Pele: Messi must score 1,000 goals first http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/770275/ce/uk/?cc=5901&ver=us
Pele played in a watered down period where he would score 5 goals a game. The old legends will stick together but at the end Messi's only 22 and when he wins his world cup it will be done. Sorry Pele, I love you but you're an ass. See you at opening ceremonies.
Is he wrong? What has Messi done yet? Champions League and league championships are nice. As has been said many times in this thread...he may be the best right now, but he isn't in the conversation as an all-time great until he brings home a Cup. He has not, by his own admission, played well for his country. The greats don't do one and not the other. If Argentina wins this year, I'll put him up there.
And that's why I said as SOON as he wins a cup he can't be denied. All he needs is one but if he ever gets 2.....best player in the last 25 years.
REEKO_HTOWN, I don't know if you've watched Argentinian football lately, but its been horrible. I got to see a few qualifying games and Messi looked invisible, that's not a good sign from one of the "greatest ever". Barcelona is a very top heavy club in talent, some players just excel when they have the resources around them. He might be one of the best in terms of that kind of player, as far as putting a team on his shoulder, only the true greatest do that. I havn't seen any signs of him being able to do that...yet.
Here's a pretty good blog post about this topic, it doesn't really get into who is better, but it is an interesting look at the topic itself. http://www.amoresplendidlife.com/2010/03/stranger-than-fiction-maradona-and.html
It's way too soon for this comparison. Messi is amazing but he hasn't done it for long enough and hasn't done it at the International stage plus he plays for one of the biggests clubs in the world with world class players who take a lot of pressure off of him...Maradona played most of his peak at Napoli, a small club he helped win two league championships and came in second twice and winning the Copa Italia. As a soccer player and fan, I love Messi and he's on fire now, but in terms of GOAT at this stage in his youthful career is premature. Let's not forget Ronaldinho, who was simply amazing at PSG and Barca for 4 to 5 years and seemed to be on his way to being the GOAT but then crashed out at the 2006 World Cup and has yet to recapture that form.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/789737/ce/uk/?cc=5901&ver=us Maradona: Messi's better than me "Messi is better than me at World Cup '86," Maradona told Sport. "He's the best player in the world and better by far compared to others. "In 86, in Mexico, I did it with the ball, I grew up and my team-mates followed. Now I have explained the same to Leo to do it in South Africa and he has understood.
