Liverpool FC Forum

I love a good debate, an if this topic's been covered, it was before my time. So my question:

Who is the best player of all time?

Please explain why you think so. And I'm not talking in the magazine poll sense, but the best all round footballer, or the most influential. Take into account era's too. Could Pele stand up to a modern day defender? Could he have played in midfield and controlled a game like Gerrad? Would Maradona have been able to find the space to play if his opponent was Roy Keane or even Graham Souness? Is Messi really the best currently? C Ronaldo is a great player, but had always had great players around him.

Of course, goals scored is one way to judge, but strikers will always come out on top in that sense. But though Pele scored over a thousand goals, he only played in Brazil. I also heard that half of Peles goals were scored at amateur level, in a time when there wasn't a professional/amateur division. Also note that 50-60 years ago, a lot of strikers reached between 300-500 career goals when today 300 would be considered a feat.

So, discuss please

I wasnt around at the times of Best, Pele or Maradonna so it wouldnt be right if i went for any of them on just clips of videos.

Also the bit you put about coping in todays game as well.

I think for me it would have to be Zidane.

He commanded respect from everyone because of his talent despite him being surrounded by many of Galticos he always stood out.

He played up until he was 34 and left the game still as one of the best none ofthis Ryan Giggs ***** who gets 10 - 15 minutes here and there.

The presence he had in a midfield was mind blowing. So my vote in for Zizou

Maradona, Ronaldo (Brazilian obviously), and Zidane a close 3rd. I struggle to find a name that comes even close to the 3. Havent seen enough of Pele but from what I've seen he doesnt make my top 3.

I can't stand Pele. He just talks about how good he was, and like you said more than half his goals came in games nobody would even count today. In some of those games he would score 12-15 goals in one game, but still counted in towards his goal tally.

I have to say Messi. I'm young and didn't get to see the likes of Maradona play, and I wasn't into football enough at the time that some of the more recent players played, but when I watch Messi play I just can't believe what he's capable of doing. Yes he plays in a high-scoring La Liga, but don't let that take away from his ability. Football is much more competitive now than it was back when the likes of Maradona were playing, and teams can much more easily prepare to defend against players today, so i think it's much harder for Messi to do what he's capable of doing than anyone in the past. And he has class, which many of the older players clearly lack.

on pele lads, he isnt called one of the greats for nothing. yes the game was much slower in his day compared to now but he excelled was was without a doubt ahead of his time. overheads, inside the foot, outside of the foot, with his head he was fantastic. even though he would struggle for pace now among the modern stars he would be equal in skill along with great vision, technique and finishing. he was a pioneer in many ways and truly a legend.
not my choice though.
maradonna for me was absolutely amazing, a pure winner and game changer, his amazing dribbles, close touch and boy could he score sublime goals. was a hell of a caracter to boot. not without his demons either but genius usually comes with a flaw.
absolute footballing god he was.

Maradona was something else. Unique. I'm don't think he was the best ever though, but my knowledge of him is mostly based on Mexico 86, when I was 11.

His legend is more built around alleged mob backing, and a Napoli team terrified to drop him. And yes, he could do amazing things with a football.

For a charity event, I heard he once did kicky-ups in a booth the size of a phone box...for thirty minutes....with a golf ball......and bare feet! Any nerds want to research that? So it's a case of man v's myth in some regards.

Then there is of course the wizard v's cheat. On the one hand (buddum-tish!) he "out jumps" Shilts and nets with his fist, something our own Suarez would claim to be fairplay in the greater scheme of things. And then the second goal. His radius of control was crazy. The ball could be ten feet away from him, two feet away from a defender, yet still be in his possession. His agility and speed of thought were streets ahead of England's best defenders. Maradona was brilliant that game, but England were scared, of the image, of the press hype, of his "simulation", of the myth, and in the end, of the reality.

But would he handle today's game, where defenders are fitter, faster and smarter? Would he have dominated against a midfield of Alonoso, Gerrard and his compatriot Mascha?

(Maradona vs Mascha would have been an interesting battle!)

It's a myth to say modern players are quicker, they may be fitter but they are not quicker, there's a clip on YouTube from the 70's program Superstars where Malcom McDonald (who was a big target man back in the day) runs the 100m in 10.9 seconds, fractionally slower than Theo Walcott, and McDonald wasn't particularly regarded as a flyer in his day.
Running on heavy muddy pitches gives the impression that players aren't quick but this lot now would be the same if they had to play on 70's pitches. Infact whenever modern players go anywhere near a poor pitch in Eastern Europe or somewhere like that half of them look like they've never kicked a ball before and those Eastern European pitches are nowhere as bad as those 70's mud baths.
On the subject of the best player Maradona would be unstoppable these days, in the modern era everything is loaded towards the attackers - the offside rule, defenders get booked for nothing, there's no tackling from behind, pitches are like bowling greens and boots are almost like training shoes etc.
The only way to stop Maradona years ago was to rough him up, he'd be unstoppable these days.