Why Michel Platini Euro 1984 might be the single highest football peak of all time Right off the bat He won the tournament which was the first in his nations history. In terms of legacy that is always a huge bonus He was the captain and the leader. He scored a completely absurd amount of goals in such few games 9 goals in 5 games to be exact Those goals included back to back hattricks in the groupstage(one of those being a perfect hattrick) Scored two direct freekicks Scored in the SF and final Just purely as a finisher it was one of the most legendary displays of all time Whoever is interested in delving deeper into his finishing statistics can have a read through this link Euro 84 Revisited: Michel Platini's Demolition Job | Opta Analyst Now that is out of the way there is something even more mind boggling to me at least In Euro 1984 France completed 363 accurate passes per game Michel Platini completed 37.6 accurate passes per game Michel Platini was responsible for 10.3% of his teams total accurate passes That number might not mean a lot to some people but I just literally compared it to every single champions league top scorer since 2003/04(as far back as Sofascore goes) and Michel Platini is ahead of literally every single CL top scorer Even Lionel Messi ———————————- Barcelona CL 2011/12 719 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2011/12 70.3 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 9.7% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game —————————— Barcelona CL 2014/15 590 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2014/15 55.5 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 9.4% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game in the 2014/15 CL ————————————- Barcelona CL 2010/11 708 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2010/11 61 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 8.6% of Barcelonas total accurate passes in the 2010/11 CL ————————————- Barcelona CL 2018/19 596 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2018/19 50.1 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 8.4% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game in the 2018/19 CL ——————————— Monaco CL 2003/04 273 accurate passes per game Fernando morientes CL 2003/04 22.9 accurate passes per game Fernando morientes was responsible for 8.3% of Monacos accurate passes per game in the 2003/04 CL ———————————— Milan CL 2006/07 408 accurate passes per game Ricardo Kaka CL 2006/07 32.5 accurate passes per game Ricardo kaka was responsible for 7.9% of Milan’s accurate passes per game in the 2006/07 CL ———————————— Barcelona CL 2008/09 515 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2008/09 40.2 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 7.8% of Barcelona accurate passes per game in the 2008/09 CL ————————- Manchester United 2007/08 334.6 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo 2007/08 26 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for 7.77% of Manchester United’s accurate passes in the UCL campaign Barcelona CL 2009/10 616 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi CL 2009/10 47.9 accurate passes per game Lionel Messi was responsible for 7.77% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game in the 2009/10 CL ————————————- Real Madrid CL 2012/13 410.3 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2012/13 31 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for 7.5% of Real Madrids accurate passes per game in the 2012/13 UCL ————————————— Real Madrid CL 2021/22 497 accurate passes per game Karim Benzema CL 2021/22 35.2 accurate passes per game Karim Benzema was responsible for 7% of Real Madrids accurate passes in the 2021/22 CL —————————— Real Madrid 2013/14 471 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2013/14 30.5 accurate passes per game Cristiano was responsible for 6.4% of Real Madrids accurate passes per game in the 2013/14 CL —————————— Barcelona CL 2014/15 590 accurate passes per game Neymar Jr CL 2014/15 34.8 accurate passes per game Neymar was responsible for 5.8% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game in the 2014/15 CL ———————————— Real Madrid CL 2014/15 503 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2014/15 29.1 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for 5.7% of his teams accurate passes per game ———————————— Barcelona CL 2024/25 522 accurate passes per game Raphinia CL 2024/25 29.6 accurate passes per game Raphinia was responsible for 5.6% of Barcelonas accurate passes per game in the 2024/25 CL ————————————— Real Madrid CL 2015/16 537 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2015/16 28.6 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for 5.3% of his teams accurate passes per game ———————————— Real Madrid CL 2016/17 501 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2016/17 27.6 accurate passes per game Cristiano was responsible for 5.5% of his teams accurate passes per game in the 2016/17 CL ————————————— PSG CL 2023/24 534 accurate passes per game Kylian Mbappe CL 2023/24 25.8 accurate passes per game Kylian Mbappe was involved in 4.8% of PSGs accurate passes per game in the 2023/24 CL ————————————- Real Madrid CL 2017/18 528 accurate passes per game Cristiano Ronaldo CL 2017/18 24.2 accurate passes per game Cristiano was responsible for 4.5% of Real Madrid’s accurate passes in the 2017/18 CL ———————————————- AC Milan CL 2005/06 351 accurate passes per game Andriy Shevchenko CL 2004/05 13.8 accurate passes per game Andriy Shevchenko was responsible for 3.9% of Milan’s accurate passes per game in the 2005/06 CL ————— Manchester United CL 2004/05 353 accurate passes per game Ruud van nistelrooy CL 2004/05 12.7 accurate passes per game Ruud Van nistelrooy was responsible for 3.59% of Manchester United’s accurate passes per game in the 2004/05 CL —————————— Bayern Munich CL 2019/20 556 accurate passes per game Robert lewandowski 2019/20 19.5 accurate passes per game Robert lewandowski was responsible for 3.50% of Bayern Munichs accurate passes per game in the 2019/20 CL ———————————- Dortmund CL 2020/21 486 accurate passes per game Erling Haaland CL 2020/21 14.5 accurate passes per game Erling Haaland was responsible for 2.9% of his team accurate passes per game ——————— Bayern Munich CL 2023/24 496 accurate passes per game Harry Kane CL 2023/24 12.6 accurate passes per game Harry Kane was responsible for 2.5% of Bayern Munich’s accurate passes per game in the 2023/24 CL ————————————- Manchester City CL 2022/23 569 accurate passes per game Erling Haaland CL 2022/23 8.3 accurate passes per game Erling Haaland was responsible for 1.4% of Manchester City’s accurate passes per game in the 2022/23 CL Michel Platini 1984 is even ahead of Diego Maradona too Argentina in World Cup 1986 305 accurate passes per game Diego Maradona WC 1986 29.9 accurate passes per game Diego Maradona was responsible for 9.8% of his teams accurate When you start subtracting the illegal goals Maradona 86 is not even half as prolific in front of goal as Platini 84 He blows Marco Van Basten completely out of the water in this regard(it’s not close at all) Johan Cruyff is marginally ahead of Platini in terms of his involvement in the distribution of his teams accurate passes(10.7% vs 10.3%) Yet Platini in Euro 84 scored 3x as many goals as Cruyff in WC 1974 Michel Platinis Euro 1984 was like a glitch in the matrix The midfielder who scored on par with the absolute greatest goalscorers in history Only problem for me is 5 games is such an incredibly small sample size Then again so is 7 games
Zico was the king of serie A in 83/84, an opinion that was nearly unanimous among pundits and fans. That was perhaps the brightest single season ever seen in Italy.
Although Platini did win this vote.... https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/s...-player-ratings.2085771/page-21#post-37001881
I did happen to notice this, by Graeme Souness who always tends to name Zico actually when mentioning best players he met - '10 best midfielders' he faced in his career selected including both Zico and Platini, as well as Bremner, Giles, Ball, Brady, Hoddle, Robson, Tigana and Breitner: Graeme Souness Named the 10 Best Midfielders He Ever Faced - Included 2 Leeds Legends Maybe you can be sure it is Zico (I'm thinking it is) at the end assisting De Agostini very nicely in this Udinese-Sampdoria Coppa Italia game @Frank73 Probably the most significant game Zico played against Souness would be the 1981 Intercontinental Cup game (even if Liverpool seemed to take it less serious maybe for some reason, in terms of preparation etc), although he played, and scored with a free-kick vs Scotland in the 1982 WC of course too. As it's the Platini thread, good to add his outside the box half-volley goal vs Sampdoria in 1984/85 in the game Souness played in and scored the equaliser (also from outside the box) too I think:
Btw, for clarification, I guess he didn't include Maradona as midfielder (or Junior, even though that was his position for Torino wasn't it mainly?) as he names them here among his choice for best 5 players played with or against (with Platini indeed, and Zico, plus Dalglish of Liverpool and Scotland): Sportsvibe Dream Teams - Graeme Souness' Top Five Players Interesting piece talking about theoretically partnering Hoddle that I spotted here though too (he does bracket him among greats of the game he says too): Souness relishing Final clash with Hoddle | London Evening Standard | The Standard Hoddle himself did place Platini as 6th 'number 10' in his countdown he did quite a while ago btw (Zico as 8th) BBC Radio 5 Live - Glenn Hoddle's Top 10 Number 10s, The Top 10 - Zico
Souness got to be quite shocked by the quality of Brazilian selecao at WC 82. Asked about the all time best XI based on his personal experience, he recited the formation of that team nearly completely. And very likely he thought (and still thinks) that Zico is the best number 10 he faced. De Agostini as well (the receiver of Zico' assist in the footage you posted) once said that Galinho is the most talented player he has met on the pitch in his entire career.
Platini was the most successful player in the world that year, but consensus was for Zico as the most skilled player.
Michel Platini - Euro 1984Greatest Euro Campaign Ever👑pic.twitter.com/PtNvJxaiIa— jf1 (@jf1_szn) July 8, 2025
Jokes aside everyone knows Pelé is by far and away the best #10 of all times. He defined the #10 role and were the most successful and dominant one
Good video yes, Michel Platini 9 Matches 7 Goals 1 Assist (Opta ) to Boniek .. 2 Assists (Non-Opta ).... against Bordeaux ..h-g and ...Grasshopper a-g
..... .. ...... Go to directly at video ... 7 : 30 minutes .... in the second half from this Match ... in Semi-Finals ...European Champions Cup 1982/1983 season .....against Lodz .. Michel Platini gave one of the best first touch skills of all time ,,,,.. great Big chances created at all .. But ..Roberto Bettega managed to spoil Platini's great Pass move then ! didn't shoot correctly or cross correctly to Paolo Rossi
... i have one suggestion from videos for you to do this ..as soon as possible ,, value ..for All the players that you like too .. Michel Platini - Matches in European Cups ..... .. https://www.rsssf.org/players/platini-in-ec.html for sure you'll find that much Of golden hahaha "!
yes ...even against Lionel Messi ..... Pelé wins yet .....easily ... But you ... Rating ... Pelé very that much Lower .. in Dribbling skills and in Play-Making actions . "! .. The only fact that really takes Pelé off the throne of the Greatest in World Football... is the fact that happening a Final between Argentina and Portugal will take place in the next 2026 World Cup... so really Pelé's leg can really roast. Outside of this scenario, I don't see any possibility of Messi and C.Ronaldo really surpassing him on the Field .
on Platini videos ... you can do this ... to find the images with good quality videos .... at Ina.Fr ... or Dailymotion... by Michika ...videos ... since Saint Etienne .. etc..etc..
Probably, the most underrated historical player. I guess the lack of flash and his later escapades with UEFA limited the possibility of his legacy catching on with the new generation. Brilliant, brilliant player. Top 10 undoubtably for me