Ronaldinho in his prime, has there ever been a better player in technique?

What the...

There have been about 25 players with peaks higher than Ronaldinho's peak in both technique and performance in world soccer history.

 

Roberto Rivelino
Zico
Ronaldo Fenomeno
Rivaldo
Pele
Maradona
Cueto
and many more...

 

Reeling off a bunch of names in a thread like this is pointless. Proof by examples or clips would far better serve.

Ronaldinho's technique in and of itself at his prime was insane. It's not readily obliterated by anyone, even if it is possibly bettered by some.

You could put his showreel up against anyone else and it'd be arguable who'd come out on top.

For me, the handful I'd say had better technique outright would be: Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Zico and then it's up in the air. I've seen all 4 of those do things with a ball that Ronaldinho couldn't/didn't, but after that, it's a toss up, imo, or at least, from what I've seen from true greats all the way down to middling players with great tricks and skills.

Still, things like this, couldn't be made without reason:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyuUcfiUVTU"]YouTube- maradona vs. ronaldinho[/ame]

 

I think Pele, Maradona, Mathews, Finney, Giggs* comfortably were better than Ronnie at his peak.

These guys, I rank on a similar level at their peaks:

Baggio, Le Tissier, Rivaldo, Gazza, Cassano, Bergkamp, Best

Like Ronnie, they had this ability to produce a moment or a passage of play that brought you joy and wonder at the same time. They weren't identical to him, in terms of flair, but they had that drama, that presence. They had panache.


* during his peak, Italian football was at the summit and their giants were routinely laid prostrate at his feet.

 

Overall, he is several levels below many all-timers, but at his prime, he was really amazing and deserves a mention whenever we are talking about football technique. In my life, I've rarely seen others do with the ball what this man could showed us. For instance, I never seen another player passing the ball literally with his back. But other than that (sheer skills, tricks, technique), he doesn't belong in the most elite pantheon of greats.

This man had the chance and privilege to participate in almost every major international men's tournament (something which the great majority of past players didn't have), yet he never leaved the impression as ''the one''.

There were many players in history who were as good as him, or even better, yet the unfortunate difference is that they never received the same amount of hype and ass kissing as this guy did. During his peak, listening all the media hyping him up and naming him as the ''third king'' was for me really tiresome and annoying.

As for the El Clasico from 2005, it was indeed Ronaldinho's best performance, but every all-timer has something similar in their CVs. Perhaps not as mesmerizing, but with similar quality yes.

 

The bold part is true, but from what I've seen, I would say that the viceversa is correct as well, although not on the same amount. See above, I haven't seen any of those players passing the ball with their back, something which Ronaldinho has done.

But still, overall, Ronaldinho is no Maradona or Pele at doing such things. For instance, one of Maradona's favorite moves was to receive the ball from a throw in near the corner with his back turned to one or two defenders at one time and suddenly he would lift the ball using both feet to juggle it while going past them and then immediately crossing into the box. In those situations, defenders couldn't do nothing to him, because he would shield the ball so well that he was able to keep it in the air while going past them with the ball never touching the ground. I'm sure you have seen many times this kind of move. Something similar was done by Platini as well against Belgium in 1984 (just not with the chest, but using the sole of his foot).

I also recall Maradona dribbling several Fiorentina defenders near their box using just his head. The ball was glued to his head. I also heard he has done such things several times at Argentinos Juniors.

There is also a move against Chile, when he received the ball with his back towards a defender and he controlled it with his chest, but at the same time he lifted the ball over the same defender using the chest, then he went around and controlled it without the ball touching the ground. The defender didn't know what exactly happened at that moment. You can see this move in the following video (minute 5:54):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ACUzCCza8"]YouTube- Maradona passing[/ame]

Those things are examples of tricks/skills I never seen Ronaldinho doing.

 

I find that these types of topics are all down to personal opinion and preference.

Certainly Ronaldinho was blessed with wonderful technique. But then again, so were Bergkamp, Baggio and Stoitchkov. Kaka has a wonderful technique as well. And then there are players like Maradona, Zico, Revelinho, Cruyff etc. Rivaldo had an awkward type of gait when he ran, but there's no denying his technique, nor that of Ronaldo (Brazilian).

 

I can understand why you would think that Giggs was a better overall player than Ronaldinho during their respective peaks, I would still disagree, but Giggs was stunning at his best. However, surely in terms of pure technique Ronaldinho destroys Giggs. Giggs main assest was his wobbly hips, balance and burst of pace. He had superb technique too, but not at a level of 2005 Ronaldinho. IF you were to pick a modern United player, I'm suprised you didn't pick Scholes.

 

Scholes ability to control and manipulate the ball goes beyond comparison. I can't fairly (objectively) compare him to anyone (other than Xavi) because he's so consistent there is no drop off or peak with that. BUT, his technique is subtle and not invasive. Giggs' in his prime could tear every defence in the world apart starting from his own half. If we are talking about ability on the ball - then Giggs, I agree that passing and control wise Scholes is phenomenal, but I don't think of Ronnie in that manner. I don't think Ronnie (even at his peak) approaches Scholes in the ability to put a ball within a millimeter of where he intends it.

But breaking down a defence with dribbling and movement/interplay? That is Giggs' realm and I think that too was where Ronaldinho excelled. At his peak, he was not a great passer. He was a very good passer who could amazing things with the ball. The same way the earth trembled before Ronaldinho when he was on the ball at his peak, the world trembled for Giggs. Giants of the game were actively afraid of facing him. I don't think any player since then has had more teams devise ways to slow/stop him than Giggs.

 

Ronaldinho has a bunch of neat tricks in his bag but there are a handful of Dutch players alone with better technique.

 

In terms of actually using his technique to his advantage, in game situations, Ronaldinho surely has to be one of the best. It's all very well having a fantastic skill set but if you can't actually use it when it matters most then really it's pointless. The most significant part of Ronaldinho's game at Barce was that he could, and often did, use his technique to essentially single handidly turn games in their favour. Not many players in history could or have done that.

 

Yes, Cesar Cueto was that good!

 

It's difficult to say that, but... it's probably true.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNNqgKOuxTY"]YouTube- Cesar Cueto[/ame]

 

In the 80's Peru played France at the Parc des Princes in Paris and defeated the French team by a score of 1-0. Cesar Cueto, gave Michel Platini and the rest of the French a bloody football lesson.

 

I know, in terms of technique Cueto was surely at that level. What is me difficult to understand is why he don't have a world impact in many rankings I've revised.

Among us, I consider him one of the most talented players ever, like a combination of the flexibility of Ronaldinho and the elegance of Zidane.

 

1975 Copa America winner and played in 2 World Cups. Unfortunately, Peru didn't do so well in those cups. Cueto is one of the most underrated LEGENDS, ever! Falcao, Socrates, Eder, Ademir Da Guia, etc. (all of these guys got overrated) because of their Brazilian Nationality. Cueto was more talented and better than the aforementioned! In addition, I also rank Cueto higher than Bocchini!

 

In term of "pure talent" or techniques per se ... the followings are:

1- Definitely better than Ronaldinho (even in his peak):
Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Cruijff, Rivelino, Zico, Ronaldo.

2- Arguably more or less same with littlle difference (at peak time)
Zizinho, Didi, Puskas, Eusebio, G.Best, Platini, and "arguably" ...Kopa, Baggio, Rivaldo, Zidane

3- Same level, but a bit less Flashy than Ronnie in "absolute peak" :
Mathews, Tostao, Jairzinho, Socrates, Van Basten, Romario, Laudrup, Kubala,

4- Lower but could have Catching up with Ronnie's peak:
Boniek, Savicevic, Cubillas, Hassler, Rumennigge, Falcao, Gullit, Hagi , Stoitchkov, ... and lately ...Kaka, Messi and C.Ronaldo

 

Ronnie did some crazy shit, that's for sure.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBQ8woVvc4w"]YouTube- Por que Dunga não deixa Ronaldinho ser titular[/ame]

That's one move that just gives me the chills, absolutely unbelievable that he pulled that off in a real game.

 

To answer the question of the thread..............NO!

The best player in the history of football.

Consider that The current wto player always considered as the best players oin the world today Messi and Ronaldo have never done what Ronaldo has been able to do better.

He dribbles better than Messi ,he passes , Dribbles and takes free kicks better than Ronaldo.
Those two modeled their game after him and they are a poor copy of a player you will never see again in your life time.

 

Prime Ronaldinho is not half the player RIVALDO was
and prime Ronaldinho wasn't half as good as prime O FENOMENO RONALDO!