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Who's the Greatest? Pele? Messi? Carlton Palmer?

Archibald&Crooks

Aegina Expat
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Feb 1, 2005
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From the BBC Sport website:

No matter how old you are, or who you grew up watching, one man has long dominated the debate about just who was the greatest footballer of all time.

From World Cup glory at 17 to Escape to Victory theatrics via 1,000 goals, Gordon Banks' save, and outrageous dummies, Pele has been a walking, talking showreel for more than half a century.

Was he the finest player to ever grace the game - or are the modern-day superstars a cut above?

As Pele turns 80, BBC Sport asks you to rate his achievements among some of the other GOATs (from this list) - and you can put them in order at the bottom...

Note: The Ballon d'Or could only be won by a European player until 1995


Rank your greatest from their list by clicking on the link.
 
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Col_M

Pointing out the Obvious
Feb 28, 2012
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That flipping save. It was good but they are 10 a penny.

depends on definition of Great. Does it include Decency, Trophy Count, Off field Sainthood? Or is it just magic feet on the pitch?

It will always be Diego for me. Flawed genius who played in a time when defenders were allowed to wield medieval swords or sledgehammers to take any talent out at the knees or ankles
 
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nattydredd

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Jul 20, 2015
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My top vote would go to Pele. I was young in 1970 but remember his exploits well. That Brazil team was the greatest ever in my honest opinion. 3 World Cup winners medals for Pele.

My uncle would put Puskas and di Stefano higher, but I never saw them play, so I can't rank them

 

Tel Boy

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Jan 2, 2007
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From that list - Diego Maradona. Was a fantastic player.

But for me it will always be Glenn ❤
 

kr1978

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
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I’ve only ever seen clips and stuff of Pele so I would agree with the ones above, Maradona is the best ever for me and definitely the best I’ve watched-he pretty much single handed dragged Argentina to the 86 World Cup win .

He would be phenomenal now with the protection players get
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
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Jimmy Greaves.

Everyone else is just a pale reflection.
Always happy for an excuse to post this quote:

1603445154331.png
 

SlotBadger

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Jul 24, 2013
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I think it has to be Messi, but he’s far from the first player on that list I’d pay to watch. He's a near unstoppable machine of a player, but he's not quite as "fun," in my opinion. I prefer watching Cristiano Ronaldo, but even then I'd much rather watch these three (plus several others):

Not a fan of him as a manager but Zidane is the single most beautiful footballer I’ve seen play. Elegance isn’t often something you associate with football but his touch, poise and grace was unparalleled.

Maradona was the driving force of Argentina's '86 World Cup and he nearly single-handedly won them a consecutive trophy. My earliest memory of him was at the '94 WC, scoring a screamer from the edge of the box and running over to shout into a camera (shortly before testing positive for cocaine :D).

The only idol I've had/will have is Ronaldo. I met him at Wembley in 1995 and adored him ever since. Even after he became "fat" and lost a yard of pace, his finishing was devastating.
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
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I think it has to be Messi, but he’s far from the first player on that list I’d pay to watch. He's a near unstoppable machine of a player, but he's not quite as "fun," in my opinion. I prefer watching Cristiano Ronaldo, but even then I'd much rather watch these three (plus several others):

Not a fan of him as a manager but Zidane is the single most beautiful footballer I’ve seen play. Elegance isn’t often something you associate with football but his touch, poise and grace was unparalleled.

Maradona was the driving force of Argentina's '86 World Cup and he nearly single-handedly won them a consecutive trophy. My earliest memory of him was at the '94 WC, scoring a screamer from the edge of the box and running over to shout into a camera (shortly before testing positive for cocaine :D).

The only idol I've had/will have is Ronaldo. I met him at Wembley in 1995 and adored him ever since. Even after he became "fat" and lost a yard of pace, his finishing was devastating.
It wasn't just what he did with Argentina, the fact that Napoli went from next to nothing, to winning Scudetto's, Copa Italia's and UEFA cups. Its near unparalleled what he did there.
 

wirE

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Sep 27, 2005
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For me my vote goes to Maradona. Such an amazing player to watch. I was so sad when he failed a drug test and ended his career with Argentina during World Cup 1994.
 

Col_M

Pointing out the Obvious
Feb 28, 2012
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If you guys haven't watched Diego, I thoroughly recommend it.

I meant to add. He played for Napoli from 84-91.
If you visit Naples, you would think he is still their star player. Posters., murals, barber shops, toys, etc. He is more popular than Jesus
 

Spurrific

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Jun 2, 2011
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Messi is the best footballer ever. The game is harder now, whether nostalgia-vision lets you think it or not - and he makes it look easier than anyone else ever has.
 

Trotter

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Jan 30, 2009
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Messi is the best footballer ever. The game is harder now, whether nostalgia-vision lets you think it or not - and he makes it look easier than anyone else ever has.

Cannot disagree more with this.
The game is so much easier for forward players now than it was even 20 years ago.
Every law adjustment has been to benefit the attacking and stop defenders being able to tackle.
It is so much easier for attacking players to shine now.
 

Spurrific

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Cannot disagree more with this.
The game is so much easier for forward players now than it was even 20 years ago.
Every law adjustment has been to benefit the attacking and stop defenders being able to tackle.
It is so much easier for attacking players to shine now.

Course it is. That's just what older people say so they can claim young people have missed out on some sort of mythical wonder years of football. Messi would have obliterated defenders in any generation and against any opposition ever.

Defenders back in the day would smoke a pack of 20 at half time, down a pint of Guinness and then fart their way back on the pitch, now they're real athletes sprinting full pelt for 90 minutes. It's a much more physically demanding game these days, but that's just imo of course.
 

Trotter

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2009
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Course it is. That's just what older people say so they can claim young people have missed out on some sort of mythical wonder years of football. Messi would have obliterated defenders in any generation and against any opposition ever.

Defenders back in the day would smoke a pack of 20 at half time, down a pint of Guinness and then fart their way back on the pitch, now they're real athletes sprinting full pelt for 90 minutes. It's a much more physically demanding game these days, but that's just imo of course.

And kick a player like Messi six foot up in the air the second he got near the ball
 

Spurrific

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Jun 2, 2011
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And kick a player like Messi six foot up in the air the second he got near the ball

They wouldn't get close to him. I'm sure Jimmy Greaves was amazing, but if he could dodge tackles from these brutish defenders (and I've seen vids of him doing it), I'm sure Messi would be alright.
 
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