The best soccer player of all time according to the greatest legends of the sport

It's something that is bound to go down. Since the end of the Laporta era their 'La Masia' production (or integration into the first team) has faltered. You can see it's an issue in the way Iniesta and Busquets have to compensate for Xavi his retirement; both have taken over some of the Xavi tasks by which the 'edge' continues. With new cash in 2014 they have given it a new lease of life by signing Sevilla star Rakitic (who has great dynamism and energy too), Neymar, Suarez etc. Possibly Pedro and Alexis would have scored more too with this new approach and support behind the wide forwards.

Imho one of the main problems is that Maradona and Cruijff their primes are associated when they were not at their fastest any more (at least not consistently or at all dimensions). Messi kind of is.

 

Napoli was indeed a "Goliath" at the time: enough to say that their direttore sportivo was the already infamous Luciano Moggi. When they won the UEFA Cup in 1988/89 it was surely a masteripece of Mr Moggi, just like three years later when he was at Torino and was involved in a referee/escort scandal.

 

Part 2

Gary Lineker - "Messi is indisputably the greatest player ever to don a pair of football boots. Don't even attempt to argue the point."
Adriano Galliani - "Messi is the best player ever. And this is said by someone who has seen Maradona and Pele play."
Luis Suarez Miramontes (Ballon d'Or 1960) - "There has never been a fast, skillful, technical player who also scores so many goals. Until Messi. He has it all."
Enrique Orizaola (ex-coach, 90 years of age) - "Messi is the best player I've ever seen, better than Maradona."
Jose Luis Chilavert - "Messi is the best, he is better than Maradona."
Michel - "Is Messi better than Maradona? For me yes. I've played against Maradona and I can say that what I have seen Messi, I have not seen done by anyone since I'm in the football world and now I am getting closer to fifty years"
Arsene Wenger - Who's the best player of all-time? "Lionel Messi."
David Villa - ”I haven’t seen anything like him on a football pitch. Look, there were many brilliant players throughout history, but with all respect to the opinions of other people, no one is even close to Leo.”
Gerry Armstrong - "I know what it's like to score against Barcelona, but end up losing 4-1. My first goal in Spanish league was against Barcelona. Unfortunately a certain Diego Maradona was in the side for Barcelona and he just took control and they beat us 4-1. Look at this little man (Messi), well, I think he's better than Maradona, I think he better than anybody I've ever seen."
Ray Hudson - On Messi. "Greatest football player I've ever seen, and certainly one of the most fabulous footballers in the history of the game, in my opinion, the greatest ever."
Rudi Voller - "Messi is now in the same league as Pele and Maradona”
Peter Schmeichel - "I've played against some of the greatest, including Maradona, but Messi might be the best I've ever seen."
Ronald de Boer - "To talk about Messi, people should stand up. Best ever? From all those I saw, yes."
Marco Reus - "Who's the best player ever? Lionel Messi."
David Silva - "For me, Messi is the best player of all times."
John Terry - "And, quite clearly for me, Messi is the best ever."
Michael Owen - "Best player of all time? 1. Messi 2. Ronaldo 3. Maradona"
Frank Lampard - "For Me he's the best player in the world, and probably of all-time."
Ivan Rakitic - "Leo is not only the best player in the world now but the best player in the history of football."
Juan Laporta - “Messi is the best player in the world and the best in the history of football."
Rene Maulensteen - "I see Messi as the best player of all-time."
Pablo Aimar - "For several years, I thought there would not be another player like Maradona. And now I see that Messi is on a par him with and with the best of all time."
Cassano - "Messi is best player in history."
Domenico Criscito - "Messi is alien of football! An extraordinary player.. The best of all times!"
Gary Neville - "Messi, greatest player of modern times and arguably all-time."
Albert Luque - "Messi is the best player in history."
Miku - "Messi is the best player in history."

That Gerry Armstrong quote is still favorite of mine, it came in this match (1-4).

 

Yeah, that was ridiculous question. Some of the players Maradona were playing with, copied from PuckVanHeel:

Nery Pumpido: Argentine league winner, Copa Libertadores, Intercontinental Cup (all in 1986)
Oscar Ruggeri: Argentine league winner, Copa Libertadores, Intercontinental Cup (all in 1986)
Hector Enrique: Argentine league winner, Copa Libertadores, Intercontinental Cup (all in 1986)
Burruchaga: 2nd in French league, foreign player of the year (all in 1986), (CA83 Golden Boot without Maradona)
Valdano: 1st in Spanish league, UEFA Cup winner, foreign player of the year (all in 1986)

You could argue that Maradona had a lot more and better players in their peak to play with, only Di Maria was in peak condition for Messi, but he got injured for the 2 and half games at the most important time.

Shots per Goals (Goals)

Argentina 14

5.8 (4) Messi
15 (1) Higuain
24 (1) Di Maria

(1) Rojo

Argentina 86

4.4 (5) Maradona
4.5 (4) Valdano
5.5 (2) Burruchaga

(1) Brown, Pasculli, Ruggeri

Brazil 94

6.6 (5) Romario
6.7 (3) Bebeto

(1) Santos, Branco, Rai

Messi, Maradona and Romario all the best scorers of the teams, however Maradona had two better scorer team mates and Romario one than Messi. And where's Valdano and Burrughaca scored in the final, Higuain and Palazio didn't convert their chance's. In relation Messi was the best scorer of the three.

Chances created (OPTA)

Argentina 14

23 Messi
11 Di Maria

Argentina 86

27 Maradona
15 Burruchaga

Brazil 94

18 Bebeto
13 Zinho
10 Dunga
9 Jorginho (DF)
8 Romario

Messi and Maradona creating for others in the same relation, Romario just needed to wait for his chance's and didn't really create for others.

Players dribbled (OPTA)

Argentina 14

46 Messi
25 Di Maria
10 Lavezzi
...

Argentina 86

53 Maradona
13 Valdano
11 Burruchaga
...

Brazil 94

25 Romario
18 Zinho
16 Dunga
14 Silva
14 Dunga
12 Bebeto
...

Maradona and Messi advanced the game individually clearly the most of the team, and Romario again falls behind in relation. Messi and Maradona also defended with 11 tackles, Romario didn't and had only 1 succesful tackle.

So it's pretty clear that Romario had the best team and he had the most help, Maradona also had more help than Messi. Individually and statistically Maradona and Messi are almost a match relatively, and when you watch their performance's match by match basis, it's again match. They just performed in different games, Messi was better than Maradona in first 4 matches, Maradona was better in QF and SF, the final being somewhat even.

 

^ Sorry, wrong thread.

 

Yes, one has to admit Moggi, Ferlaino and FIFA vice-president Grondona did terrific jobs throughout the years. Argentinos Juniors, despite a team with less coverage and smaller crowds, is sometimes also made poorer than it was. At the bottom in the post here:
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads...do-as-best-ever.2016490/page-83#post-32028362
The whole 'small teams', 'powerless South vs gigantic Italian North' thing is at least overblown vis-a-vis other remarkable legends throughout history.

 

Argentinos Jrs is a small team in Argentina by any measure, there are at least ten clubs of bigger stature and wealth: River Plate, Boca Juniors, Independiente, Estudiantes de La Plata, San Lorenzo, Newell's Old Boys, Racing, Velez Sarsfield, Rosario Central, Huracan and Gimnasia y Esgrima. However, AJ happens to be good at developing great players who then move on to bigger teams.

 

As clarification: historical standing (100 years of football) shouldn't be conflated with situation around that time and shortly before/after (including successes). That was made clear I think in the link.

 

The latest La Masia generation is certainly not quite as great as the absurdly good couple generations before it. But it's actually still pretty decent. Remember, Sergi Roberto is playing fantastically this year. It has been a bit of a surprising transformation, so perhaps it's temporary. But if he keeps his current level, he'll be a star; he has honestly been one of Barca's best players this season. Rafinha has been injured this year, but he played quite well at the beginning of the season, and I believe he will be good enough to be a starter for Barca (i.e. a really good player). That same La Masia generation also produced Thiago Alcantara, though they stupidly let him go. We're not talking about the same crazy level of quality that came out of a few successive La Masia generations, but it's still really nice for a generation of your academy to produce 2 or 3 starter quality players.

 

Argentinos Juniors would have been relegated the year before Maradona's debut but the league somehow did not relegate teams that year.

 

The one that won them the title in 1990:
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/verona-vs-milan-1990-who-was-the-ref.545369/
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads...-fraud-in-serie-a.347898/page-16#post-8418163

 

Lampard made an update

Frank Lampard - "I grew up with Maradona, he was my favourite player, but for me, Messi is the best, not just of this era, but of every era."

 

January 2016

Justo Tejada (teammate Di Stefano) - "Messi is from another galaxy. He does more difficult things than Di Stefano, Pele or Maradona."
Steven Gerrard - "Messi, the best ever? I think so."
Steven Jovetic - "Messi is the best in the history of the game. First is Messi, then come all the others. He's an inspiration for me."
Thiago Alcantara - "Greatest player of all time? For me, no doubt: Lionel Messi. We have the pleasure to enjoy today the best ever."
David Lomban - "Toughest I've marked? Messi. No one has his reaction time. He decides at the last moment. Best I've ever seen."
James Wilson - "Messi, greatest of all time."
Llorente - "Messi is exceptional. I think he's the best player of all time. He does different things."
Cassano - "Messi is the number one, and there's no number two. Then you might have a number three, four... And I'm talking about history! Youth idol? Maradona. But now there's only one player for me. Barça's number 10. Period."

 

Which ones of these quotes is from a legend?

 

Gerrard.

 

I don't understand why this is important?

 

Wow, just read the thread title. Sorry Pip

 

I've reported you for spamming the thread.

 

"Guardiola: Messi
Zagallo: Pele
Menotti: Pele
Wenger: Messi"
That is Funny!

 

That's the thread I was looking for...it was on page 1...
Anyway.

Sandor Kocsis on Pelé :

For Sandor Kocsis, the Hungarian international of FC Barcelona, there is no doubt : "after 15 years of football, the best player I have ever saw, he said, is the Brazilian Pelé. He is two times stronger than Puskas and yet the latter has always astonished me by the implausible number of things that he could do".

Source : Football Magazine n°44 (mensual supplement of France Football), September 1963. France Foot' source : ?

Voilà, that's all. For now. I'll try to find again one stuff on Rivera.

 

Antonio Pizzi (coach Chile CA16) - "Lionel Messi is the best player of all-time."

 

To me the greatest footballer if we remove the longevity of peak will always be Luis Ronaldo. Quite simply before his injury was just astounding. He was the perfect footballer. So strong, fast and skilful.

 

'This was the best thing that happened last night. The best player of all times, Ronaldo. The Phenomenon.'

Ibrahimovic after posting a photo with Ronaldo on his IG.