Lionel Messi

[ACE2M]

He's still behind Mazzadona who pretty much single handedly won the world cup.

They are very similar though, can't wait for the world cup, true measure of greatness imo.

[pokerfan]

SSN are having this debate this morning, Messi,Roon,Ron. Season stats were Messi 34 games 30 goals - Rooney 39 games 34 goals - Ron 24 games 22 goals. On current form Messi is scoring a goal every 36 minutes !

[Longy]

It is likely that Messi won't reach the high expectations of him at the world cup imo. Having seen the mess the Argies were in qualifying he and the rest of the team didn't seem to have a clue what their role was etc.

Maradona obv trying to hold onto his spot as the greatest.

[gatso]

Messi scored 8 goals last week! 3 last Sunday, 2 on Wednesday and 3 again last night!

8 GOALS IN A WEEK FFS!!!

Move over Rooney, Ronaldo, maradonna, pele, the world!

that's just over one a day. I once saw carl leaburn score 3 in 90 minutes

weeeee all agreeeee, leaburn is better than messi

Rooney is not the best striker in the world i would have Torres and Drogba ahead of him.

give me rooney anytime over these 2.

this and it's not even close

[david3103]

Messi is almost certainly the best currently playing

best ever?

In no particular order, but all with a better claim to the title than Messi

George Best
Cruyff (Johann, not Jordi)
Zidane
Pele
Beckenbauer
Duncan Edwards - my dad's view, he saw him play.

[ACE2M]

Messi is almost certainly the best currently playing

best ever?

In no particular order, but all with a better claim to the title than Messi

George Best
Cruyff (Johann, not Jordi)
Zidane
Pele
Beckenbauer
Duncan Edwards - my dad's view, he saw him play.

strangely you missed out the greatest player of all time form your list.

[TheChipPrince]

Messi is almost certainly the best currently playing

best ever?

In no particular order, but all with a better claim to the title than Messi

George Best
Cruyff (Johann, not Jordi)
Zidane
Pele
Beckenbauer
Duncan Edwards - my dad's view, he saw him play.

strangely you missed out the greatest player of all time form your list.

Cherno Samba?   

[gatso]

ronaldo has to be in the mix (the brazilian one). people forget just how special he was

[pleno1]

Fat Ronaldo was abs incred. Also greasy Ronalso was ridic good last year.

[mondatoo]

ronaldo has to be in the mix (the brazilian one). people forget just how special he was

Lets just hope Messi doesn't suffer the same fate as Ronaldo,He was up there with the best strikers ever when he was in his prime.

[gatso]

What about Shearer?

[Josedinho]

Messi scored 8 goals last week! 3 last Sunday, 2 on Wednesday and 3 again last night!

8 GOALS IN A WEEK FFS!!!

Move over Rooney, Ronaldo, maradonna, pele, the world!

He's been in great form but i'm not having somebody include 2 Sundays in one week to make him sound better.

[david3103]

Messi is almost certainly the best currently playing

best ever?

In no particular order, but all with a better claim to the title than Messi

George Best
Cruyff (Johann, not Jordi)
Zidane
Pele
Beckenbauer
Duncan Edwards - my dad's view, he saw him play.

strangely you missed out the greatest player of all time form your list.

I doubt that it is possible to get a consensus view on who that might be but I'm aware that I missed quite a few serious contenders

All of these debates get skewed by an obsession with 'now'

lest we forget, let's add to the list for consideration of Greatest Footballer EVER..

di Stefano
Puskas
Stanley Matthews
Bobby Charlton
Ryan Giggs


I can provides statistical support for the last two, but would probably accept that their inclusion is contentious :-)

[Acidmouse]

John Charles...only British player to make it in Italy..A legend in Juve colours, voted their best foreign player ever.

Only player I am aware of that was frequently switched from forward to centre back during games, normally to hold the lead he had secured.

1948–1957 Leeds United 297 games (150) goals
1957–1962 Juve 150 games (93) goals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles

[sweet potata!]

John Charles...only British player to make it in Italy..A legend in Juve colours, voted their best foreign player ever.

Only player I am aware of that was frequently switched from forward to centre back during games, normally to hold the lead he had secured.

1948–1957 Leeds United 297 games (150) goals
1957–1962 Juve 150 games (93) goals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles

A really really old and knowledgable man i know swears by John Charles , he reckons he was the best player ever. Looking at his Wiki page he does look pretty incred!