If we are talking about the best player in the world its has to be someone who has won something significant. Zidane instantly comes to mind. The list of accomplishments go on. But although he can still provide magic I think he is no longer at his best. Thats why I believe Gaucho Ronaldinho is the best player in the world. He has already won the world cup in 2002 an will more than likely add more to that list with club and country. In a league full offensive stars Ronaldinho shone the brightest. But some of us seem to want to talk about up and coming stars. Although Rooney's name needs to be brought up it shouldn't be given much consideration. He did play well in Euro 2004 but he couldn't do much with Everton not starting often as the team finished 4th from the bottom. Cristiano Ronaldo played well for Manchester United and Portugal but was not outstanding. Antonio Cassano and Alberto Gilardino are the next superstar strikers. In the most defensive league in the world Cassano scored 14 and was the only good player for italy in Euro 2004. Gilardino only finished second to Shevchenko despite being a bench player for the first half of the season. 23 goals the future he is. Thats way more than your boy Rooney. 22 years old baby. Lets not forget the best young player though, The Golden Boy Kaka'. This kid defied everyones expectations and was one of the best players in Serie A this season. He was an integral part of Milan's success last season. He scored clutch goals and provide perfect passes for Shevchenko. Look for him to be the focus of this conversation in 2 more years.
well, i voted zidane but i think we need more options than just those 4 guys, great though they all are.. zidane is undeniably a fantastic player and france would've been even more pathetic at euro2004 without him... (i'm a huge france fan, btw) but i think we all have to admit he is getting older and maybe tired?? i don't know. but one thing's for sure, france will never be the same when zidane leaves... p/s: henry kicks @$$ but i don't think a striker should be the best player in the world... although he's certainly the BEST STRIKER out there. he's so graceful he makes soccer look like ballet... (is that too poetic?? )
I think Rehhagel and Scolari were the two best players at Euro 2004. They even managed to outclass Kasparov and Fischer. To answer the question: I'm a huge ronaldinho fan. He put fire in Barcelona's footbal, and I can't wait to see how he will perform with star players as Deco, Larsson and Giuly in his team. I think that if you ask this question again next year, you will only need one name.
Zidane is by far the best player in the world Ronaldo and Henry are great finishers but finishers like those wouldn't be such great finishers with out great leaders and creative players like Zindane is, he might be getting old and when his time comes I believe that Ronaldhinio will be as great or even better then Zidane was.
It's a shame that Totti and Shevchenko aren't given as choices in the poll there aren't any defensive players either or an "other" option. After seeing Totti perform for Roma last season I believe he is the best player in the world, followed by Shevchenko. Totti's offensive game has no weakness; he not only has a great shot but he has a variety of shots, vision better than Jason Kidd, an unrivaled first touch, he delivers perfect crosses or any other type of pass imaginable, he routinely scores with his head, he beats players with his dribbling, takes powerful free-kicks, and if there's something else good offensive players do that I'm forgetting Totti does it as well. Ronaldo is the best goal scorer in the world but the topic is best player. Zidane is aging and Ronaldinho is still a few seasons away but Totti is in the prime of his career. I believe Henry to be a step down from all the players I've mentioned, I think he's overrated on these boards because he plays in England and therefore many bigsoccer posters have been more exposed to him than players in other leagues (especially players from Serie A who get no coverage on Fox Sports World).
I love Totti too, i think he is truly the best player in the world,but i think the only reason people from Italy don't respect him as much because he has done nothing Internationally for Italy. He always stinks at big tournaments...
When anyone would ask me who I thought was the best player in the world last year I would tell them Francesco Totti 100%. I beleive in the 2003/2004 season he was by far the best player in the world with Thierry Henry a close second. Totti was a treat to watch for Roma, not only did he score 20 goals and was 3rd in Serie A scoring but he controlled every game and was simpy magic. Too bad he did not follow his magical play for Italy in the Euro2004, maybe he would have but he only played one game until his suspension. Currently, I wouldn't really say that there is "the best player in the world" but I could tell you that Zidane, Totti, Nedved, Ronaldhino, Henry, and Buffon are currently the worlds best and I would probably rank Buffon as the most important. He is in a league of his own in terms of goaltending. Most people regard the best player as an offensive forward but in reality Buffon is in his own league in terms of goaltending and is probably the best "player" in the world in his respective postion. Agree?
Oh, c'mon Thierry Henry as best in the World? I know I'll get some flak for this, but to me he's the best player depending on the style of defence set up against him. I watch teams face him in the EPL, and it amazes me how "scared" they become when he has the ball at his feet. They give him so much space to do whatever he wants it seems. (except ManU & Chelsea) The goal he scored vs. Liverpool, look at the half hearted attempts by the defenders to stop him.....NOT EVEN A PLAY ON THE BALL! Thierry's only great when the match is being played at a Formula1 like pace. When the pace is slowed to a crawl this guy is invisible. See him vs. a organized defence like Greece, Chelsea over both legs in the CL, or vs. Valencia in the CL a few years ago and he's hardly noticed. Even after EURO2004 he complained how the defenders negated everything strikers like him and Raul did with their dull defensive style. A great player should be able to play well regardless of the defensively philosophy. Zidane doesn't have it in him any more because of age, to me Ronaldinho's year at Barca warranted him best in the world status. I know I'll hear about Totti, but Ronaldinho's a more proven international than Totti, and he doesn't spit either
There was an article in World Soccer Magazine saying that players from the EPL don't play well internationally because the EPL is too easy. Take for example Henry...great with Arsenal, horrible with France...Henry played best with France in the '98 world cup when he didn't play in the EPL but for Monaco. The article says players have to adapt to an easier style of play in the EPL, making the international game too hard...
Out of the four players my choice would have to be ronaldinho. Right now he seems to be at the top of his game and he is a pleasure to watch. I would never conisder henry the best simply because he hasnt done much with the national team as was evident in 2002. He was good in 98 but not to be considered the best. Both Zidane and Ronaldo WERE the best at some point but not today. Unfortunately for ronaldinho i dont think hes gonna be considered the best for too long. Watch out for Carlos Tevez from Argentina, he is the future of soccer.
Come on, you really believe this????? (why else would you quote it?) Why then did Chelsea reach the semi's of the CL, Arsenal the quarterfinals, why did France win all its matches before the European Championship (with a good Henry)? Why did they win the Euro 2000? The reason they don't perform well in tournaments is because these tournaments are at the end of a long and tiring season (they even play matches around the christmas period). If you say something like this, you suggest that the Greek competition and the Portugese are the best of Europe.
Sure Totti had a mediocre World Cup but he played well in the first two games and was never fully fit due to injuries sustained before the tournament. He ruined his chance to show the world his quality at Euro 2004 with the spitting incident. But it's not like he's never performed for the national team. People seem to ignore/forget the fact that Totti had a good Euro 2000, he scored two goals, converted a penalty in the shootout against Holland, and set up several goals including Delvecchio's against France in the Final. I think Bluedaddy is just bitter because Totti chipped Holland's keeper with his penalty...
Ronaldinho first Zidane second Ronaldo..he is not fit ..... Henry...overated...average player outside English football...
How the hell could Henry be a 'cut above the rest' according to some of u?? The best player in the World should be able to perform for club and country. Henry doesn't!!! If he is the best player.. why is it every time he plays for France Zidane shines and Henry's invisible?? Cause Henry is better, yeah right! Atleast be reasonable here. Henry shouldn't even be up there. Now Zidane is great, but Ronaldo gets my vote. The way he creates his goals never stops to amaze me! He is a true Champion. He won as much as Zidane but he's still younger so that should count for something. Besides, Madrid's slump started when Ronaldo got injured and not even the Mighty Zidane could do anything about it. He is irreplacable. No one has lighted a big stage such as Ronaldo has. When the game is tight.. I would want Ronaldo in my team, not Henry or any other. As for Ronaldinho, well I would say he is the most entertaining player out there right now, but still has some way to becoming the best! He has to match those achievements of Zidane and Ronaldo, or atleast some of them. But for God's sake don't compare useless one trick ponies such Cristiano Ronaldo to him, it's a disgrace!
you boys dont give henry enough credit, you can argue over whether or not he is the best but you cant deny how skilled he is.
my dog is skilled at eating, is he the best dog in the world? .......owait, I don't have a dog...j/k I agree with people here who say Henry is overrated, which he is. The guy couldn't score off a header from so many pretty crosses because he was "marked"; that in my opinion was just pathetic. It seems like he can't perform, when "Everything" is on the line. While he is still a good asset to any football club during a regular season, France shouldn't place all the hope on this guy; he is no Zidane. Ronadinlo is to soccer what "the ROCK" is to WWE (no I don't watch that junk, but I know who he is). He is very entertainning to watch, he sums up what brazilian attacking soccer is all about. He would still be a world class player even if he don't improve any in the future; tho he is again, no Zidane. Ronaldo is one scary cat forward; but he is either too busy eating cookies, or he is at home watching TV licking his wounds. This guy was the best at a time, but he is no longer THAT Ronaldo. Zidane is not Zidane anymore, today. But he is up there on the 2nd tier all time great behind the only 2 1st tier stars-Pele and Madonna. Zidane's name will ring in the future like Eric Cantonna, Beckanbauer (can't spell)..... It seems to me we are going through a "transition" of kings. I dont' see any "BEST" right now. ~out
ronaldihno is the best because his got the speed and he can do everything else(tricks, perfect passes, goals, headers), zidane is second because he can do everything(tricks, 110% accurate on all his passes, goals, headers ) but lost speed, ronaldo is got talent but his shape has killed his game and thierry is shockingly overrated like every other player in the premiership the guy sucks in the air, i never see him do no "roulettes" or "flip flaps" he jus got speed. I have watched him since he was on monaco and i dont think his in or will ever be in the zidane ronnie level. And as for totti i would rank him 4th then ballack 5th pobably one of the most underrated players in football the guy brought bayern laverkusen in the 2001 CL finals and pretty much did everthign for germany in the wc and euro along with kahn my list 1.ronaldihno 2 zidane 3 ronaldo 4 totti 5 ballack
So where was Henry in the 2002 World Cup when Zidane was injured? Didn't exactly carry France then. He didn't step it up against England in the group match of Euro 2004 either, Zidane was the only reason France won that game. And when has he ever had to carry his club team? Sure he's stepped it up in individual games and won it for Arsenal but he's never had to do it over a season, and he never has either and he surely hasn't done it for France. For comparison Ballack carried Germany to the World Cup final in 2002, and while not as spectacular as taking a team to the world cup final Totti was the only reason Roma was able to avoid relegation from the Serie A and finish 8th in the 02/03 season, after Totti returned from injury Roma moved up about 5 spots (to be fair Henry has never found himself in such a position playing for Arsenal, because he's always had great talent around him). To say Henry can carry a team and that nobody else mentioned in the poll or the thread can do it BS.