So...Who.is the Greatest Footballer of All Time ?

[FFC1987]

Messi. Without a doubt in my eyes. Most competitive era of the sport and he's smashing records still at his age. Followed by Ronaldo even with his recent decline. The numbers produced by these guys is nothing short of super human in this ridiculously competitive era. We've been really lucky to witness them in our generation.

[Pieter A’dam]

1. Pele, 2. Messi, 3. Cruijff

[alfie]

  I don't understand why we have to have the greatest,all the players mention are great in there own right in there
  Own era,it's like saying who is the greatest artist ,Picasso, pollock,Renoir,or man ray.
  Or maybe the greatest band , stones or the Beatles.makes no sense to me.

Agree, we all like different aspects of the footballer, it's all down to personal taste.

[ffcthereligion]

  I don't understand why we have to have the greatest,all the players mention are great in there own right in there
  Own era,it's like saying who is the greatest artist ,Picasso, pollock,Renoir,or man ray.
  Or maybe the greatest band , stones or the Beatles.makes no sense to me.

Agree, we all like different aspects of the footballer, it's all down to personal taste.

Disagree. Art is not about results, football is. Messi has achieved the best results, whilst being the most skilful, with the greatest longevity, and has scored far in excess of other historical figures while also being able to assist and adapt his game. The above is just a platitude using an apples and oranges comparison

[St Eve]

Pele

[Fernhurst]

Pele was the ultimate mixture of power and grace.

[Ludlow Richard]

One issue that yesterday has taken care of is which of Ronaldo or Messi is the best. With the World Cup win for Messi, Ronaldo is just an also-ran by comparison. And I had already rated Messi above that preening Portugese, even before yesterday. Messi had a stupendous World Cup, Ronaldo just slunk away down a tunnel, in tears.

[Cambridge Pete]

This is like who is/was the best guitarist. Cannot give you a single one. Would have to be a list including: Best, Cruyff, DiStefano, Messi, Pele. None could pass a ball as well as Haynes, and what about goalkeepers, Banks etc. It takes eleven to make a team.

[sunburywhite]

Mark Fotheringham

[winterline]

Could Pele, Maradona, Messi etc stop an attacker as well as a defensive midfielder or defender or save a goal if they were in goal the way a real goalie could? I doubt it , therefore they can be called best attacker but to say they are the best, it's shows no respect to the rest of the team positions. I don't know who would be the best in each position but that should be the conversation, not just attackers.

[filham]

Hard to argue against George best, that season at Fulham when he was way past his best he was so entertaining.
Also go back to the old ,days before England were beaten at home. We had players Lawton, Mathews ,Finney and Wright all of whom I have seen play and I wouldn't dare rank behind any other player. The problem is that these players didn't get TV exposure and there is little record of their ability.

Ranking players from different time is impossible and we all will have a different opinion.

Just let me add that no player in that great match yesterday had a shot on goal to match Tosh.

[simplyfulham]

Pele, Maradona, Messi. The three greatest footballers of all time. The only thing up for debate is the order.

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) December 18, 2022

:plus one:

[Somerset Fulham]

Could Pele, Maradona, Messi etc stop an attacker as well as a defensive midfielder or defender or save a goal if they were in goal the way a real goalie could? I doubt it , therefore they can be called best attacker but to say they are the best, it's shows no respect to the rest of the team positions. I don't know who would be the best in each position but that should be the conversation, not just attackers.

This is true. Maldini, Makelele, Ramos and Zidane just for starters.

[YankeeJim]

I don't think you can compare players of different eras. Its fun to do over a brew but really just nonsense. How would Pele have done with todays medicine, conditioning and table top pitches? How would Messi have done at Santos so many years ago?

[RaySmith]

It's true all successful teams need good players throughout the team - keepers, cb's, full backs, and in midfield - such players can be just as  crucial as the celebrated goal scorer - but it is a fact that those are the players who get the crowds on their feet and attract all he plaudits, but those with any experience of the game know how important the other players are - in fact the celebrated  striker wouldn't be nearly so effective  with poorer players in the other positions.

However, is the silky skills, and the goals, of course, that get fans going, and  attract the epithet 'the Beautiful Game,' and get all the column inches, and their feats constantly replayed on TV - rightly or wrongly.

Well, great to celebrate such players, but  we shouldn't overlook all the unsung heroes, who are just as essential for a team to do well as the grandstanding superstars of the game - and some of the goals I've seen this WC have been outstanding pieces of sublime skill- but I've also seen outstanding defending, and goalkeeping.

To compare players from different eras is hard, though as an ex-player said recently, those  brilliant in a different era would likely have the type of character to do well in any era, because although such players have God given talent from birth, they would get nowhere without hard work and strength of character.

Johnny Haynes, for example, would probably relish playing today - he pitches, the boots, the ball, but he would also work hard on the things different in today's game - the pace, etc, and would still be a great player, wherever or whenever he played.

[cmg]

Always fun, this sort of disussion.
I go back as far as DiStefano and, as I have mentioned, I've more or less convinced myself that Messi is the best I've seen...so far.
However the question of different roles is a very pertinent one and although Maldini would probably garner most votes for 'Best Defender' (although Scirea might get mine), there is a very real possibility that we had the pleasure of seeing the greatest defensive player of all time in our colours. Many very good judges would say that Bobby Moore, in his prime, was the best defender of all.
And, just to complicate matters, would Beckenbauer  be categorised purely as a defender?

Not only was Johan Cruyff, at his best, arguably the best player in the world, but he was also instrumental in promoting and developing Rinuus Michel's revolutionary tactics. On retirement he became an inspirational and visionary coach and was hugely responsible in launching and guiding the Barcelona juggernaut. The most influential football personage of my time. (And, possibly, the most arrogant!)

[Logicalman]

Pele by a country mile for me. Best second, Puskas third.

Yup, I'd go with that on it's face, though I could see an argument for third equally being Maradonna or Messi, to give their credit.

[Logicalman]

I think someone on TV perhaps said it best, when he said that Messi was likely the stand-out player of his generation.

Notwithstanding the great points made by Yankee Jim further up, I get the feeling that the 'generation' inclusion perhaps covers those eventualities.

[Pluto]

It's impossible to compare properly as modern football is completely different but if I had to, I would say:

1. Messi, 2. Pele, 3. Maradona, 4. Ronaldo, 5. Cruyff

[alfie]

I'm beginning to think I don't really care, I have respect for them all in one way or another.