The Ultimate Soccer Player to Walk the Earth

[bosterosoy]

In my opinion, any Pele, Maradonna, Van Basten would play second fiddle in a team with a leader, playmaker, midfield maestro like Di Stefano, Zidane, Netzer, Beckenbauer, even to a Roy Keane, an Effenberg, Gerrard or several more.

You make good points until you said this. Second fiddle to Di Stefano probably, but to Roy Kean?? Gerrard?? Are you kidding me??

You fail to realize that both Pele and Maradona were actually leaders and captains of teams that they have played at as well and were great playmakers.

[Tribune]

You make good points until you said this. Second fiddle to Di Stefano probably, but to Roy Kean?? Gerrard?? Are you kidding me??

You fail to realize that both Pele and Maradona were actually leaders and captains of teams that they have played at as well and were great playmakers.

Herewego's opinions are inaccurate. He is right in his praising of Franz, but what he fails to realize is that both Pele and Maradona had the same role - the orchestrators of their teams. Putting them in the same bracket as Van Basten, who was a classic number 9, is a huge error.

[FWS93]

It is starting to bug me how people are grading other players by how much they won and achieved. It means nothing. Like a player like David May, he got all the medals from Man Utds dominance in the late 90s including that of the treble, but that doesnt mean he's a better player than someone who wasn't as successful.

well sometimes you have to bring championships into account. look at Maradona, had Control, vision, moves, speed, brillian mind, etc. but his greatest feat was making a small team like Napoli a Winner, in short he made the entire team play above themselves.

a player like david may was just along for the ride, obviously nobody thinks he is a superstar

[Bertje]

Putting them in the same bracket as Van Basten, who was a classic number 9, is a huge error.

Depends on what you define as a classic number 9, because Van Basten was actually a very good playmaker. He just also banged in lots of goals.

[rihana]

Rivaldo !!! Anyone who has seen him in action know's why he is the ultimate soccer player to have ever lived maybe on the same par with maradona.

[bojinho]

Pele is much better than maradona, maradona was just a ball hog, pele was a playmaker. However, both oth them were like 5'5 and 5'6, they would get stuffed in todays game. no, the best player is RONALDO. not CR, the good one. he always puts the ball in the net, and I think that is a valuable skill to have. unlike maradona, he can set others up for goals as well as scoring himself. just my opinion

[bosterosoy]

However, both oth them were like 5'5 and 5'6, they would get stuffed in todays game.

this is absurd. The great thing about soccer is that unlike baseball, basketball or football, you don't have to be big or huge or really fast. You can find away to counter your weaknessses. A slower player can be intelligent and position himself well etc etc

So shorter players can't make it in today's game?? Is that what your saying?? That's ludicrous. Both Pele and maradona played in a game that was more physical. You should see some of the fouls they suffered, and they kept on playing. I could only imagine seeing C Ronaldo taking a foul like that or playing in the 60s where diving won't get you anywhere.

Romario is 5 ft 6
Roberto Carlos is 5 ft 6
Javier Saviola is 5 ft 6
Carlos Tevez is 5 ft 7
Lionel Messi is 5 ft 6
Makelel is 5 ft 7
Shawn Wright-Philips is 5 ft 5
Edgar Davids is 5 ft 7
Paul Scholes 5 ft 7
Luis Garcia is 5 ft 6

the list goes on
but i'm sure these players (who don't have the skill Maradona or Pele had) would be able to make it despite the lack of height while Pele and maradona wouldn't :rolleyes:

no, the best player is RONALDO. not CR, the good one. he always puts the ball in the net, and I think that is a valuable skill to have. unlike maradona, he can set others up for goals as well as scoring himself. just my opinion

Lol Ronaldo is a better playmaker than Maradona??? Are you kidding me?
I don't know where you go the fact that Maradona can't pass the ball, but let me tell you that it is way wrong. Maradona was a playmaker and your going to say that Ronaldo is a better one :confused::confused:

[lad1509]

IMO

1- Maradona

and far 2nd


2- Zeidan
3- Pele

[Tribune]

IMO

1- Maradona

and far 2nd


2- Zeidan
3- Pele


Dude, Zidane does not have a place even in a top 10 ever. See this thread to comprehend why :

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11416656#post11416656

[Pecho Frio]

SEEDORF or MALDINI

I'd say Seedorf though, he made it this far in a racist Europe.

And please let go of the childish Pele and Maradona stuff. It's rubbish.

+ World Cups are overrated. Any team which can beat 2 top teams (without second legs) can win this cup.

[lanman]

+ World Cups are overrated. Any team which can beat 2 top teams (without second legs) can win this cup.

So why have so few teams won it?

[bosterosoy]

Rivaldo !!! Anyone who has seen him in action know's why he is the ultimate soccer player to have ever lived maybe on the same par with maradona.

i saw him in action. He played for the european team i followed and did a good job riding the bench and making room for kaka :D

[Pecho Frio]

So why have so few teams won it?

1-Media attention
2-Politics
3-Quality and experience of top team players
4-Luck

Just think of Australia-Italy in 2006.. Brasil-Turkey in 2002.. Only counter-example cd be Korea-Spain. Still what I want to emphasize is that it is really stupid to say one team is best of the globe by winning 7 games where only 2-3 are against strong oppositions.

For ex. Turkey's opposition in 2002

Brazil
Costa Rica
China
Japan
Senegal
Brazil
Germany (wd play this match if beat Brazil)

: Turkey cd become world champions by winning against 2 top teams. Wd that make Turkey worlds best? make hasan sas the top winger ? NO.

I say it again; World Cups are overrated.

[Seaside Mafia]

who was the best soccer player to ever walk the earth?


my opinion PELE

John Charles - the best attacker and defender in the world at the same time.

[TKORL]

Pele is much better than maradona, maradona was just a ball hog, pele was a playmaker. However, both oth them were like 5'5 and 5'6, they would get stuffed in todays game. no, the best player is RONALDO. not CR, the good one. he always puts the ball in the net, and I think that is a valuable skill to have. unlike maradona, he can set others up for goals as well as scoring himself. just my opinion
Ball hog? If you're saying Maradona was a ball hog, then you have never seen him play. This post deserves no response.

Stop judging Maradona on just his dribbling videos.

[Seaside Mafia]

Rivaldo !!! Anyone who has seen him in action know's why he is the ultimate soccer player to have ever lived maybe on the same par with maradona.

He was truly a great player, but he also had a huge weakness in that sometimes if a ball connected with his leg it would cause an involuntary spasm of pain to shoot through his face, resulting in him collapsing. An obvious weakness for a football player and not one you could rely on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbIDlanGlm0

[Airjordan2000]

Im not gonna get in depth as to was the best soccer to ever walk the earth, i think you can make a case for both Pele and Maradona, they didnt play in the same era so its hard to compare them, but most people will agree that they are 1 and 2, you can flip and flop between the two.

I will however make a case for Lionel Messi as being the most talented player on earth right now, its really a delight to see him play and to think that hes only 19 years old just blows your mind. God willing, he avoids any serious injuries throughout his career will end up as one of the best 3 players ever to play.

He's a gifted scorer, passer, he dribbles past defenders faster than most players can w/o a ball. Its like his mind is going 200 mph, at just another speed than the rest of the players. He sees passes that others dont and can avoid tackles at will. Not to mention that he can dribble and score with both feet. There are certain skills that not even Maradona possesed, of course it is still very early on his career to put him anywhere near Diego, but it is gonna be special to see Lionel play during these next 10-15 years.

Once again, because he plays so agressive and dribbles the ball so much, he is at a great risk for injuries, so that will be a big key in his success. He could not be playing for a better team right now, Barcelona is loaded with players who are skillfull and who can keep up the rhythm that Messi imposes.

[TKORL]

Beautiful video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ACUzCCza8


Video of Maradona's passes.

[Seaside Mafia]

Beautiful video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ACUzCCza8


Video of Maradona's passes.

Interesting thing from that video was how few goals actually resulted from those 100 or so passes - 4. Kinda reinforces to me my view at the time that Argentina at that time really didn't have much beyond Maradona. He really was a special player.

[United Pumps]

SEEDORF or MALDINI

I'd say Seedorf though, he made it this far in a racist Europe.

And please let go of the childish Pele and Maradona stuff. It's rubbish.

+ World Cups are overrated. Any team which can beat 2 top teams (without second legs) can win this cup.
:/

On that basis Viv Anderson or Arthur Wharton are the best players ever for making it in a racist England so early on. Seedorf was probably the worst footballer mentioned in this thread (up until this post, obviously).

People who say Zidane is the best, or second or third best, are deluded. Fancy tricks don't make you the best player ever.