I'm surprised nobody mentioned either Marinho or Seninho. These were the guys I grew up watching, and the ones who gave me the signal that I would never make it in soccer. They were awesome; both of these guys were the T.J. Oshie of the North American Soccer League's shootout. They would go right in on the goalie, dribble around him, and score with ease. Of course, there are more technical players currently in the game thanks to the close control afforded them with the artificial materials and composites in the boots and the ball itself. Pele was also a very technical player, and so was Mia Hamm. Oh, and Ronaldinho has always been ridiculously skilled. Ever see that commercial when he's playing futsal as a preteen?
Maradona had way more tricks up his sleeve and effective ways to beat a player He was a master of close control dribbling and in his younger days he was also a world class athlete Zidane took the roulette move of him(and in fact Maradona was far better and more effective with it) Maradona could do it all from beating 5-6 players with the ball glued to his foot(something R9 could never do) to nutmegs,sombreros,elastico,rabonas etc There even things he could do with the ball that no other master technician could do(his position as the goat is contested by a few ie Pele,Messi,Cruyff,Di Stefano) but as far as being the most naturally talented player to grace the pitch there is simply no argument to be had here
The greatest talent in the history of football was Pele. Pele = (Zidane + Ronaldinho + Ronaldo Nazario + Cristiano Ronaldo + Romario)
The dribble of CR7 is unproductive, the dribble of Pele is very effective. Impossible to compare them. A simple example: Data Copa Libertadores + Intercontinental Cup in Finals = Pelé. Data Champions League + Club World Cup in Finals =Cristiano Ronaldo DRIBBLE GOAL AVERAGE Pele, 5 dribble goal / 6 games = 0.83 per game CR7, 0 dribble goal / 9 games = 0.00 per game PERCENTAGE OF GOALS DRIBBLING Pele, 10 goals, 5 dribble goal = 50.0% CR7, 8 goals, 0 dribble goal = 0.0% If we compare the goals and assists, Pele's advantage is abysmal. Taking the same endings: PLUS GOALS + ASSITS Pele, 6 games, 10 goals + 4 assists = 2.17 per game CR7, 9 games, 8 goals + 0 assists = 0.88 per game Cristiano Ronaldo only competes with Pelé in the shot, he is inferior in assists, passes, vision of game and dribble.
@PDG1978 i remembered you were a fan of il genio.this was put on YouTube recently and has a lot of good quality footage that even I hadn’t seen. how highly do you rate his close control technique.i think there’s a solid argument that he is #3 dribbler of the past 30 years only behind maradona and Messi. Even as AM I think he ranks very favourably especially compared to the greats.
Thanks mate - yeah, I'd noticed that one a while ago so didn't re-watch just now, but to answer: I think for close control technique (when he was fully fit and in 'sharp' form at least) he would be among the best and not inferior to Messi in that regard (and compared to Maradona? - not far behind at least probably). I actually saw more of him at AC Milan than Red Star (although did enjoy him and the team in general when I saw them at all during the 90-91 European Cup), and feasibly although his dribbling was still an asset (including at times down the right wing - on his 'wrong' side, although of course he could cut in too and did, but going down the outside perhaps he'd be better than the Argentine pair even and a bit more comfortable with it - also compared to Robben for example, as his right side was definitely useful enough too but just not as good as his left) I tend to think as a soloist going on dribbles he might have excelled at times more for Red Star in his comparative youth. I don't feel he was only an outright dribbler (though can understand comments from Jonathan Wilson arguing he was the best 'technical dribbler' and also think a similar claim about being an 'inventive dribbler' wouldn't seem silly, and he definitely could have a good rhythm too and was fairly quick) and on that alone I don't estimate him to be the best pure dribbler ever - I would put the likes of Best and Maradona ahead probably and others, including younger Messi most likely too. But it was a very useful facet of his game still. As you've said prime Savicevic to prime Baggio doesn't seem to me to be as one-sided as it might be retrospectively assumed to be; at Milan together Savicevic was better but to be fair Baggio struggled at that time for whatever reason.
I hope that is readable enough Carlito - sorry, I tried to get if finished and go and do something else! Anyway, yeah, in summary I think his best qualities included dribbling but also the general technical touch, smooth movement, ideas and vision. Areas he didn't excel as much as some would be I suppose finishing % (although he could at times, with the right opportunities and in top form, score with accuracy and efficiency), and the combative side (so he wouldn't be so great as a box to box player despite some qualities that might suit it).
Messi for sure the best I've seen in this department. I enjoy watching Piksi & Figo (at their physical best) the most though. Their dribbling is very 'smooth' don't know how else I'd describe it.
I realise now I forgot to answer the part about dribblers of the last 30 years. I think in the way you intended it, I might actually say no because of Ronaldo (R9), but given I'd at least have Savicevic as a candidate among a few reasonable possibilities for #4, and as you said 30 years, I could feel Maradona could actually be taken out (we're talking 88/89 onwards) and another of the candidates, Michael Laudrup, perhaps has a reduced case, and then maybe it can still be a yes! (feasibly, although the other Laudrup, Brian, and Ronaldinho, Figo too come to mind and I guess maybe I personally still lean away from choosing Dejan for this in the end, even if I could easily agree to it or see it that way myself depending on definition of dribbling - not that I think we should start debating that really lol!) In some respects Savicevic could be regarded as a better dribbler than R9, but I think the sheer capabilities to run through defences at times, as well as showing some nice varied skills and techniques while dribbling himself make me feel R9 ahead might be a fair call effectiveness wise (in his prime only obviously, but since he's younger than Maradona/Laudrup that's not an issue).
Vasilis Hatzipanagis i must confess to literally knowing close to nothing about this footballer From the little I have read he was in his time called the “Greek maradona” he looks to have been a marvellous dribbler closely resembling the style of maradona in his playing days for argentinos juniors and boca He played out his career in the obscurity of the Soviet supreme league and was a playmaker wearing the number 10 shirt A record of his that I stumbled across was that he scored from 6 direct corners in a single season Totally insane(scoring from corners like they were penalties) He was voted the best Greek player of the last 50 years with nobody even remotely comparable to him in natural talent(as a dribbler or playmaker) https://www.byfarthegreatestteam.com/posts/vasilis-hatzipanagis-greek-maradona/