Messi has the goalscoring ability of Pele, the dribbling ability of Maradona and the playmaking ability of Cruyff. It's hard to compare players of different eras but I think Messi, Pele and Maradona are in a tier of their own
Tf u talking about?lol Messi has his own very unique dribbling ability and playing style. No other dribbler comes close. It's mind games with messi which he's proven to be a mastermind against defenders. Incase it's difficult for ur obscured vision, Messi is his own self who he invented and that invented self is second to none and has long surpassed the "said abilities" of maradona,Pele or whomever else. He did all that so many years ago. Messi don't compare to people rn. People compare to Messi. Get it Right.
@@alexojideagu 3 players in 60/70 years show you how elite those class of players are, as good as Ronaldo is (top 5 all time) you cannot compare him to messi.
Funny thing is seeing so many people saying Messi scored 3 out of 5 from penalties. Let’s not forget the 3 assists and how he runs the games, he is not about goals only. Also, Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden boot with scoring 5 goals, 3 of them coming from penalties….the hypocrisy.
@@saikothapalli4443 So? He got injured what's your point? He literally scored a goal and gave an amazing assist vs Germany in Euros He scored a hattrick vs Spain in WC Messi was stadpadding vs Nigeria and Iran in 2014 WC and then disappeared in knockout stages Portugal was poor back then, don't ever compare
@@troyeakb6314 When was the last time Ronaldo scored in the World Cup knockout stages? In any case, Messi has already surpassed Ronaldo's overall tally of World Cup goals.
@@vinaysimha6252 I lost my brain cells reading that, but also longevity is important when you want to debate idiots like these espn lot who still claim that maradona and pele are better 💀🤦♂️
Training methods, physios, sport medicine, all those things weren't as good or developed back then, also the rules and referees didn't protect superstars the way they do today, that's why people have longer careers today.
@@ursula3438 Longevity means being able to do that for so long at that level. Only Pele and CR7 compare to him. Maradona was Maradona for 5-6 years Messi has been Messi for 15+ seasons along with CR7. After that it's preference for me it's Messi and it isn't even comparable.
If he wins it yea I might have to give it to him over Ronaldo but you can’t dismiss Ronaldo’s ucl titles they have the same resume a World Cup should do it for messi micheal Jordan wasn’t the same after he won his titles and he’s one of the goats so just cause Ronaldo does play like How he did 3 years ago doesn’t mean anything
What people don’t understand. Messi is not competing against ronaldo. He is competing against maradona and pele. They both won world cups. Argument is only over once Messi wins the World Cup.
if messi wins the world cup it would be great, you have people in argentina dying of old age without seeing a world cup... the ones who saw it didn't remember it well...
When Ronaldo was at his peak, Messi took Argentina in 2014 to the final only for Higuan not to score the chances that Messi created that day and now also when they are at their ending era times, again Messi takes Argentina to the World Cup final. But the difference now is that guy Alvarez is what Messi needs infront of him. No debate anymore he is the best in the world and Ronaldo second.
@@maxamed7258 both the teams and the players, in 2014 they both were in their peak and with good team but Messi took the team to the final and now again. But all the time ronaldo has not even reached the semifinal of the World Cup.
Ronaldo at his peak was the most complete player ever Skills,pace,headers,long range goals,free kicks,assists,left foot and right foot, physical ability He had everything Messi was better at just dribbling and assisting than Ronaldo but Ronaldo was a great assist man too in his prime,you think the highest UCL assists came out of no where?💀
I think even Ronaldo knows Messi's the GOAT. Some of the things Messi has done will never be replicated again. What's amazing is that Ronaldo managed to make it a debate.
It doesn't matter what Cristiano Ronaldo knows, he has never been anywhere near this debate. You can quote his opinion same way that you can quote some other great footballers' opinions, but not as a rival. Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the best ever conversation.
You're very much correct but I sincerely believe R9 is the greatest to have played the game, along with Ronaldinho and Pele.. Maradona then Messi and CR.. Zidane
@@johnnybill_ better than who? Do you have eyes to see? LeBron James says he's the best, does that make him the best. I wish you young ones had the opportunity ity to watch 94, 98, 02 world cups.. those were tourneys. There were no less than 50 greats playing in those tournaments. Those ages will forever be etched in the annals of football history. Holland Team along had 11 football stars.. didn't win though
Finals is not gonna define him if he is the goat, messi has proved himself time and time again throughout the tournament. Who made these guys the pundits for this show
@@DuxEtRex it is possible if he wins the league title IMO. He’s in great form for PSG and in the WC he’s been absolutely clutch and MOTM in almost every game which is the biggest stage in the world.
@@DuxEtRex I mean what did modric do when he won the Balon d ‘or Ronaldo had all the stats that year with Real Madrid with UCL etc and modric just took croatia to the final only to get slaughtered by France if that’s the case Messi deserves the 8th one regardless his domestic contribution he made Argentina reach final and itsy pitsy goals and assists contribution will give him right in that sense
There was no debate to begin with. Bozos be so hung up with bias they fail to see objective facts. How many times Messi have stepped up for Argentina now? Creating chances, providing impossible assists, scoring himself. How many finals have it been that Messi & his team's brilliance took them to? There's one Copa win against Brazil IN Brazil there too. After Saudi match when everything was done & dusted, it seemed over for Argentina, its Messi who stepped up yet again against Mexico & simply didn't stop there, he carried his momentum to send Argentina to yet again another final. If that isn't the hallmark of a GOAT, then I simply don't know what is.
Takk is cheap. By age 35 Pele had won 3 World Cups and retired from international football. Now, this doddering 35 year old, who looks 70, is still gasping for its first World Cup. I hope France reaches the final and puts it out misery once and for all.
@@bekisiphotshili2566h stop 😂😂😂 you’re comparing two completely different eras ! Different rules, different attributes, styles, circumstances. Pele had a stacked team like Mbappe does now. Stop it
@@cryptodeity Ok, so if I am comparing different times that also applies to Messi, right? He shouldn't be compared to Pele because, according to your logic, they play in different eras. So your little bow-legged hero is not a GOAT. Meaning he can't be the greatest of all time. Isn't it amazing that all of Messi's rivals' success in this debate is attributed to their team mates, not them. And yet we know that Argentina is and has always been a stacked team. Messi has played alongside some of the greats. He has not made them winners. Angel Di maria, Batistuta, Higuain, Crespo, Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez, Riquelme, Zanetti, etc. You have to be an idiot to not have this information in your head when discussing Argentina.
35 years old and he still pulls out numbers and performances like a player in his prime. The debate was futile long long ago. He is just something else entirely. "The Football God" for me. One more game and he will finally get the happiness he so deserve. That's all the Final is to me. He is the GOAT with or without it. Frank said it best, you don't need to win World Cup to be the best ever. George Weah, Ali Daei, Mokhtar Dahari and many more never got to even play in this tournament yet they are legends of the game. 1 more game. Vamos Leo! Vamos Argentina!
But when you are on a team capable of winning the World Cup then yes you should be able to lead them to the trophy if you’re the best ever. That’s why zidane is the best ever to me.
Football really has a short memory People really forgot what CR7 was in his prime He was the most complete player ever to have ever kicked a ball People just start debating coz he's old now and has lost that prowess Lol pathetic world
Players like mbappe , haaland would slow down once they get old enough as a player like 28-30 and once their speed goes down they can't do much , while leo messi almost 36 despite being slowing down in speed , he didn't slowed down since he started showing his masterclass , every year we witness something incredible by this man , and in this world cup which is one of the most hardest , most exciting and unexpected world cup and he's performing like this level , so you have to admit that he's an undisputed goat 🐐
I don't know if Messi is the Goat, but I do know that there's no way Ronaldo is. Ronaldo is always getting compared to Messi. Most conversations don't compare him to Pele, Maradona, etc, which is exactly who people compare Messi to. This is no hate as I've loved watching Ronaldo for a long time. He's a great, great player, but he cannot be considered the goat when he's playing in an era in which someone is clearly better than him.
Because he surpassed them he was on the top of the game for 15 years along with messi nobody in history of football did that only them,they were neck and neck (of course messi has 7 ballon d'ors with 6 golden boots and ronaldo 5 with 4 golden boots i understand that. And i agree 100% messi is the goat but ronaldo is clear 2nd no debating that You can mention world cup success, but they dont tell the whole story, the consistency and stats they are not lying...
lmao maradona is legendary but messi is definitely clear. so many objectively superior stats aside from trophies and awards alone. remember when messi had 91 goals in a calendar year? cmon bruh lmao
In terms of longevity and sustained excellence there is no debate at all, Messi is clearly the best, but many who watched Maradona say that his peak might have been a bit higher than Messi's.
Ppl will always lean to nostalgia in these sort of debates... for our generation it's gonna be messi always and forever no matter what future players do
Why hasnt ronaldo been compared to greats like pele and maradona more oftrn?? It always against messi and messi is like leagues above him This is gonna be messi's 2nd world cup final Ronaldo hasnt even seen the semi's
Exactly. Messi = Maradona + La Masia education + a professional lifestyle. There's the argentinian heritage/talent (Maradona) and the Barca nurturing (Cruyff). Also he scores hundreds of goals, like he's Gerd Müller or something.
Argentina haven’t conceded more then 2 shots on target against their goal in any game. Saudi Arabia: 2 Mexico: 1 Poland: 0 Australia: 1 Netherlands: 2 Croatia: 2
Well, they haven't played a serious team. Only Netherlands really was a fight for them. We have to see what they do vs a top team like France, and not Morocco.
Lionel Messi is the story of a professional footballer who never gives up in the struggle of life. The mentality of repeatedly saying goodbye to the national team and turning around again brought Messi to the final of the World Cup in Qatar today. Lionel Messi is the only one fit for the World Cup
Penalties. Tap ins. Ghosting. Diving. Long ago, the four lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Moroccans attacked. Only Penaldo, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when his country needed him most, he vanished.
I remember CR7 fans calling out Messi for the 2014 WC where Messi had 0 KO stages goals, claiming CR7 would have scored in the "big games because he's not a group stage merchant", but who has played 5 WC with 0 KO goals? I just saw Messi score in the R16, QF, and SF.
Can cr7 fans explain why they think he's better than messi. Because on stats messi has won 90 % of them when compared to ronaldo doesn't that by factual data prove he's better?
Ronaldo work hard to become where his at , Messi was born with talent, Messi is loved by everyone, Ronaldo hated by everyone, Argentina team mates want him to win the cup , Portugal not that much envy most likely,I think Portugal has an elite squad overall just bad coaching, overall it just comes out as preference
Because if I was a manager, with our team in a cup final and losing by a goal, I had one player to bring on, it would be Ronaldo for me. That is how I determine who I honestly think of as the best player. Never mind the stats and goals against weaker teams or in a league match, when it comes to a final and I need something special to come out, I'd put on Cristiano Ronaldo. Before you disagree with me, I'm not trying to tell you that you have to like CR7 more or think he is the best, of course Messi is fantastic and I understand why many consider him the best, but you asked why cr7 fans think he's better, and I have explained to you my reasoning for why I personally think that. Cheers!
Its mostly goals.... More international goals, more UCL goals, more overall goals, more hat tricks... The other major arguments are the fact he is a more complete athlete, able to score in more different ways (like headers); the fact he is more clutch because of several memorable clutch performances, and of course, the fact that he is more relatable (and therefore more inspirational), since Ronaldo is actually a HUMAN, while Messi is an alien.
@@penaldopessi6931 you don't need to know who wrote bible or quran to understand what it inside of each if you read them very well. I have watched the videos of each players and Messi is the best to me. Again at over 50 years, i watched Maradona played in 3 world cup, Messi is the best. Who is the best to you brother? Stop against others options, create your own.
Even if Argentina doesn't win the finals, reaching two and being the tournament's best player definitely puts him ahead of Ronaldo. But Pele and Maradona will still remain in the debate if Argentina loses
@Quik_Quack messi has been the best player in 2014 and 2022 wc and reached the finals. He did twice what ronaldo couldn't( decent in 2006 and 2018 rest was quite average). I am a fan of cr7 myself but this world cup messi has shown how a last dance should be.
They said "Messi can't be the GOAT because he's never won the world cup", now that he is one game away from doing just that, they are saying it doesn't matter.
@@ferndale6652 I'm the biggest don andres iniesta fanatic trust me when I tell u this, I have newspaper cutouts of wayne Rooney saying iniesta the best player in the world David silva saying it. Don andres his dribbling is so similar to leo even as a die hard don andres fan id tell you this don andres might have had more impact on certain games than messi, neymar might have been the better player many times when leo played with him, ronaldo might have been better thene messi for a couple of seasons. But no one no one at Leo's peak comes even remotely close to his ability and impact on games. The man had three insane peaks 2008-2010- Dribbling for fun still has decent goal scoring numbers 2012- greatest goalscorer ever 2018- carried the whole team on his back 😌 complete player, best playmaker, elite goalscorer, elite dribbler.
the thing that Messi has over Maradona is longevity, skill wise they are quite equal, but Maradona retired when he was 34 meanwhile Messi is 35 and still in his prime carrying Argentina to a World Cup Final
The debate about CR7 and Messi is over (if there ever should have been one). The debate about who was better between Messi, Maradona and Pele will go on forever..... As a huge fan of Diego, who has Napoli and Argentina shirts from the 80s etc........ its Messi.
The thing which makes him GOAT is not just his skills which is godly but his consistency to keep up his form. His bad phase is smaller than bad phase of other footballers. That what makes him a GOAT
The way I see it, Messi is "a" GOAT. One of "the" GOATS. Players before Messi (Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Van Basten, Gerd Muller, Zidane, R9, Ronaldinho etc) were special and brought new dynamics to the sport. The single greatest of all time player will vary forever, transcending past, present, and future. The sports media always wants to label a single player, but the reality is that you can be the best at something, and not necessarily be the greatest ever. Because that comes down to opinion, preference, bias, nationalism, club supported, envy, jealousy, or disliking someone for their off the field persona. In any sport, you can find the player considered the greatest by the media, but the fans would not agree always. In basketball, you have Jordan vs Lebron/Kobe/Chamberlain/Bird etc. Tennis you got Federer vs Nadal/Djokovic, Baseball you got Mays/Babe Ruth/Bonds/Robinson vs many newer young hall of famers. Point being, Messi is a complete player (playmaking, scoring, dribbling, vision) possibly best of last 15-20 years. But the greatest single player ever in past/present/future is whoever you want it to be. So rather than debating to prove who is the GOAT, a more effective thing to do would be to state why "you" believe which player is the best and respect opinions that differ from yours. Obviously there are crazy fanatics of players that insult/mock other players to make their favorite star look better, but the football community that loves the sport can appreciate all talent. For example, I think Messi is better footballer than CR7 (skillwise, football IQ, natural talent), but I hold CR7 career higher overall in terms of legacy/influence. CR7 has been the only player to reach a level set by Messi and compete and motivate one another for 15+ years. Season after season, these two battled it out for personal accolades, competed in UCL, battled for La Liga trophies, golden boots etc. Messi having the edge in Liga titles/golden boots, Ronaldo more Champions Leagues and records such as International goals, goals all time. If CR7 didn't emerge the player he was, Messi would have easily won 12 straight Ballon D'ors. Both CR7 and Messi hold each other with the highest regard. CR7 saying that Messi is "magic, fantastic player, top etc), Messi when asked about the next greatest player after him, he mentioned Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, Suarez. When pressed about Cr7 he said he excluded him because he places him in the category with him. That's the best compliment I could think of from a rival. For rival fans to trash the other player is nonsense, simply enjoy and admire the greatness two goats leave behind. My opinion is not up for debate, neither should yours. Just respect everyones. ✌
@@acmilanrossoneri1419 that's what you concluded? I legit stated Messi is a GOAT. Personal preference dictates who you place higher on your list of greats. I also mentioned the fans that rely on insults to depreciate rival players. To each their own. Messi is balling at the WC on the verge of achieving ARG immortality like Maradona.
@medalgearsalad1419 oh yeah most definitely. He's out of this world, generational talent. Only CR7 has "comparable" stats, and even then CR7 is 2nd in some of them. Unreal numbers from them. But like Stevie/Frank said in this video, many ppl will continue to hold Maradona or Pele as the greatest regardless. Nostalgia, admiration, personal preference of skills or teams, nationalism, all play a role in picking your #1 player in history. Messi winning WC on Sunday would definitely sway the picture in his favor.
The debate of the GOAT is never going away but for me Messi is the GOAT of football, I didn't watch maradona, Pele and Cruyff play football because I wasn't born in their era
Messi going to PSG made him adapt his play style a bit and that is starting to show in Argentina, in the past he played the normal Barca way with Argentina and that only got him so far. Now he is using his team more and playing off them, letting others be the focus point in some plays. It also helps that this Argentina team has great players compared to the last few years
Comparing Messi/Ronaldo to Pele/Maradona is like comparing Curry/Lebron to Jordan/Kobe. It’s pointless. 2 different eras, different rules. I’m a Messi fan but respect Ronaldo for what he’s done for futbol. Messi and Ronaldo are the best players of our time.
This is the Ronaldo and Messi era. People need to also see. Ronaldo did not sit by and allow Messi to be the best, he worked hard to be on his level and challenge for Balon Dors. Both are extremely talented and magical players. We are lucky to have seen them.
The debate only existed because of Cristiano fans pushing it in every argument. If we measured one's GOAT status in terms of their brilliance in performance besides goals, Leo ended the debate 5 years ago.
Pephas already played Haaland and Alvarez is a couple games. The problem is you have to play 442. You can't play 442 against most teams. It also means they have to drop Bernardo/Gundogan.
So let me get this right, for someone like Messi that has won everything in his whole entire career will have to win a world cup to be name the Goat? But someone like maradona or pele that only won a quarter of what Messi has already achieved and then both retired in less years of playing than Messi and Messi still performing at a formidable level at the age of 35 and people want to say that maradona or pele are the Goats simply bc they played 8 games in the world cup and won it?? I'm sorry but that is ridiculous!! My own opinion.
@@lonelyboy1977 Messi is already doing it now Get back to me when Maradona dominates a UCL final like Messi did in 2011 Or get back to me when Maradona scores 790 career goals Why don't you also get back to me when Maradona has 6 golden boots As well as 5 IFFHS playmaker awards Everything maradona has done, Messi would have done if he wins on Sunday But there's an insane list of things Messi has done that Maradona hasn't even come close to surpassing lol
Fans will always be fans so the debate will always continue. The world cup don't even finish as yet but fans of a individual player finding ways to end the debate prematurely.
Oh shut up. You guys will never stop using Maradona and Pele to win a debate that's no longer valid. Pele played his life during a time when athletes weren't what they are now with sports science nor are his exploits all at the elite level except the world cups. Maradonas whole shtick for his immortality is that he was a God on the ball could carry teams and dragged his nation to a world cup. Messi did all of the magic for way longer and was always said that not winning the world cup is the reason Pele Maradona are better. Now they're making the narrative that world cup don't matter now that Messi is close to winning. I'm not even a Messi fan but jeez lol enough with the preconceived notions. It's over
Messi : Goal Scorer, Playmaker, Dribbler, Forward, Attacking Midfielder, winger after his prime (age) Ronaldo: Goal Scorer (mostly penalty) Dribbler, forward & ........nothing more, even in his prime (age). No world Cup finals too. Why was this debate even there?
Because most kids thesedays only look at who scored the goals by watching UA-cam highlights, they don't actually watch the entire games. Only people who have consistently for over a decade watched most Messi and Ronaldo games can actually have a real opinion about this. It will then be easy to see which player is more superior.
It doesn't matter to Messi if he's the greatest. All this causes division between football fans. how many many Ronaldo followers have actually changed their minds, they say UCL is more worthy. Or goals scored or records shattered. Some see greatness by the silverware won Others by the numbers they put up on their career. Others by the influence the person had in their life. You can't measure greatness like that You can say Ronaldo, at this moment is the greatest champions league player And Pele is the greatest in world cups But to say the greatest overall it just can't be measured like that
your trying to sneak renaldo in there as the greatest while you compliment pele where is messi he is the greatest dribbler and simply the greatest player to ever exist
Ronaldo has 100 for his country against poor sides mainly. Messi would easily have 100 goals playing in Euro Qualifying. It's a great achievement but arguably just a commentry on the inequality of modern football in qualifying rounds as much as Ronaldo been one of the greats. In South America Ronaldo wouldn't have chance to get 100 goals. Not possible consdiering the sides he'd face.
Okay but Ronaldo also has more goals in tourneys against World Cup winning teams and fifa ranked top 10 teams, so it’s not really fair to say that he only scores against the small teams, especially when a good portion of messis goals have come in friendlies
Portugal is a small Euro nation that rarely even qualified for a WC before Ronaldo (2 or 3 times). He led them to quals and became contenders since his debut and even won a Euro title. He'll likely retire after this WC. We'll see if they return to their former status when he does.
@@Andrei19Maran Oh yes, nice players. Many teams have them. Still... the history is there. He was "that guy". As well I think we'll find out in the years to come who Portugal is without him.
To me, Messi's performance in this World Cup does nothing to end the "G.O.A.T. debate" because as much as I love Messi, he will never be better than Pele. If he wins the World Cup, it may strengthen the argument of whether or not he is better than Maradona but I have them all in the very top tier of all-time footballers and I really think that Pele was the greatest of all time. The one debate that Messi has officially ended, though, is the silly one that cristiano ronaldo fans have been trying to conjure up all these years that their man was ever better than Messi. Now, THAT debate is now sleeping in tears in a buried coffin somewhere.
I watched thier games available and I think Maradona was better. Yess Pele had 3 WC( he played in two and was injured in other) and he had Garrincha, Vava, Didi Jarainzo Carlos Alberto Gerson etc . The difference is Pele was like one of best in team who scores most ,, Maradona was clearly above the rest.
Did you actually see Pele playing at a regular basis or are you just basing your opinion by "he won the world cup 3 times" in an era when dinosaurs rules the earth?
@@A49144-r exactly, people don't understand that the team Pele played in was a super team that won the wc without him, not saying Pele isn't good, but he didn't win 3 wc by his own
Been watching Messi since is debut at barcelona the while ronaldinho was still there, even as a young rookie you can see the signs that he was going to become the goat. Wc or not he is the greatest player in history bar none
Sorry, no sane person can ever say peak Maradona was better than peak Messi, he scored 70+ goals in a single season whilst making fellow world cup winning superstars look distinctly ordinary in comparison.
ESPN are so hypocritical when Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia they said its over for Messi and Argentina but now they're talking about how Messi is the goat 🙄😒
I wonder how Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve fared if Real Madrid picked him up as a teen and he grew up in the academy all the way till his mid 30s around the most amazing supporting cast of players. And then he joined a team like PSG or another team in a somewhat safe, less difficult league to retire in, with another star studded team to cap off an amazing career and add to his stats/totals like Messi. People seem to dismiss Ronaldo but he took the more difficult path, not only with his start in Lisbon but also constantly changing teams and leagues, adapting to them and adapting to an entirely new set of players. It wasn’t necessary, but he felt like proving himself in different leagues. For anyone saying ‘oh but Messi scores against PL/Serie A teams in CL’ while totally ignoring the most annoying/difficult fixtures often happen to be against steely defensive mid-table teams, unpredictable teams nearing relegation and ofcourse very physical teams over an entire season (who are playing for draws) don’t know football. That challenge is not 1:1 with knockout tournaments like the CL where the pressure is to score and win always. Messi fans who dismiss Ronaldo act as if they took a similar career path. They did not. Let alone the different positions they play. I don’t think the comparisons are really valid. Both are GOATs and I wish we could’ve seen them in the same team (maybe still possible in the MLS?).
Great post! This is constantly missed... and I love both players. As well historically, despite Eusabio and Figo, little Portugal was hardly a superpower in the game. They rarely qual'd for WCs before Ronaldo. They've qual'd every cycle since he debuted and even won a European title.
🧢. What easy way out? U talking like they decided how their careers would start and finish. Also the talents and hard work plays a bigger role. We all saw how Messi ended up in PSG lol, denying that is disingenuous. Ronaldo played for a star studded Madrid team that won ucl three times in a row. No one can blame him for being part of that team. All those hypotheticals can be said for Messi as well. Messi played for Barca almost his whole career, with the style of play and all that, playing in a different league no matter what u think of the level of that league, it wasn’t unusual to see him struggle initially. But ofc he had set the bar so high that we couldn’t help but be disappointed lol.
@@obedasante3522 Both Messi and Ronaldo actually do decide how their careers finish, btw. And the whole point about the start IS hypothetical - what if Ronaldo could have controlled how his career started and started out at RM? It doesn't take a genius to know that having the talent that Messi and Ronaldo have, they would both make it out of the respective academies and become star players. But clearly, La Masia is a better start than being at Sporting Lisbon. Second, you bring up how Messi left for PSG - excellent point to show how Messi could've stayed with Barca since he already is the second richest footballer the world has ever seen. But he chose not to and wanted his wages - and the english/spanish media villifies him for it less because of the 'good boy' image they have crafted for him, vs. Ronaldo's 'bad boy' image. It's clear regardless of whom you think is the GOAT, Ronaldo is often the one facing harsher criticism from critics. Let alone the whole 'retiring from Argentina' episode that everyone seems to have forgotten, but won't if Cristiano did the same. Third, yes, he had a great RM side for those 3 consecutive CL titles. He also had a great United side before, and a great Juventus side after. But each time, he had to move to a completely different country, a completely different league with a different feel, different teammates and their style of play, and re-adjust. It's not like Barcelona where Xavi, Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Pique, Busquets etc. were ever present and around Messi on the pitch for a decade. He didn't nearly have to readjust as much as Cristiano Ronaldo. Use as many cap emojis as you want, nothing I said is disputable. It's all facts, Ronaldo did adjust to different leagues and teams, more than Messi. Messi simply chose a more comfortable path. If you don't choose to give importance to the 'Ronaldo excelled in different leagues whereas Messi didn't' point and think Messi would have exceeded regardless, that's your personal opinion, not a fact. With Ronaldo, it's a fact. He's proven it wherever he goes. I didn't pick favorites among them like you did as they both picked different paths and play different positions, I'm not as much of a Ronaldo fan as you are a Ronaldo hater. Try and realize what he's done in the game and have some respect.
@chatukar ‘play different positions’. You missed these 3 words twice - once in the comment above, once in the replies. You also ignored the points I made about different leagues, playing with the same players, etc. Just to mention some Opta stats for two players playing under totally different environments. Neither do you know football, nor do you have the attention span to read a long form comment and see both sides.
If you haven't already decided that Messi is the GOAT you probably never will. I think the people who don't consider Messi as the greatest, never will, no matter what he does. There will always be an excuse in their minds as to why he isn't. They will make all kinds of excuses to justify their opinion, it's as simple as that. I made up my mind a long time ago about him, world cup or not, he is truly the GOAT, no debate to me whatsoever.
Messi has the goalscoring ability of Pele, the dribbling ability of Maradona and the playmaking ability of Cruyff. It's hard to compare players of different eras but I think Messi, Pele and Maradona are in a tier of their own
🤡 take
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@Chris24_ Thank you for your reasoned input 😂
this is stupid biased Messi fanboy logic. every GoAT level footballer can score goals, dribble, and playmake.
P
Tf u talking about?lol Messi has his own very unique dribbling ability and playing style. No other dribbler comes close. It's mind games with messi which he's proven to be a mastermind against defenders. Incase it's difficult for ur obscured vision, Messi is his own self who he invented and that invented self is second to none and has long surpassed the "said abilities" of maradona,Pele or whomever else. He did all that so many years ago. Messi don't compare to people rn. People compare to Messi. Get it Right.
Messi is something only few lucky people get to witness... There never will be another Messi.
People said that about Maradona and Pele
@@alexojideagudifferent eras, maybe in 50-100 yrs we won’t see another player like that those are once in a lifetime players
@@alexojideagu 3 players in 60/70 years show you how elite those class of players are, as good as Ronaldo is (top 5 all time) you cannot compare him to messi.
There won’t be another Ronaldo either
@@nont18411 I mean Haaland is a natural goal scorer like Ronaldo with pace and power and he’s breaking scoring records for his age so
Funny thing is seeing so many people saying Messi scored 3 out of 5 from penalties. Let’s not forget the 3 assists and how he runs the games, he is not about goals only. Also, Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden boot with scoring 5 goals, 3 of them coming from penalties….the hypocrisy.
Yeah Ronaldo scored vs facing Germany,France and Hungary and Belgium
But Messi was facing Australia and Saudi Arabia 😭
@@troyeakb6314Ronaldo/portugal didn’t play against Germany or Belgium in the 2016 euros and in the finals he barely played against france 😁👍
@@saikothapalli4443 So? He got injured what's your point?
He literally scored a goal and gave an amazing assist vs Germany in Euros
He scored a hattrick vs Spain in WC
Messi was stadpadding vs Nigeria and Iran in 2014 WC and then disappeared in knockout stages
Portugal was poor back then, don't ever compare
@@troyeakb6314 you conveniently forgot to mention Poland , Netherland and Croatia
@@troyeakb6314 When was the last time Ronaldo scored in the World Cup knockout stages? In any case, Messi has already surpassed Ronaldo's overall tally of World Cup goals.
The longevity alone makes Messi the best to ever do it
@@vinaysimha6252 bro wrote a whole essay 😂
@@vinaysimha6252 look typical jealous penaldo sucker spotted 🤣🤣🤣
Wait for few more days son
@@vinaysimha6252 I lost my brain cells reading that, but also longevity is important when you want to debate idiots like these espn lot who still claim that maradona and pele are better 💀🤦♂️
Training methods, physios, sport medicine, all those things weren't as good or developed back then, also the rules and referees didn't protect superstars the way they do today, that's why people have longer careers today.
@@ursula3438 Longevity means being able to do that for so long at that level. Only Pele and CR7 compare to him. Maradona was Maradona for 5-6 years Messi has been Messi for 15+ seasons along with CR7. After that it's preference for me it's Messi and it isn't even comparable.
I will no longer entertain any more debates about who is the GOAT. Messi just proved it again👌I am done
If he wins it yea I might have to give it to him over Ronaldo but you can’t dismiss Ronaldo’s ucl titles they have the same resume a World Cup should do it for messi micheal Jordan wasn’t the same after he won his titles and he’s one of the goats so just cause Ronaldo does play like How he did 3 years ago doesn’t mean anything
Impossible to prove either way. Absolute waste of time arguing for either player.
@@jeremiaharevalos7558 foh with that CL bs he’s not even in the debate with 0 dribbles in 5 years. Messi Maradona Pele ✅
What people don’t understand. Messi is not competing against ronaldo. He is competing against maradona and pele.
They both won world cups.
Argument is only over once Messi wins the World Cup.
@@danielr5552 but Pelé won 3 WCs, not 1
If Argentina win the world cup this would be a great tribute to Maradona and Messi for all there contributions to Argentina and the footballing world.
lol
100% Football Is better because of them!
if messi wins the world cup it would be great, you have people in argentina dying of old age without seeing a world cup... the ones who saw it didn't remember it well...
Boca Juniors !
Chal nikal loru
When Ronaldo was at his peak, Messi took Argentina in 2014 to the final only for Higuan not to score the chances that Messi created that day and now also when they are at their ending era times, again Messi takes Argentina to the World Cup final. But the difference now is that guy Alvarez is what Messi needs infront of him. No debate anymore he is the best in the world and Ronaldo second.
Are you comparing Argentina and Portugal or Messi Ronaldo? Argentina waa also going to win
@@maxamed7258 both the teams and the players, in 2014 they both were in their peak and with good team but Messi took the team to the final and now again. But all the time ronaldo has not even reached the semifinal of the World Cup.
Dude you seriously comparing that Portugal to that Argentina team 💀💀💀!?
@@troyeakb6314 yeah that's unfair for argentina, Portugal is way better
Ronaldo at his peak was the most complete player ever
Skills,pace,headers,long range goals,free kicks,assists,left foot and right foot, physical ability
He had everything
Messi was better at just dribbling and assisting than Ronaldo but Ronaldo was a great assist man too in his prime,you think the highest UCL assists came out of no where?💀
We are so lucky to witness this man’s greatness on and off the pitch. What a truly magical sportsman.
taxes...
Messi the 🐑 🐏 🐑
That's why he made a fool of himself by insulting a coach who just recovered from cancer? Great guy...
@@signoresantinoburnett1169 but that coach totally disrespected him before publicly
It was never a debate. Messi the 🐐
🧠⚰️
@wirtzzz💸 Modric and Ronaldo on a ✈️ back home. Stay salty ✌️
@@flo.wartz17 lol keep barking penaldog like you do on every vid
@@joes4697 modric is not going home yet 😞🤔🤣🤣
It was a debate untill he won an international trophy
And it ended when he won Copa America
Messi 🐐🐐🐐
Messi plays exactly how my dad talks about maradona and pele. So there's no debate for this GOAT era.
Ronaldo is better better than both pele and Maradona 😂😂records show that buddy
My dad loves maradona his son loves Messi the goat ❤
@@sharkbait305 for me messi is the goat,ronaldo is a close second....
And messi has better numbers than maradona while playing lik him (even better most prob) and more g/a than pele, soon will have more goals as well.
@@sharkbait305 what record dude ??
I think even Ronaldo knows Messi's the GOAT. Some of the things Messi has done will never be replicated again. What's amazing is that Ronaldo managed to make it a debate.
It doesn't matter what Cristiano Ronaldo knows, he has never been anywhere near this debate. You can quote his opinion same way that you can quote some other great footballers' opinions, but not as a rival. Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the best ever conversation.
You're very much correct but I sincerely believe R9 is the greatest to have played the game, along with Ronaldinho and Pele.. Maradona then Messi and CR.. Zidane
@@jessejj86 ronaldinho himself said messi is better
Ronaldo's greatest achievement was to be a rival to Messi... it took a phenomenal amount of effort to get close.
@@johnnybill_ better than who? Do you have eyes to see? LeBron James says he's the best, does that make him the best. I wish you young ones had the opportunity ity to watch 94, 98, 02 world cups.. those were tourneys. There were no less than 50 greats playing in those tournaments. Those ages will forever be etched in the annals of football history. Holland Team along had 11 football stars.. didn't win though
This debate ended when messi scored 91 goals and 22 assist in 1 calendar year 💀
There was never a debate. Messi was always clear
Season 🎄 Greetings...
I've had the feeling BTC would be going to 18k as well. Clearing out all my Alts going into BTC and ATUSD2 only, maybe a little BNB.
Very nice, I just h-o-d-l for the time being, I'm still considering 🙄....
@@dolliewalls725 S
the debate was ended by Messi years ago.
Yes
This man is 35 yet this movement is like he’s still 23.
Messi was greatest at the age of 24 .... No matter what are u thinking
He was the greatest in our lifetime, but did you watch Pele and Maradona? You can only judge the player's you've personally seen.
@@ursula3438 neither u have seen them play but atleast we can compare stats
Yes
@@penaldopessi6931 Remove that cringe f@990t pfp and maybe people will take your opinions seriously.
Finals is not gonna define him if he is the goat, messi has proved himself time and time again throughout the tournament. Who made these guys the pundits for this show
if Messi wins the WC The Circle of GOAT is complete after that he'll have 8 ballon d'ors too
I think he'd have to win a domestic double with PSG. Or the UCL. I don't think it's given a WC win will get him another ballon d'or.
@@DuxEtRex even if he gets good numbers (35-40 G, 15-20 A) and WC (being the golden ball), he will surely and rightly deserve it.
@@DuxEtRex it is possible if he wins the league title IMO. He’s in great form for PSG and in the WC he’s been absolutely clutch and MOTM in almost every game which is the biggest stage in the world.
@@DuxEtRex I mean what did modric do when he won the Balon d ‘or Ronaldo had all the stats that year with Real Madrid with UCL etc and modric just took croatia to the final only to get slaughtered by France if that’s the case Messi deserves the 8th one regardless his domestic contribution he made Argentina reach final and itsy pitsy goals and assists contribution will give him right in that sense
@@weightwhat_ I'm glad someone understands how Ronaldo was robbed of that Ballon do'r
Messi is another definition of love, the entire world is discussing him and tbh him alone ❤🌎
There was no debate to begin with. Bozos be so hung up with bias they fail to see objective facts. How many times Messi have stepped up for Argentina now? Creating chances, providing impossible assists, scoring himself. How many finals have it been that Messi & his team's brilliance took them to? There's one Copa win against Brazil IN Brazil there too. After Saudi match when everything was done & dusted, it seemed over for Argentina, its Messi who stepped up yet again against Mexico & simply didn't stop there, he carried his momentum to send Argentina to yet again another final.
If that isn't the hallmark of a GOAT, then I simply don't know what is.
You're so right man, that ppl even debate about this is insane. I think they haven't watched enough football in their lives.
Takk is cheap. By age 35 Pele had won 3 World Cups and retired from international football. Now, this doddering 35 year old, who looks 70, is still gasping for its first World Cup. I hope France reaches the final and puts it out misery once and for all.
@@bekisiphotshili2566h stop 😂😂😂 you’re comparing two completely different eras !
Different rules, different attributes, styles, circumstances. Pele had a stacked team like Mbappe does now. Stop it
@@cryptodeity Ok, so if I am comparing different times that also applies to Messi, right? He shouldn't be compared to Pele because, according to your logic, they play in different eras. So your little bow-legged hero is not a GOAT. Meaning he can't be the greatest of all time. Isn't it amazing that all of Messi's rivals' success in this debate is attributed to their team mates, not them. And yet we know that Argentina is and has always been a stacked team. Messi has played alongside some of the greats. He has not made them winners. Angel Di maria, Batistuta, Higuain, Crespo, Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez, Riquelme, Zanetti, etc. You have to be an idiot to not have this information in your head when discussing Argentina.
@@bekisiphotshili2566 cry more
35 years old and he still pulls out numbers and performances like a player in his prime.
The debate was futile long long ago. He is just something else entirely. "The Football God" for me.
One more game and he will finally get the happiness he so deserve. That's all the Final is to me. He is the GOAT with or without it. Frank said it best, you don't need to win World Cup to be the best ever. George Weah, Ali Daei, Mokhtar Dahari and many more never got to even play in this tournament yet they are legends of the game.
1 more game.
Vamos Leo! Vamos Argentina!
Not better than CR7 but still one of the greats.
But when you are on a team capable of winning the World Cup then yes you should be able to lead them to the trophy if you’re the best ever. That’s why zidane is the best ever to me.
I wish I could like this comment over and over
@@vindre7 lmao......
Football really has a short memory
People really forgot what CR7 was in his prime
He was the most complete player ever to have ever kicked a ball
People just start debating coz he's old now and has lost that prowess
Lol pathetic world
If Argentina win the World Cup then the debate is over. If they lose, the debate is still over. He still reached 2 World Cup finals
Nope
Ronaldo never took retirement cuz he lost a international game
If iguana would have scored those goals he would of one that World Cup vs Germany He put a couple passes for 1v1 with the keeper and they missed SMH
Iguain *
Won*
Players like mbappe , haaland would slow down once they get old enough as a player like 28-30 and once their speed goes down they can't do much , while leo messi almost 36 despite being slowing down in speed , he didn't slowed down since he started showing his masterclass , every year we witness something incredible by this man , and in this world cup which is one of the most hardest , most exciting and unexpected world cup and he's performing like this level , so you have to admit that he's an undisputed goat 🐐
I can see mbappe getting slower, but no matter how slow haaland gets, his brute strength is his specialty.
Messsi is just simply the best😭😭😭😭
I don't know if Messi is the Goat, but I do know that there's no way Ronaldo is. Ronaldo is always getting compared to Messi. Most conversations don't compare him to Pele, Maradona, etc, which is exactly who people compare Messi to.
This is no hate as I've loved watching Ronaldo for a long time. He's a great, great player, but he cannot be considered the goat when he's playing in an era in which someone is clearly better than him.
Messi is the best there is ...stop smoking crack
Bc Ronaldo passed pele and Maradona long ago 😂😂😂
You know that's nonsense... The reason people compare Messi to Pele and Maradona is to discredit him using international success
Because he surpassed them he was on the top of the game for 15 years along with messi nobody in history of football did that only them,they were neck and neck (of course messi has 7 ballon d'ors with 6 golden boots and ronaldo 5 with 4 golden boots i understand that.
And i agree 100% messi is the goat but ronaldo is clear 2nd no debating that
You can mention world cup success, but they dont tell the whole story, the consistency and stats they are not lying...
@@sharkbait305 in penalty and tap ins.
lmao maradona is legendary but messi is definitely clear. so many objectively superior stats aside from trophies and awards alone. remember when messi had 91 goals in a calendar year? cmon bruh lmao
What a legend! ❤️ love you Josh
Having a more successful career in terms of statistics is *NOT* the same as being a better footballer in terms of ability. 🙄
Pele was superior to messi in every way while being more stronger, athletic, skill-ful.
Maradona and Messi are very close to each other stylistically. The only thing separating them is the 500 extra goals Messi has scored.
In terms of longevity and sustained excellence there is no debate at all, Messi is clearly the best, but many who watched Maradona say that his peak might have been a bit higher than Messi's.
@@jvjjjvvv9157 seen both these guys in there prime and i just shade diego over messi
@@jvjjjvvv9157 91 goals 28 assists i dont know what u call peak
And a couple of world cups
@@matsumoto_9562 one wc ...where did couple of come from
Ppl will always lean to nostalgia in these sort of debates... for our generation it's gonna be messi always and forever no matter what future players do
In today’s modern football, Messi is GOAT! Post Pele and Maradona era football was different…and they were great in that era!
If you’re talking about Messi vs Cristiano, it was never a GOAT competition, it was stats battle. Greatness goes beyond stats.
Lol...there is no debate...even the ones living in denial knows its always Messi!!!!
Why hasnt ronaldo been compared to greats like pele and maradona more oftrn??
It always against messi and messi is like leagues above him
This is gonna be messi's 2nd world cup final
Ronaldo hasnt even seen the semi's
Actually he has but he wasn’t the captain of team , Figo was
He went to the semis back in 2006 with Figo as captain
Don’t talk wat u don’t know
@@youngbaby464 Messi is more than miles ahead.
Ronaldo the so called GOAT has 0 goals in KO stages of the World Cup.
Messi being a Barcelona product is the exact combination of Cruyff & Maradona.
Exactly. Messi = Maradona + La Masia education + a professional lifestyle. There's the argentinian heritage/talent (Maradona) and the Barca nurturing (Cruyff). Also he scores hundreds of goals, like he's Gerd Müller or something.
Argentina haven’t conceded more then 2 shots on target against their goal in any game.
Saudi Arabia: 2
Mexico: 1
Poland: 0
Australia: 1
Netherlands: 2
Croatia: 2
The Saudi Arabia game is such a crazy statistical anomaly
Well, they haven't played a serious team. Only Netherlands really was a fight for them. We have to see what they do vs a top team like France, and not Morocco.
They have been defensive good starting from the front. With way less possession, they decimated Croatia
@@EthanCruise So a team that made 2018 final and just beat Brazil isn't serious?
@@saiyerugara9038would Argentina rather have faced Brazil? You know your answer.
I agree with Frank some great players were born in some countries that can't compete for it .
Lionel Messi is the story of a professional footballer who never gives up in the struggle of life. The mentality of repeatedly saying goodbye to the national team and turning around again brought Messi to the final of the World Cup in Qatar today. Lionel Messi is the only one fit for the World Cup
Penalties. Tap ins. Ghosting. Diving.
Long ago, the four lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Moroccans attacked. Only Penaldo, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when his country needed him most, he vanished.
Ight bro 💀
🤣🤣🤣
Yooo hahaha
What a poem
@@havefaithinjesuschristjesu1359 not a poem. It’s the opening to Avatar animated series
Comparisons don’t matter anymore, we’re all just appreciating the last dance
For those who understand this game, the debate was over a long time ago, or better yet, there never was one!
I remember CR7 fans calling out Messi for the 2014 WC where Messi had 0 KO stages goals, claiming CR7 would have scored in the "big games because he's not a group stage merchant", but who has played 5 WC with 0 KO goals? I just saw Messi score in the R16, QF, and SF.
Yea you can put that $ht to bed
4 non existent pens
@@williemafia4189 tel the opponent not to foul in the box 🤣
@@williemafia4189 Australia goal was not a pen
Ronaldo didn't even make it past the group stage in 2014 to begin with😂
If you've watched Messi since Barcelona you'd know he's "that guy"
Never close, never a debate
Can cr7 fans explain why they think he's better than messi. Because on stats messi has won 90 % of them when compared to ronaldo doesn't that by factual data prove he's better?
Ronaldo work hard to become where his at , Messi was born with talent, Messi is loved by everyone, Ronaldo hated by everyone, Argentina team mates want him to win the cup , Portugal not that much envy most likely,I think Portugal has an elite squad overall just bad coaching, overall it just comes out as preference
cry7 gets a penalty out of the box
cry7 has an own head in real madrid
Because if I was a manager, with our team in a cup final and losing by a goal, I had one player to bring on, it would be Ronaldo for me. That is how I determine who I honestly think of as the best player. Never mind the stats and goals against weaker teams or in a league match, when it comes to a final and I need something special to come out, I'd put on Cristiano Ronaldo. Before you disagree with me, I'm not trying to tell you that you have to like CR7 more or think he is the best, of course Messi is fantastic and I understand why many consider him the best, but you asked why cr7 fans think he's better, and I have explained to you my reasoning for why I personally think that. Cheers!
Its mostly goals.... More international goals, more UCL goals, more overall goals, more hat tricks...
The other major arguments are the fact he is a more complete athlete, able to score in more different ways (like headers); the fact he is more clutch because of several memorable clutch performances, and of course, the fact that he is more relatable (and therefore more inspirational), since Ronaldo is actually a HUMAN, while Messi is an alien.
@@DeltaBravoTango yeah but if you had Messi your team wouldn’t be down by a goal lol
Pele, Maradona - come on guys, open your eyes until it's too late
World Cup or not, Messi will remain my number 1 greatest footballer ever. The goat.
@@penaldopessi6931 greatest of all time. That's the meaning. Please create your own personal content, and don't against others contents.
@@penaldopessi6931 you don't need to know who wrote bible or quran to understand what it inside of each if you read them very well. I have watched the videos of each players and Messi is the best to me. Again at over 50 years, i watched Maradona played in 3 world cup, Messi is the best. Who is the best to you brother? Stop against others options, create your own.
@@penaldopessi6931 even pple that knows football very well believes that Messi is the g.o.a.t hope you're not thinking it's cr7 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁 lol. Sorry ooo
Messi just convincing more and more people that he is the GOAT ❤️❤️❤️
Messi has always been better than CR7. Whether he is better than Maradona, Pele etc it’s impossible to tell as we can’t compare correctly across eras
Even if Argentina doesn't win the finals, reaching two and being the tournament's best player definitely puts him ahead of Ronaldo. But Pele and Maradona will still remain in the debate if Argentina loses
It's not a debate u fool
@Quik_Quack messi has been the best player in 2014 and 2022 wc and reached the finals. He did twice what ronaldo couldn't( decent in 2006 and 2018 rest was quite average). I am a fan of cr7 myself but this world cup messi has shown how a last dance should be.
@@quik_quack1723so is Messi the goat now?
They said "Messi can't be the GOAT because he's never won the world cup", now that he is one game away from doing just that, they are saying it doesn't matter.
Wasnt he there 2014? Germany beat them. Shut up
17 year's and still setting record you have classified him as the best to played the game especially at the age of 35 🙏🇦🇷😉
You can say the GOAT debate is over between Messi and Ronaldo, but not with everyone who ever played the game. It's time we realized the difference.
There was never any debate. Maradona gave us a few magic moments. Messi has given us 15 years of magic. Tap in experts can take a hike.
There are nearly 600 players who have won the World Cup. But there's only 1 man on this planet to have won 7 ballon d'ors (8th one loading).
The debate is never over. But yes Messi is finally proving to be a leader.
The debate has been over for years sir
It's officially over in 2019..the deuded fans forces it.
Iniesta is better. He was a big game player. Motm in World Cup, Euro, Ucl final . Messi can never do that. Iniesta carried Messi in Barca
Okay
@@ferndale6652 I'm the biggest don andres iniesta fanatic trust me when I tell u this, I have newspaper cutouts of wayne Rooney saying iniesta the best player in the world David silva saying it.
Don andres his dribbling is so similar to leo even as a die hard don andres fan id tell you this don andres might have had more impact on certain games than messi, neymar might have been the better player many times when leo played with him, ronaldo might have been better thene messi for a couple of seasons.
But no one no one at Leo's peak comes even remotely close to his ability and impact on games.
The man had three insane peaks
2008-2010- Dribbling for fun still has decent goal scoring numbers
2012- greatest goalscorer ever
2018- carried the whole team on his back 😌 complete player, best playmaker, elite goalscorer, elite dribbler.
the thing that Messi has over Maradona is longevity, skill wise they are quite equal, but Maradona retired when he was 34 meanwhile Messi is 35 and still in his prime carrying Argentina to a World Cup Final
maradona was only at his prime for max 6 years of that as well. messi's been at his prime for something like 16 years. They're incomparable
@@lankywang9543 exactly, he was at his prime when he was at napoli.
@@hulk8384 he also never won the UCL
The debate about CR7 and Messi is over (if there ever should have been one).
The debate about who was better between Messi, Maradona and Pele will go on forever.....
As a huge fan of Diego, who has Napoli and Argentina shirts from the 80s etc........ its Messi.
It's still. The G.O.A.T debate is between Pele, Maradona, and Messi. If it is for marketing, CR7 will be involved.
The thing which makes him GOAT is not just his skills which is godly but his consistency to keep up his form. His bad phase is smaller than bad phase of other footballers. That what makes him a GOAT
So the discussion is whether the GOAT is Pele, Maradona or Messi? 😅😅
I love this!
Someone out there crying of his sick narcissism listening to this!
The way I see it, Messi is "a" GOAT. One of "the" GOATS. Players before Messi (Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Van Basten, Gerd Muller, Zidane, R9, Ronaldinho etc) were special and brought new dynamics to the sport. The single greatest of all time player will vary forever, transcending past, present, and future. The sports media always wants to label a single player, but the reality is that you can be the best at something, and not necessarily be the greatest ever. Because that comes down to opinion, preference, bias, nationalism, club supported, envy, jealousy, or disliking someone for their off the field persona. In any sport, you can find the player considered the greatest by the media, but the fans would not agree always. In basketball, you have Jordan vs Lebron/Kobe/Chamberlain/Bird etc. Tennis you got Federer vs Nadal/Djokovic, Baseball you got Mays/Babe Ruth/Bonds/Robinson vs many newer young hall of famers. Point being, Messi is a complete player (playmaking, scoring, dribbling, vision) possibly best of last 15-20 years. But the greatest single player ever in past/present/future is whoever you want it to be. So rather than debating to prove who is the GOAT, a more effective thing to do would be to state why "you" believe which player is the best and respect opinions that differ from yours. Obviously there are crazy fanatics of players that insult/mock other players to make their favorite star look better, but the football community that loves the sport can appreciate all talent. For example, I think Messi is better footballer than CR7 (skillwise, football IQ, natural talent), but I hold CR7 career higher overall in terms of legacy/influence. CR7 has been the only player to reach a level set by Messi and compete and motivate one another for 15+ years. Season after season, these two battled it out for personal accolades, competed in UCL, battled for La Liga trophies, golden boots etc. Messi having the edge in Liga titles/golden boots, Ronaldo more Champions Leagues and records such as International goals, goals all time. If CR7 didn't emerge the player he was, Messi would have easily won 12 straight Ballon D'ors. Both CR7 and Messi hold each other with the highest regard. CR7 saying that Messi is "magic, fantastic player, top etc), Messi when asked about the next greatest player after him, he mentioned Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, Suarez. When pressed about Cr7 he said he excluded him because he places him in the category with him. That's the best compliment I could think of from a rival. For rival fans to trash the other player is nonsense, simply enjoy and admire the greatness two goats leave behind. My opinion is not up for debate, neither should yours. Just respect everyones. ✌
surely penaldo spokeperson
@@acmilanrossoneri1419 that's what you concluded? I legit stated Messi is a GOAT. Personal preference dictates who you place higher on your list of greats. I also mentioned the fans that rely on insults to depreciate rival players. To each their own. Messi is balling at the WC on the verge of achieving ARG immortality like Maradona.
I mean Messi's stats are leagues ahead of the other players you posted. Messi is not just a player, that man is a freak of nature.
@medalgearsalad1419 oh yeah most definitely. He's out of this world, generational talent. Only CR7 has "comparable" stats, and even then CR7 is 2nd in some of them. Unreal numbers from them. But like Stevie/Frank said in this video, many ppl will continue to hold Maradona or Pele as the greatest regardless. Nostalgia, admiration, personal preference of skills or teams, nationalism, all play a role in picking your #1 player in history. Messi winning WC on Sunday would definitely sway the picture in his favor.
The debate of the GOAT is never going away but for me Messi is the GOAT of football, I didn't watch maradona, Pele and Cruyff play football because I wasn't born in their era
You didn't watch Maradona? You are that young?
Messi going to PSG made him adapt his play style a bit and that is starting to show in Argentina, in the past he played the normal Barca way with Argentina and that only got him so far. Now he is using his team more and playing off them, letting others be the focus point in some plays. It also helps that this Argentina team has great players compared to the last few years
Comparing Messi/Ronaldo to Pele/Maradona is like comparing Curry/Lebron to Jordan/Kobe. It’s pointless. 2 different eras, different rules. I’m a Messi fan but respect Ronaldo for what he’s done for futbol. Messi and Ronaldo are the best players of our time.
Kobi and Jordan did not play in the same era.
This is the Ronaldo and Messi era.
People need to also see. Ronaldo did not sit by and allow Messi to be the best, he worked hard to be on his level and challenge for Balon Dors. Both are extremely talented and magical players. We are lucky to have seen them.
Nobody cares about Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t even the best Ronaldo
@@juanpalma919 like your mom she is not the best
The debate only existed because of Cristiano fans pushing it in every argument. If we measured one's GOAT status in terms of their brilliance in performance besides goals, Leo ended the debate 5 years ago.
Pephas already played Haaland and Alvarez is a couple games. The problem is you have to play 442. You can't play 442 against most teams. It also means they have to drop Bernardo/Gundogan.
So let me get this right, for someone like Messi that has won everything in his whole entire career will have to win a world cup to be name the Goat? But someone like maradona or pele that only won a quarter of what Messi has already achieved and then both retired in less years of playing than Messi and Messi still performing at a formidable level at the age of 35 and people want to say that maradona or pele are the Goats simply bc they played 8 games in the world cup and won it?? I'm sorry but that is ridiculous!! My own opinion.
They move the goal posts so much
Having a more successful career in terms of statistics is *NOT* the same as being a better footballer in terms of ability. 🙄
@@lonelyboy1977 except Messi has had the better career AND is better in terms of ability than maradona Pele or R9
@@william_SMMA LOL!!! Get back to me when Messi dominates a World Cup tournament in the same way Maradona owned Mexico '86. 👍
@@lonelyboy1977 Messi is already doing it now
Get back to me when Maradona dominates a UCL final like Messi did in 2011
Or get back to me when Maradona scores 790 career goals
Why don't you also get back to me when Maradona has 6 golden boots
As well as 5 IFFHS playmaker awards
Everything maradona has done, Messi would have done if he wins on Sunday
But there's an insane list of things Messi has done that Maradona hasn't even come close to surpassing lol
1) Pele
2) Maradona
3) Leo Messi
4) Johan Cruyff
5) Cristiano Ronaldo
The 5 Football GOATS of all time
They change the parameters again. Well done fc crew
Fans will always be fans so the debate will always continue. The world cup don't even finish as yet but fans of a individual player finding ways to end the debate prematurely.
It's Done and it's over, Messi is the Ultimate GOAT 🙏🤩
THERE WAS NEVER A DEBATE
Oh shut up. You guys will never stop using Maradona and Pele to win a debate that's no longer valid. Pele played his life during a time when athletes weren't what they are now with sports science nor are his exploits all at the elite level except the world cups. Maradonas whole shtick for his immortality is that he was a God on the ball could carry teams and dragged his nation to a world cup. Messi did all of the magic for way longer and was always said that not winning the world cup is the reason Pele Maradona are better. Now they're making the narrative that world cup don't matter now that Messi is close to winning. I'm not even a Messi fan but jeez lol enough with the preconceived notions. It's over
Messi : Goal Scorer, Playmaker, Dribbler, Forward, Attacking Midfielder, winger after his prime (age)
Ronaldo: Goal Scorer (mostly penalty) Dribbler, forward & ........nothing more, even in his prime (age). No world Cup finals too.
Why was this debate even there?
Because most kids thesedays only look at who scored the goals by watching UA-cam highlights, they don't actually watch the entire games. Only people who have consistently for over a decade watched most Messi and Ronaldo games can actually have a real opinion about this. It will then be easy to see which player is more superior.
If you didn’t watch the game and didn’t know who won, you would think Messi lost from the title.
Stevie is obsessed with the 80’s.
He has witnessed both play numerous times for 90 minutes, have you?
1. Messi
2. Ronaldo (CR7)
3. Zidane
4. Maradona
5. Ronaldo (Brazil)
It doesn't matter to Messi if he's the greatest. All this causes division between football fans. how many many Ronaldo followers have actually changed their minds, they say UCL is more worthy. Or goals scored or records shattered. Some see greatness by the silverware won
Others by the numbers they put up on their career.
Others by the influence the person had in their life.
You can't measure greatness like that
You can say Ronaldo, at this moment is the greatest champions league player
And Pele is the greatest in world cups
But to say the greatest overall it just can't be measured like that
your trying to sneak renaldo in there as the greatest while you compliment pele where is messi he is the greatest dribbler and simply the greatest player to ever exist
@@sarsvfx I wasn't sneaking him in. I had to mention him to make a point.
“How did that effect your diving?” LOL
The GOAT will never go over, this is part of the whole debate. It keeps going on and on until the end of time!😂
Until messi win wc and one more ballondr
@@GLOBE_TALKS Even in that case people will debate.
@@King-Vis then those people who will continue this debate have no sense
@@GLOBE_TALKS That's your opinion. Everyone creates their own criteria. I personally don't care too much about stuff like that.
The day Messi stepped on that pitch and scored his first goal, history was written to eternity
What if Morocco beats France??? Is that one of the biggest upsets in the history of futbol??
Yes. It would be.
It would be by far the biggest upset in any sport, ever
Let’s hope
I'd personally feel it will be the football's biggest upset. Every time I remember Morocco, I never can count them out from going to the finals.
If they win the cup it will be the biggest upset of any sport, hands down.
Ronaldo has 100 for his country against poor sides mainly. Messi would easily have 100 goals playing in Euro Qualifying. It's a great achievement but arguably just a commentry on the inequality of modern football in qualifying rounds as much as Ronaldo been one of the greats. In South America Ronaldo wouldn't have chance to get 100 goals. Not possible consdiering the sides he'd face.
Okay but Ronaldo also has more goals in tourneys against World Cup winning teams and fifa ranked top 10 teams, so it’s not really fair to say that he only scores against the small teams, especially when a good portion of messis goals have come in friendlies
Portugal is a small Euro nation that rarely even qualified for a WC before Ronaldo (2 or 3 times). He led them to quals and became contenders since his debut and even won a Euro title. He'll likely retire after this WC. We'll see if they return to their former status when he does.
@@Tadaia let's be honest, their team is good... Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes...Quaresma before... Are these amateurs?...
@@Tadaia also United without Penaldo, 2019 final, 2011 final... Yeah Penaldo carried United... Also Real winning without Ronaldo, Kaka....
@@Andrei19Maran Oh yes, nice players. Many teams have them. Still... the history is there. He was "that guy". As well I think we'll find out in the years to come who Portugal is without him.
There was never a debate. 10-1 footballers choose Messi. How is that a debate? It’s only a debate when you put the general public into the mix.
Especially when there are women in the general public who goes for the pretty boy
To me, Messi's performance in this World Cup does nothing to end the "G.O.A.T. debate" because as much as I love Messi, he will never be better than Pele. If he wins the World Cup, it may strengthen the argument of whether or not he is better than Maradona but I have them all in the very top tier of all-time footballers and I really think that Pele was the greatest of all time. The one debate that Messi has officially ended, though, is the silly one that cristiano ronaldo fans have been trying to conjure up all these years that their man was ever better than Messi. Now, THAT debate is now sleeping in tears in a buried coffin somewhere.
Why are you saying Pele is better?
Did you watch him or because he has 3 wc?
I watched thier games available and I think Maradona was better. Yess Pele had 3 WC( he played in two and was injured in other) and he had Garrincha, Vava, Didi Jarainzo Carlos Alberto Gerson etc . The difference is Pele was like one of best in team who scores most ,, Maradona was clearly above the rest.
Did you actually see Pele playing at a regular basis or are you just basing your opinion by "he won the world cup 3 times" in an era when dinosaurs rules the earth?
Messi is obviously the greatest of modern era BUT Pele is the greatest of all time. All those football greats cannot be wrong
@@A49144-r exactly, people don't understand that the team Pele played in was a super team that won the wc without him, not saying Pele isn't good, but he didn't win 3 wc by his own
Can’t believe these guys are talking about the final with Argentina and France, disrespecting to Morocco
Messi isn't the G.O.A.T... titles like that just makes ppl compare him to others. Messi is Football
Why do Messi fans always say the most cringe things man😂
Messi is an average football player
Them man who say CR7 at this point must be in love with him😂😂
Leading Argentina to 5 finals in 8 years is legendary. Regardless of the outcome Sunday the debate is over imo.
Messi proved us already infact we're even lucky to be born on this generation of Messi with the modern football indeed Leo Messi u super human
Been watching Messi since is debut at barcelona the while ronaldinho was still there, even as a young rookie you can see the signs that he was going to become the goat. Wc or not he is the greatest player in history bar none
Sorry, no sane person can ever say peak Maradona was better than peak Messi, he scored 70+ goals in a single season whilst making fellow world cup winning superstars look distinctly ordinary in comparison.
he prove it again just like 2014🔥🔥🔥 whatever if he win or not Messi 🐐🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Messi is far better this time than he was in 2014.
ESPN are so hypocritical when Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia they said its over for Messi and Argentina but now they're talking about how Messi is the goat 🙄😒
I wonder how Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve fared if Real Madrid picked him up as a teen and he grew up in the academy all the way till his mid 30s around the most amazing supporting cast of players. And then he joined a team like PSG or another team in a somewhat safe, less difficult league to retire in, with another star studded team to cap off an amazing career and add to his stats/totals like Messi.
People seem to dismiss Ronaldo but he took the more difficult path, not only with his start in Lisbon but also constantly changing teams and leagues, adapting to them and adapting to an entirely new set of players. It wasn’t necessary, but he felt like proving himself in different leagues. For anyone saying ‘oh but Messi scores against PL/Serie A teams in CL’ while totally ignoring the most annoying/difficult fixtures often happen to be against steely defensive mid-table teams, unpredictable teams nearing relegation and ofcourse very physical teams over an entire season (who are playing for draws) don’t know football. That challenge is not 1:1 with knockout tournaments like the CL where the pressure is to score and win always.
Messi fans who dismiss Ronaldo act as if they took a similar career path. They did not. Let alone the different positions they play. I don’t think the comparisons are really valid. Both are GOATs and I wish we could’ve seen them in the same team (maybe still possible in the MLS?).
Great post! This is constantly missed... and I love both players. As well historically, despite Eusabio and Figo, little Portugal was hardly a superpower in the game. They rarely qual'd for WCs before Ronaldo. They've qual'd every cycle since he debuted and even won a European title.
🧢. What easy way out? U talking like they decided how their careers would start and finish. Also the talents and hard work plays a bigger role. We all saw how Messi ended up in PSG lol, denying that is disingenuous. Ronaldo played for a star studded Madrid team that won ucl three times in a row. No one can blame him for being part of that team. All those hypotheticals can be said for Messi as well. Messi played for Barca almost his whole career, with the style of play and all that, playing in a different league no matter what u think of the level of that league, it wasn’t unusual to see him struggle initially. But ofc he had set the bar so high that we couldn’t help but be disappointed lol.
@@obedasante3522 Both Messi and Ronaldo actually do decide how their careers finish, btw. And the whole point about the start IS hypothetical - what if Ronaldo could have controlled how his career started and started out at RM? It doesn't take a genius to know that having the talent that Messi and Ronaldo have, they would both make it out of the respective academies and become star players. But clearly, La Masia is a better start than being at Sporting Lisbon.
Second, you bring up how Messi left for PSG - excellent point to show how Messi could've stayed with Barca since he already is the second richest footballer the world has ever seen. But he chose not to and wanted his wages - and the english/spanish media villifies him for it less because of the 'good boy' image they have crafted for him, vs. Ronaldo's 'bad boy' image. It's clear regardless of whom you think is the GOAT, Ronaldo is often the one facing harsher criticism from critics. Let alone the whole 'retiring from Argentina' episode that everyone seems to have forgotten, but won't if Cristiano did the same.
Third, yes, he had a great RM side for those 3 consecutive CL titles. He also had a great United side before, and a great Juventus side after. But each time, he had to move to a completely different country, a completely different league with a different feel, different teammates and their style of play, and re-adjust. It's not like Barcelona where Xavi, Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Pique, Busquets etc. were ever present and around Messi on the pitch for a decade. He didn't nearly have to readjust as much as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Use as many cap emojis as you want, nothing I said is disputable. It's all facts, Ronaldo did adjust to different leagues and teams, more than Messi. Messi simply chose a more comfortable path. If you don't choose to give importance to the 'Ronaldo excelled in different leagues whereas Messi didn't' point and think Messi would have exceeded regardless, that's your personal opinion, not a fact. With Ronaldo, it's a fact. He's proven it wherever he goes.
I didn't pick favorites among them like you did as they both picked different paths and play different positions, I'm not as much of a Ronaldo fan as you are a Ronaldo hater. Try and realize what he's done in the game and have some respect.
@@anarki_in5680 facts 👍
@chatukar ‘play different positions’. You missed these 3 words twice - once in the comment above, once in the replies. You also ignored the points I made about different leagues, playing with the same players, etc.
Just to mention some Opta stats for two players playing under totally different environments.
Neither do you know football, nor do you have the attention span to read a long form comment and see both sides.
If he wins the WC trophy that debate between him and CR7 is completely over.
If you haven't already decided that Messi is the GOAT you probably never will. I think the people who don't consider Messi as the greatest, never will, no matter what he does. There will always be an excuse in their minds as to why he isn't. They will make all kinds of excuses to justify their opinion, it's as simple as that. I made up my mind a long time ago about him, world cup or not, he is truly the GOAT, no debate to me whatsoever.
Good for you. That’s YOUR OPINION
There was never a debate to begin with 😂
Two finals on his own
Real GOAT
On his own?
And won none.
Overall/Longevity wise
1. Messi
2. CR7
3. R9
4. Maradona
5. Zidane
Prime for prime (peak)
1. R9
2. Messi
3. Maradona
4. Ronaldinho
5. CR7/Kaka