Best Footballer Ever

Jazzman

Jazzman

Well-Known Member
I know it’s not technically Rangers related, but often wondered who was the best footballer ever?
How would Pele, Puskas, Cruyff, Best etc. play on todays manicured lawns with the advances in footwear, kit, balls etc. Turn on head, how would Ronaldo 1 & 2, Messi, Neymar etc. play on the tattie fields with pit boots, pigs bladders and cotton tops, getting clobbered every 10 minutes. To me, that’s why Pele was and will ever be the best ever. Thoughts?
 
If we're talking about pure natural talent it's hard to make a case for it not being a Maradona & Messi 1-2.

Ronaldo (Brazil) and Zidane would be the best of the rest for me.
 
Remember, think of modern player in olden times v older players in modern times?
Ronaldo 2 playing in the old waterlogged fields, getting booted all over the place? Just seen Ronaldo 2 fall over his own feet to claim a penalty recently lol
 
I am not sure what makes the best footballer ever really.

For me it's Brian Laudrup, followed by Davie Cooper and onto Roberto Baggio. Just after that is Ally McCoist and I don't that list will ever change.
 
For longevity, it has to be Pele, Messi or CR7.

But over shorter periods of time, say 2-3 years, it's far tougher to call.

In my lifetime, guys like Maradona, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Zidane, Zico, van Basten, Baggio, etc could all stake a claim. And going back further, you've got Cruyff, Best, Beckenbauer, Greaves, Muller.

Too difficult to call.
 
Zidane for me. Could do it all. Range of passing, vision, could dribble, shoot, volley, half volley, great header of the ball, excellent finisher, ball control. None of the other players named could run a game from the middle of the park the way Zidane could, but he could have played striker, out wide easily.
 
Jazzman said:
I know it’s not technically Rangers related, but often wondered who was the best footballer ever?
How would Pele, Puskas, Cruyff, Best etc. play on todays manicured lawns with the advances in footwear, kit, balls etc. Turn on head, how would Ronaldo 1 & 2, Messi, Neymar etc. play on the tattie fields with pit boots, pigs bladders and cotton tops, getting clobbered every 10 minutes. To me, that’s why Pele was and will ever be the best ever. Thoughts?
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Difficult to name just one, in no particular order Georgie Best, Messi, Maradona.
 
Maradona for me. After getting literally kicked out of Spain he could have decided to go for an easy option but choose to go to Napoli a team that had never won serie A. They win the league twice during his stay at the club and he also wins the UEFA cup as well. He was an absolute game changer of a player. He played in the hardest position,a creative forward in Italy .In the 1980s, Italy was the hardest, toughest league physically and mentally in the world. And yet he excelled. Unfortunately he was introduced to the Naples underworld and that ultimately was his downfall. He is and always will be the benchmark for every future Argentinian footballer.
 
Jazzman said:
I know it’s not technically Rangers related, but often wondered who was the best footballer ever?
How would Pele, Puskas, Cruyff, Best etc. play on todays manicured lawns with the advances in footwear, kit, balls etc. Turn on head, how would Ronaldo 1 & 2, Messi, Neymar etc. play on the tattie fields with pit boots, pigs bladders and cotton tops, getting clobbered every 10 minutes. To me, that’s why Pele was and will ever be the best ever. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
maradonna.....messi......best........1 2 3
 
exeterbear said:
Zidane for me. Could do it all. Range of passing, vision, could dribble, shoot, volley, half volley, great header of the ball, excellent finisher, ball control. None of the other players named could run a game from the middle of the park the way Zidane could, but he could have played striker, out wide easily.
Click to expand...
I admired Zidane, Vialli and Del Piero. Players I'd have loved to see at Ibrox
 
Maradona.

I often think of the less popular, more "leftfield" choices, but don't want to be mistaken for a hipster... So Maradona.
 
Maradona, Best, Cryuff, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Pele and a handful of others have all been the best player in the world at one time but none of them come close to Messi and Ronaldo in my opinion.

To perform at the levels they have for the best part of 15 years is pretty much unprecedented in football. Maradona reached the heights but he was tanked up on gear for large parts of his career.

For me, I'd say Messi but I can see the argument for Ronaldo.
 
The comparisons with football when Maradona played vs Messi etc. is futile in my view. I'd actually argue that football nowadays is much tougher given the advances in sports science and the general quality of players being much higher in modern times.

Maradona isn't a better player because he played on shite surfaces, who's to say Messi wouldn't perform just as well on shite surfaces?

Anyway, the answer to the question is George Elokobi.
 
Cristiano Ronaldo as an all rounder, had everything at his peak.

Was born 1984 only saw highlights of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff etc… not doubting their ability but would never chose anybody I never watched full games of regular(ish) or only saw highlights of.
 
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