window for the hopes of becoming 'the man' for the Azurri. People who don't now about pre-injury Del Piero have never seen the real player. It's a damn shame.

Raul - Along with Del Piero, Raul was one of those no one would have a problem putting top 3 for his poosition for about a 3yrs period he was sublime, he hasn't matched what he was and has aded off considerably over the ast few years, his peak years were similar to Del Pieros also in the fact that for club he was simply marvellous for country he was OK. With the loss of form he never did get to show for the NT what he had for his club and that is why he is not as revered as he would've been if his peak years had been great for both club & country.

Vieri - I can't believe the fall-off to his career. In fact I am a a loss to explain it. He was one of the premier strikers in world football for at least 6yrs, he scored goals for club and country, but never did lead his country to the loftiest of heights and that's why I think people look upon his name with a lot of sceptism these days - I even see him ridiculed on BS, which would have been untfathomable even 4yrs ago.

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I'd like some names put forth and some discussion on those who are listed. Do you agree with these slections? Have I missed anyone out who should merit mention in any of those 3 catergories?

[El viejo Matias]

Maldini deserves mention I think, Oliver Kahn for sure, Roberto Carlos I think, some of the ones you have mentioned... other than that I always approach this subject with caution.

[Dark Savante]

There's a bunch of players I don't really know what to do with. Namely:

Sol Campbell
Cannavaro
RVN
Buffon
Nedved
Mendieta ( I suppose his star has fallen)

[Dark Savante]

Maldini deserves mention I think, Oliver Kahn for sure, Roberto Carlos I think, some of the ones you have mentioned... other than that I always approach this subject with caution.
I agree, will edit and add him on because he was meant to be there in the first place

[El viejo Matias]

Buffon yeah maybe, but Mendieta???? I mean he is like Spains Ortega... full of promise and the buck stops there.

[Dark Savante]

Buffon yeah maybe, but Mendieta???? I mean he is like Spains Ortega... full of promise and the buck stops there.
For 3yrs it coul be argued Mendieta was the best in his position in the world culminating in two superb runs to the CL final for Valencia. Lest we forget that sometimes being a runner-up in a final can do a player and his reputation no harm at all. Mendieta was just brilliant before he went to Lazio and ruined his career.

[El viejo Matias]

Ok but we can argue that for a huge number of players really, 2 to 3 years does not make me want to put someone on an all time list.. this is where the caution part of it takes place.

[El viejo Matias]

I mean look at this to support my above rebutal,,,,, Crespo before leaving for Chelsea the first time was considered perhaps the tops if not top 5 at the time... Veron for his position as well before his demise in Man U,,,, Rivaldo anyone?? :rolleyes: Barthez is another!!

[Dark Savante]

Ok but we can argue that for a huge number of players really,
That's why I don't know what to do with Mendieta.


2 to 3 years does not make me want to put someone on an all time list.. this is where the caution part of it takes place.
That's not neccesarily true. Otherwise Zidane wouldn't be on any list. IT's what you do in your time at the top and how much above everyone else you are that would define how people remember you imo. Longevity simply pushes a player to higher place on an all-tome list, but for example 2yrs where you are collecting everything in sight and are stellar are more than enough to make a player memorable for the ages, imo. Sammer is another fine example and there are countless others like that who were at the very top for a brief perioed (realtive to a 15-20yr career) who will always be held in the highest regard.

[The Potter]

Shearer deserves a mention somewhere imo.

[El viejo Matias]

Ok good point and I would have to agree... I mean Redondo did not really shine for too long especially in his international career but he was simply stellar.... and yes Shearer does deserve mention.

[bojendyk]

The Brazilians are likely to end up with second-tier status simply because of the embarrassment of riches in that country. Fifteen years from now, Brazil will still be producing players as good as Ronaldo and Rivaldo. For a Brazilian to make the all-time hall of fame, he not only has to rise above the pack of his contemporaries; he also has to rise above the pack of other Brazilian greats.

Zidane has a lock, as does Kahn. Keane is a genius with an unglamorous role; the sad truth is that only soccer afficianados will remember him twenty years from now, as he hasn't scored enough goals from bicycle kicks.

Henry deserves a spot at least as much as Figo.

[El viejo Matias]

good points especially about Keano

[minorthreat]

If he keeps going the way he has been, by the time he retires (which quite possibly won't be for another 15 years) Iker Casillas will be remembered as Spain's greatest goalkeeper since Zamora.

[comme]

I'll leave the others for the time being but as much as I despise him, Judas deserves a place.

I was only thinking earlier today about whether he merits a place among the top 10 defenders of all time.

He has been sensational for over 10 years now, he has been in the squad of the tournament for 3 major competitions and has another 1 maybe 2 in front of him.

If you were looking for a partner to a Baresi or Scirea, you would do well to find anyone better. He only has 2 minor weaknesses: he isn't the best on the ball and he can be sucked out of position occasionally. Other than that he is perfect.

[Dark Savante]

Can I just ask what is the general consensus of Sol Campbell from the none British posters?

Like comme I would have no problems putting Campbell into the catergory of immense CB's. I've argued his case on the Manchester United boards against one of our own players a few times to point out Campbell is one of the best CB's Europe has ever seen, let alone England. His performances for England at majors since '98 are unbelievable. Campbell has always been one of the best defenders (and rated as such by regularly making teams of the tournament) of every major he's been involved in except Euro 2000.

Being English is it unfair of me to say his name does not carry the glamour it would do if he was Italian, or is Campbell as revered around the world as he is by anyone with sense from Britain?

[Sempre]

There's a bunch of players I don't really know what to do with. Namely:

Sol Campbell
Cannavaro
RVN
Buffon
Nedved
Mendieta ( I suppose his star has fallen)

I'm afraid Cannavaro's name will end up alongside those
of Burgnich or Oriali rather than Baresi or Bob Moore, in
the pantheon of great CBs.

Buffon, on the other hand, will retire as one of the three
or four truly great goal-keepers of the game. Supposing,
of course, he recovers fully from this shoulder injury. He
was great at 18 and may be even greater in his 30s. Just
imagine.

[Sempre]

Can I just ask what is the general consensus of Sol Campbell from the none British posters?

Actually I'm doubtful that Comme's post reflects the "British
consensus." They all seem to think Terry and Rio together is
the best first-choice . . . . At least I've read through many
threads where there was bitter debate over who should partner
Rio.

As for bias against Campbell--really? I'm quite certain lots
of Italian clubs wanted to buy him, and he is much admired
in Europe. If anything went against him it was lack of exposure
in the CL. Nowadays that seems to really bring a player into
the limelight.

[El viejo Matias]

I think Sol,,, thing is he is quiet in the way he goes about his bussiness and therefore garners little attention. Where would you put Stam?? Just curious.

[minorthreat]

If you were looking for a partner to a Baresi or Scirea, you would do well to find anyone better. He only has 2 minor weaknesses: he isn't the best on the ball and he can be sucked out of position occasionally. Other than that he is perfect.For those reasons alone I'd rate Desailly and Hierro above Campbell. But he's still undeniably world class.