Messi is plausible. Portugese Ronaldo? Fuck off.
1 Like
So Portuguese Ronaldo,
Record scorer international football and champions league, won the champions league 5 teams, Ballon d’or 4 times, international honours as well and he isn’t the one of the best?
Righto.
I get it - United - but fucking hell.
3 Likes
Its a good thing that Newcastle are shit,
otherwise i might be worried by Man Utd.
1 Like
Not sure Ronaldo can ever be called the best footballer in the world…
IMO he can’t even be called the best no.7 to have ever graced the Utd shirt…
That honour most definitely goes to George Best… the fifth Beatle.!
2 Likes
That opens up a whole different debate.
My opinion is that football has improved now compared to 20 years ago, 20 years before that and so on and so forth.
Therefore the better players today are better than the best players for past eras.
In the same way I’d expect the best players in 20 years time to be better than now.
Messi and Ronaldo aside because they have just been out on their own and quite frankly - ridiculous
As I said somewhere in the middle.
1 Like
Greatest ever? Not a chance. Not top 2. Maradona and Brazilian Ronaldo for me. Then you have the likes of Baggio, Messi, Van Basten, Gullit, Kevin, Cruyff, Zidane, Ronaldo in the next bracket.
What sets Diego apart from the rest for me is what he did with Argentina at 2 World Cups and at Napoli. Napoli for Christ sake. He’s a footballing God.
1 Like
Messi and Ronaldo can shove their Ballon D‘Ors (it’s an popularity award by the way) in each other’s asses.
Maybe they are two of the best attackers ever but they never won the World Cup.
Pelé has won THREE World Cups. Let that one sink in.
And who said that ‚the best footballer ever‘ has to be an attacker? There are defenders, goalkeepers and midfielders who won CL, Euros and World Cups.
‘Goals win you games but defences win you silverware’
So maybe the best footballer ever could be a CB!?
1 Like
Was thinking similar but about cms, eg Souness, Keane and Vieria. Then of course you have Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso, Rijkaard, Dunga, Deschamps, Desailly etc.
Think Pele was part of an extraordinary team that probably would have won the wc without him. That’s one of the big things that sets Maradona apart.
I deleted you post as you made a statement of fact.
There is a difference between saying, I believe he did XYZ, or he is an alleged of XYZ. Compared to he is a XYZ.
It perhaps does not hold consequences where you live (not sure your location) but my understanding of the UK it is defamatory if it causes serious harm to reputation.
That’s why we can say Ronaldo is a dick, because it’s clearly an opinion and he suffers no serious damage to his reputation 
I would feel confident that a judge would also uphold that he is a dick, and he can’t sue anyone who calls him a dick.
That different to stating he performed a criminal act. One he would argue damages his brand. Do I believe Ronaldo is enough of a dick to do that ? Yes, yes I do.
5 Likes
Aye fair dues.
Is the improvement down to improved diet, conditions of the pitch, and the rules of the game (fouling)
if Ronaldo was playing in the same conditions and rules as Pele, would he be as good?
1 Like
Ballons d’Or
3 Likes
It doesn’t really matter if they could have cut it at that time because we can only judge each in their own era
Best was the best, or amongst the best of his era.
My opinion is that this era is better than any other.
Diet, sports science etc has part to play, but as I said Ronaldo and Messi and just fucking ridiculous.
Where as I agree with you but attackers are always given more kudos than any other position.
It goes with the territory.
My problem with the term GOAT is that we are comparing players from different eras playing on different surfaces with different equipment. GOAT Greatest Of All Time. AT ALL TIME. Is time going to stop tomorrow? Who knows what will happen in the future? A player or two or more may appear who makes Ronaldo and Messi look like Lee Cattermole.
There are too many variables. Could CR7 0or Messi have done it in the 20s or 30s without having sports nutritionist styling their diets from an early age, on a mud bath with a case ball? Would Puskas or Di Stefano cut it today?
I really dislike the term GOAT. Let’s just say that Messi and CR7 are exceptional players, but in this generation. 
3 Likes
100% agree.
It is ridiculous to say that they aren’t the best players of the last 30 years though (which I would sort of count this era to be)
People hate Ronaldo (trust me I do to) because of his United links - but fuck me - what a talent. I’m
Not afraid to admit it just because he wears Uniteds crest
On a side so good that it won with him barely playing in 62.
It’s just such a warped way to judge the greatness of a single player. We’re separating Deigo from Messi on the basis of Valdano finishing his opportunity where Higuain fluffed his lines over again.
5 Likes
Much more separates them than that. What Napoli achieved because of Maradona is ridiculous. You’ll never see a player of his profile go to a club like Napoli whilst in their prime and turning them into the best team in Italy. It would be like Mbappe moving to villa!
3 Likes