Maradona still the greatest player ever

PEAK Dixie Dean is probably the greatest centre forward who ever lived.

I would wager that 95%+ of football-watching people, in the UK, have seen Maradonna live/on TV for a total of less than 10 hours.

'No way.... used to watch him on Football Italia all the time' - No you didn't. He left Napoli well before the Channel 4 programme first aired
No Copa America on TV, no non-UK European football on TV and furthermore it was a time when not all World Cup games were shown live on TV.
Many clashed and you used to see highlights-only of many World Cup games on BBC or ITV.

So, you've rarely seen Maradonna play football and his legend is only told to you by 3rd parties.

(Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has shown each and every one of us, hundreds and hundreds of hours of glorious football live and on high-definition television)

Maradona had more manners,Missi little coo nt really

Different players, you need 11 for a team

Easily have peak Maradona and Messi in GOAT team

And Pele,

Cardinal Scott21 Jul 26 18:44Joined: 18 Jul 08
PEAK Dixie Dean is probably the greatest centre forward who ever lived.

I give you Dixie Dean and raise you Hughie Gallacher!! Both with amazing records.

Cruijff and Muller, Kempes, Rossi, Zidane
All had outstanding world cups too

Argy FILTH

There is no Messi or Ronaldo as we know them without Maradona. He was hacked to within an inch of his life and left prey to papparazzi his whole career, no wonder he ended up on drugs. By the time those two came along the rules had changed because of what he went through and clubs knew how to protect their prize assets. They hadn't a clue in those days.

Also the pitches were totally different back then. Just look at his wonder goal against England closely - the ball didn't roll on the grass, it bobbled all the way and the quarters, semis and final he played on that pitch.

Messi eclipses him in terms of output. Ronnie is never the GOAT as he is the most selfish player I've ever seen, not a team player and the whole team has to work for him or he throws a strop.

What lurka said... especially about the fouls and the pitches

Why did you have to say that? You're like an old woman with a bit of gossip.

Nor Messi, Ronaldo and co Mr S.  Would be interesting seeing them play on the sh1theaps of the past as well

I'm sure they would all have adapted though, the same as old time players would have done to todays conditions.

In 1986 Maradona was fouled 53 times in 7 games. The most in WC history (20 clear of the next player)

In context Messi was fouled 20 times in 8 games in 2026.

Its comical comparing both eras. Modern attackers get every advantage and assistance.

Maradona was frequently assaulted on the pitch and the ref did nothing. His final game for Barcelona against Bilbao was a disgrace 2 years after he had his leg broken against the same team.

"still"?  What was Maradona doing at 39?  About 5 stone overweight and struggling to run up the stairs.

Maradona may have been the best player at his peak, but he's not the best player over his career.  That's Messi.

You are talking about the greatest player, not the best player

The Greatest player is the player with the greatest stats, goals, assists, trophies.

The best player needs more context and nuance to the argument.

Churning out meaningless stats without it just means nothing and does not make for a debate. Regardless what do you think Maradona stats would have been if he'd have been born 20 years later?

The eye test and not numbers carries far more weight when comparing and contrasting. 

Maradona was not afforded the same luxury that Messi was, he did not play on pristine pitches, with ultimate referee protection, with the advancements of nutritional understanding and the benefits a changed diet brings, better recovery techniques, more advanced coaching and generally being mollycoddled and wrapped in cotton wool that a modern  day 100 million asset enjoys. He would not have got involved with the mafia either.

Only have to look at those stats racingqueen posted for some context.

Maradonna was before my time but based on all of the footage I've seen of him, he looks that bit more talented than Messi, his ball control was freakish.

Kind Regards.

Nobody is debating that Messi's career lasted longer but it's a one sided debate in that regards.

The real question is who is the better player, and that is not foregone conclusion, I struggle to see how Maradona wouldn't be even greater if he was playing today even against better defenders.

Kind Regards.

maradonna was a cheat and can never be the greatest because of his personality flaws