Best footballer of all time - discuss, agree, conclude.

[nightrain_jh]

difficult question as football has evolved over the years.  pele in the 60'/70's, gerd muller of germany in the 70's, maradona from the 80's, the ruud gullits the van bastens, shearer from the 90's and of course ronaldinho from the present.  plus all the rest i have missed. 

i don't think you can choose any one player as the best of all time due to fact that football has changed so much over the decades.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Ronaldo is the best player I have seen in my lifetime.  Ronaldinho is WAY overrated.

[Danny Top Hat]

I don't think he's overrated at all.  He delivers the goods all the time and his passing, vision, etc. is incredible.  If he's not in the running for 'best footballer ever' he's still the best player in the World right now.

[Judge Dredd]

Different eras produced different styles of players.

Any list of all-time great players would have to include:-

Alex James - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_James_(footballer) (I'm a Gooner, so I think I'm entitled to be a little biased)

Pele

Garrincha

Ferenc Puskas

Alfredo Di Stefano - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Di_St%C3%A9fano

Diego Maradona

Franz Beckenbauer

Johan Cruijff

George Best

Zinedine Zidane

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I don't think he's overrated at all.  He delivers the goods all the time and his passing, vision, etc. is incredible.  If he's not in the running for 'best footballer ever' he's still the best player in the World right now.

All I know is that during the World Cup, when a hero was needed, Ronaldo was the one who always came through.

[A Private Eye]

We could do with a Barcelona fan who has seen both Ronaldinho and Ronaldo at their peaks form, they could offer a fair comparison. Where's Ignatius?

[Hysteron]

I don't think he's overrated at all.? He delivers the goods all the time and his passing, vision, etc. is incredible.? If he's not in the running for 'best footballer ever' he's still the best player in the World right now.

All I know is that during the World Cup, when a hero was needed, Ronaldo was the one who always came through.

Not the 2006 World Cup or 1998 Final.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

But they got to the 98 Final because of whom?  When Ronaldinho was the main guy this year, they didn't get quite as far.

Also, winning the Golden Boot means a lot.

[Judge Dredd]

But they got to the 98 Final because of whom?  When Ronaldinho was the main guy this year, they didn't get quite as far.

Also, winning the Golden Boot means a lot.

The Golden Boot means you scored a few goals in a couple of games. I haven't seen anyone mention Gary Lineker or Just Fontaine in this thread so far.

[estebanf]

Maradona is the best football player of history, no doubt about that. He's the only player in the world that has won a World Cup by himself. Pele used to play with another 10 ''peles'' (Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto, Didi, all insanely great players) and he NEVER played in Europe, where big players need to play to proove how good they are.

Maradona made Napoli win 2 scudettos, one Italy Supercup, one UEFA cup... Napoli!!! After 80 years of fails! Not Milan, not Juventus, not Inter... Napoli!!

Maradona showed it all in Mexico 86. Ask english people if they remember him 

Then, four years later, he made Argentina finalist playing in one foot (his ankle had the size of a watermellon) with 10 dogs playing with him. Alemao is still trying to stop him 

The world cup in USA 1994 ended when Maradona was suspended. No one remembers that world cup.

Ronaldinho? Did Ronaldinho played the last World Cup? Where is Ronaldinho against Argentina? Where is Ronaldinho against Real Madrid? Where was Ronaldinho against France in the last world cup?

AFTER Maradona, the best football player I have seen is Rivaldo, and then Zinedine Zidane, maybe Ronaldo (the brazilian one, not the portuguese joke)

[Judge Dredd]

^ Your quip about Pele never playing in Europe is absolutely ridiculous.

[banbanban89]

Short & Sweet....  Alfredo Di Stefano - The World's Greatest All-Round Player, NUFF SAID.

Go ask Maradona who was the greatest player ever. Alfredo Di Stefano.

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Bleachers/7429/DiStefano.htm

[Dr. Blutarsky]

My vote goes to Jerry Rice

[Alan]

Maradona is the best football player of history, no doubt about that. He's the only player in the world that has won a World Cup by himself. Pele used to play with another 10 ''peles'' (Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto, Didi, all insanely great players) and he NEVER played in Europe, where big players need to play to proove how good they are.

Maradona made Napoli win 2 scudettos, one Italy Supercup, one UEFA cup... Napoli!!! After 80 years of fails! Not Milan, not Juventus, not Inter... Napoli!!

Maradona showed it all in Mexico 86. Ask english people if they remember him 

Then, four years later, he made Argentina finalist playing in one foot (his ankle had the size of a watermellon) with 10 dogs playing with him. Alemao is still trying to stop him 

The world cup in USA 1994 ended when Maradona was suspended. No one remembers that world cup.

Ronaldinho? Did Ronaldinho played the last World Cup? Where is Ronaldinho against Argentina? Where is Ronaldinho against Real Madrid? Where was Ronaldinho against France in the last world cup?

AFTER Maradona, the best football player I have seen is Rivaldo, and then Zinedine Zidane, maybe Ronaldo (the brazilian one, not the portuguese joke)

the greatest players also have to have integrity. something maradona lacked.

the game against england will never be remembered for the great goal he scored, but for the fact he cheated.

[Gnrfan]

Maradona is the best football player of history, no doubt about that. He's the only player in the world that has won a World Cup by himself. Pele used to play with another 10 ''peles'' (Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto, Didi, all insanely great players) and he NEVER played in Europe, where big players need to play to proove how good they are.

Sorry the fact that you played in the world cup means bugger all. George Best never played in a world cup . . and for me is the greatest ever.

i think its between maradona and best to be honest. but anyone can look good if they use their hands. .. he was probally smacked off his face. . . he probally thought it was the hand of god. haha

i honestly cant speak for di stefano having not seen that much of him.

But of all the players i've seen the most talented players are Best and Maradona.

In recent times Ronaldo, Zidane and Ronaldinho are the only choices. Ronaldo is a great player and i dont think a player has ever looked more impressive in my life time than when i saw him playing at Barcelona. Zidane was probally the most consistant player i've seen in the last ten years. Ronaldinho has all the tricks and is a marvellous player. i think he has to do whats he's doing for another 2 or 3 seasons to be in the 'Best ever' category.

[Shoco]

the game against england will never be remembered for the great goal he scored, but for the fact he cheated.

i think your wrong, understandably english/british people will remember it for the handball, but most others will remember it for the great goal

[estebanf]

Maradona is the best football player of history, no doubt about that. He's the only player in the world that has won a World Cup by himself. Pele used to play with another 10 ''peles'' (Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto, Didi, all insanely great players) and he NEVER played in Europe, where big players need to play to proove how good they are.

Maradona made Napoli win 2 scudettos, one Italy Supercup, one UEFA cup... Napoli!!! After 80 years of fails! Not Milan, not Juventus, not Inter... Napoli!!

Maradona showed it all in Mexico 86. Ask english people if they remember him 

Then, four years later, he made Argentina finalist playing in one foot (his ankle had the size of a watermellon) with 10 dogs playing with him. Alemao is still trying to stop him 

The world cup in USA 1994 ended when Maradona was suspended. No one remembers that world cup.

Ronaldinho? Did Ronaldinho played the last World Cup? Where is Ronaldinho against Argentina? Where is Ronaldinho against Real Madrid? Where was Ronaldinho against France in the last world cup?

AFTER Maradona, the best football player I have seen is Rivaldo, and then Zinedine Zidane, maybe Ronaldo (the brazilian one, not the portuguese joke)

the greatest players also have to have integrity. something maradona lacked.

the game against england will never be remembered for the great goal he scored, but for the fact he cheated.

You're absolutly wrong. That game was a Maradona monologue.

The whole world remembers that match because it had the best goal in World Cups history, and the best Maradona EVER.

Maradona did not ever need to cheat to achieve his goals. He won Mexico 86 on his own, and he reached Italy '90 not only in his own, also in one leg, because he was severely injured in his ankle. Maradona's cocaine addiction was counterproductive to play football. That has nothing to do with ''cheating'': he was (still is) a cocaine addict, he IS a sick man.

For exaple: Brazil won the Mexico 70 world cup with 11 extraordinary playes. The world remembers Pele, but Brazil was truly a dream team. Maradona did something harder: he reached two finals on his own, with another 10 mediocre players. He also took a ''Serie B'' team like Napoli and he won, again on his own, 2 scudettos, an Italy Supercup and a UEFA cup. Can you name another argentine player in Mexico 86? Can you name another Napoli player between 1987-1991?

He also could have won, this time with a greater team, the USA94 world cup. The ''Ephedrine Incident'' was the end of that world cup, the most forgettable world cup ever, without true stars.

I think you don't understand the meaning of ''integrity''.

The real thing is that the big step to be considered one of the best players of all times is winning a World Cup. Something that Michel Platini lacks, same for Johan Cruyff, Best, Roberto Baggio and lots of other big players. That's why the world will remember forever Zidane and his two finals, Ronaldo, Maradona, Matthaus, Pele, etc.

[faldor]

I don't follow the sport closely at all, but I must say footballers do have some hot wives.

http://ko5.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-hot-footballers-wives.html

[2NaFish]

Maradona. Others had great players around them, maradona won the wc on his own. And the fact that he hates england may also play a part in my decision

Best players i've ever seen live was Brian Laudrup, then Cantona and then Gascoigne. They were all able to win matches, cups and leagues singlehandedly.

[MadmanDan]

The fact that "Maradona won the World Cup on his own" proves that Football is A LOT harder these days...nowadays no player, no matter his talent, can do something like that, any player can be stopped with the right tactics.