Messi

More likely Phil Neville would be the one taking orders from Messi, not the other way around. Big-name players have way too much power in the US, even more than they have in Europe.

Messi has nothing to prove in Europe. Miami is a popular destination for many US athletes. The weather is shiny pretty much all year round, plus Florida is one of the few US states which has zero income tax. Chances are his family will love it there. It's basically as if living all year long in Ibiza or something. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.

 

We'll never see anything like it again..

A joy..

 

As McChiellini has just said, we have never and will never see anything like this again.

The greatest player the world has ever seen and there’s not a player, past or present, who gets * close.

The * GOAT

 

Full agreement here. Quite simply the best player of all time and will never be equalled. Genius is the word.

 

For pure entertainment, him and Ronaldinho are 1 and 2 for me. Seen it tonight when he made his run and went past a few before it got put out for a corner, he just had a smile on his face. Ronaldinho was exactly the same, always smiling and laughing. Both just so easy on the eye to watch.

 

Think Ronaldinho was the ultimate showman, what he could do with the ball to get by a player was incredible

 

Aye he was unreal when he was at his peak.

 

It’s odd to me that it’s even seen as debatable if I’m honest. You’re looking at a guy who has been at the top of the sport with the deepest talent pool in the world for about 15 years.

He’s not just the GOAT in football. He’s legitimately in the discussion for best athletes of all time. I don’t expect I’ll see many athletes as dominant in a mainstream sport in my lifetime.

 

100% he's the one you'd want to copy in the playground. He done stuff with a ball with such flair it was magical.

Messi may well be the GOAT, but Ronaldinho will always be the greatest showman.

 

Up there with the greatest individual performances I’ve ever seen, off the top of my head only Henrik in Seville would top him.

I just hope he can somehow carry that Argentinian side and get his hands on the one trophy that eludes him.

 

Ronaldinho was easily for the me the most pleasing to watch , the trickery and big grin on his coupon was a joy to behold.

Messi or maradona for the GOAT though

 

I can understand why people would maybe make the case for Maradona if they were talking about pure talent alone. The longevity though. I mean, he’s what? 35? How many players did he beat with a simple drop of the shoulder tonight? The Ronaldo debate, I just find embarrassing to be honest. Messi can do everything Ronaldo can. Ronaldo can’t do everything Messi can. Simple as that.

Let’s even look at this Argentina team as a whole. It’s not like they are completely littered with talent. Scaloni has them tough to beat and determined.

You go through that starting 11 tonight though. Aston Villa goalkeeper, a centre back pairing from Spurs and Benfica, a 32 year old left back from Sevilla, a technically poor right back from A. Madrid. A very good combative midfielder from A.Madrid and a very promising technical midfielder from Benfica. An Attacking Midfielder from Brighton, Manchester City’s second striker and a 31 year old winger from Sevilla. He’s single handedly dragging them through games still.

Could have had another goal tonight but should have had at least 3 assists tonight. Latauro Martinez missed 3 sitters man, especially for a man of his quality.

People go on about Vinicius Jr, Mbappe and Haaland and they’re absolute beasts in world football right now but they don’t even scratch the surface when it comes to pure talent.

 

Tom Brady I’d say has been the most dominant athlete across athletic teams sports for success and dominance

 

Think the pure talent can be attributed to mbappe, maybe not so much the other 2 as what he’s doing right now across all his football is crazy. He’ll be the best player in the world for years once messi retires. Very surprised too by the lack of quality the other Argentina players have produced. Cos even tho you mentioned the teams they play for, a lot of those are still very good individual players

 

Yeah Messi, without any debate, is the world's best footballer that we have ever seen and I likely think we will ever see again on our life time.

I'd love to know if the whole Messi V Ronaldo debate is even a factor out with epl and Madrid fans?
Not sure anyone else on the world is daft enough to argue it any more.

Ronaldo is a phenomenal player, no doubt, but for football skill, talent, ability, Messi is levels above him. Add to that, the goals and assists he brings, not sure if he's beating Ronaldo yet or not, but we always need to remember there is 2 years between them, think Messi has always been able to beat him in numbers when it comes to stats at certain age points.

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There was definitely a point ronaldo was the best in the world but overall messi 100% longevity wise has been the best. I always saw the debate as…messi has the most * given talent and has excelled with that. Ronaldo almost created the footballer he is from the ground up if you see how he begun at sporting and then Man U. Ronaldos impact just isn’t the same anymore either as he can’t drag his teams through results like he used to. Whereas messi single handedly can for Barca when they turned * a few years ago and consistently for Argentina over the years

 

Would love him to win this WC as it'll be his last. Glad he did manage to win the Copa America with Argentina though. If Higuain had more composure he'd likely already have the World Cup from 2014.

He also passed Maradona long ago.

 

The best of all time. Not really up for debate imo. Some people say that Pele or Maradona is better, and that "you can't compare those players with the current ones"

It's actually ridiculously easy to compare the old era players to the present. The old ones played opponents who worked at iron factories as a 2nd job. The fitness levels was much, MUCH lower than it is now. Those players are no where near the modern footballers.

 

Yet achieved near enough the same with heavy balls and pints guiness for supper. I'd say that makes them better.