The Final: Argentina v France

[EFC78]

Yes. I agree entirely. It's also generational too. The people who watch Messi and laud him as the best ever have only known Messi. My generation has seen Maradona and Messi, and that's why IMO there's no comparison to be made: one was a football master full of invention and raw power capable of making football not a team game but a one man exhibition on the highest of stages; the other is a pure dribbler with great balance, but who always needs top quality around him to make his game tick.

This is not so much to do with pots won as a stylistic assessment.

There literally is no comparison to be made.

You need to give up this front you're putting on. I doubt you really believe what you're typing you just can't back down from your Maradona stance.

Messi wipes the floor with Maradona for assists and goals, longevity and overall achievements. The only thing Maradona had over him was taken away by a 35 year old Messi taking the World Cup by storm scoring 2 key goals in the Final. When Napoli won their first title, Maradona scored an underwhelming 10 goals during the season ?. Compare that to Messi in his influential seasons.

Your descriptions of the 2 players are laughable too. There isn't a single thing Maradona had in his locker that Messi doesn't have. And Messi could carve open defences for fun with his unrivalled vision. If Maradona was as good, find some footage of him playing comparable through balls to Messi repeatedly?

Maradona was also generally a 1 in 2 or a 1 in 3 man throughout his career and also for Argentina & Napoli where some would have us believe he was the only player in the team that ever contributed. Messi set record after record with his goal scoring feats.

Messi yesterday put to bed any claims from Maradona or C Ronaldo fans that they could rival Messi in the conversation. The only legitimate one left is Pele, but overall I think Messi has cemented his status

 

[Neiler]

I think it all comes down to this:

Could Pele, Eusabio, Cruyff or Messi have powered a team like Napoli to a couple of Italian titles when that title was the greatest domestic prize in world football?

I dont think so. That was partly a result of unbelievable football talent and partly a man supercharging a whole fanbase and city into believing it could be done.

Only Maradona could do that. He was superhuman.

Thats a bit unfair mate, you have to look at those respective clubs in those eras. Cruyff powered an unfashionable then Ajax to their first European Cup in the early 70s, they went on to do 3 on the trot - Ajax were no one before that.

Equally Eusabio did the same thing with a no mark at the time Benfica in the early 60s.

Even if you are doing a comparison, both Diego and Messi played for Barca - safe to say Messi had the greater impact by far - hard to believe Barca never won a European Cup before the 90s, Messi catapulted them do a different level.

Equally Diego did well at Napoli, but i think you are being a tad harsh on the players you mention at their clubs they all had massive impacts that made those clubs. Those players made their respective clubs, huge European Clubs. Not sure Napoli are that…

 

[ilikecheese]

You need to give up this front you're putting on. I doubt you really believe what you're typing you just can't back down from your Maradona stance.

Messi wipes the floor with Maradona for assists and goals, longevity and overall achievements. The only thing Maradona had over him was taken away by a 35 year old Messi taking the World Cup by storm scoring 2 key goals in the Final. When Napoli won their first title, Maradona scored an underwhelming 10 goals during the season ?. Compare that to Messi in his influential seasons.

Your descriptions of the 2 players are laughable too. There isn't a single thing Maradona had in his locker that Messi doesn't have. And Messi could carve open defences for fun with his unrivalled vision. If Maradona was as good, find some footage of him playing comparable through balls to Messi repeatedly?

Maradona was also generally a 1 in 2 or a 1 in 3 man throughout his career and also for Argentina & Napoli where some would have us believe he was the only player in the team that ever contributed. Messi set record after record with his goal scoring feats.

Messi yesterday put to bed any claims from Maradona or C Ronaldo fans that they could rival Messi in the conversation. The only legitimate one left is Pele, but overall I think Messi has cemented his status

You've broken the code. Now sit back and enjoy the davek show.

It's very good entertainment when you get him.

 

[davek]

You need to give up this front you're putting on. I doubt you really believe what you're typing you just can't back down from your Maradona stance.

Messi wipes the floor with Maradona for assists and goals, longevity and overall achievements. The only thing Maradona had over him was taken away by a 35 year old Messi taking the World Cup by storm scoring 2 key goals in the Final. When Napoli won their first title, Maradona scored an underwhelming 10 goals during the season ?. Compare that to Messi in his influential seasons.

Your descriptions of the 2 players are laughable too. There isn't a single thing Maradona had in his locker that Messi doesn't have. And Messi could carve open defences for fun with his unrivalled vision. If Maradona was as good, find some footage of him playing comparable through balls to Messi repeatedly?

Maradona was also generally a 1 in 2 or a 1 in 3 man throughout his career and also for Argentina & Napoli where some would have us believe he was the only player in the team that ever contributed. Messi set record after record with his goal scoring feats.

Messi yesterday put to bed any claims from Maradona or C Ronaldo fans that they could rival Messi in the conversation. The only legitimate one left is Pele, but overall I think Messi has cemented his status

This whole post can be summed up by the old saying: "Never mind the quality feel the width".

It's not about assists and 'take ons' and the other tripe the Football Manager generation were weaned on. It's about skills and raw power and the ability of an individual to push and test the boundaries of football as a team game.

Overall it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself. Maybe work on that a bit more.

 

[devogue]

Maradonna dodged taxes like he dodged the england midfield and defenders in 86 … magical … but no Messi

Accused of beating his girlfriend and human trafficking plus had a good relationship with the Italian Mafia to boot. But Messi is a criminal lol

 

[everton fan number one]

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

This whole post can be summed up by the old saying: "Never mind the quality feel the width".

It's not about assists and 'take ons' and the other tripe the Football Manager generation were weaned on. It's about skills and raw power and the ability of an individual to push and test the boundaries of football as a team game.

Overall it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself. Maybe work on that a bit more.

 

[Kurt.]

The only thing comparable between the two is the fact they’re both midgets

 

[davek]

Thats a bit unfair mate, you have to look at those respective clubs in those eras. Cruyff powered an unfashionable then Ajax to their first European Cup in the early 70s, they went on to do 3 on the trot - Ajax were no one before that.

Equally Eusabio did the same thing with a no mark at the time Benfica in the early 60s.

Even if you are doing a comparison, both Diego and Messi played for Barca - safe to say Messi had the greater impact by far - hard to believe Barca never won a European Cup before the 90s, Messi catapulted them do a different level.

Equally Diego did well at Napoli, but i think you are being a tad harsh on the players you mention at their clubs they all had massive impacts that made those clubs. Those players made their respective clubs, huge European Clubs. Not sure Napoli are that…

Ajax were established in European competition before Cruyff was in their first team. Yes, he supercharged that effort and took them all the way, but it wasnt done from a virtual standstill. They were also Dutch champions and an established elite club. Same with Benfica before Eusebio played from 1961.

Napoli were a midtable Serie A team when he joined them. He got them to two titles and two RU spots and won the Uefa Cup with them.

It's an incredible commitment and effort from him and I very much doubt anyone else could have equalled that.

 

[Neiler]

Ajax were established in European competition before Cruyff was in their first team. Yes, he supercharged that effort and took them all the way, but it wasnt done from a virtual standstill. They were also Dutch champions and an established elite club. Same with Benfica before Eusebio played from 1961.

Napoli were a midtable Serie A team when he joined them. He got them to two titles and two RU spots and won the Uefa Cup with them.

It's an incredible commitment and effort from him and I very much doubt anyone else could have equalled that.

Disagree mate, those players distinguished those clubs and turned them into European Super Club elite. I mean Ajax winning three on the trot European cups, incredible. Equally Benfica.

Not taking anything away from Diego, he was incredible, but Messi, Cryuff and Eusebio had massive impacts at club level and made super powers out of their clubs, it’s not a great comparison.

The three foreigner rule was in place during Diego’s time, wasn’t it, arguably narrowing the competition field, comparatively.

 

[Nymzee]

This gives me all kinds of anxiety.

 

[twoblue]

That was the networks covering the event threatening to ruin it.

As individuals we can comment and not put a huge cliud over the tournament for others. And this is post-WC, so....

Glad you managed to hate the whole World Cup and find no joy at all in your commenting for a whole month

 

[EFC78]

This whole post can be summed up by the old saying: "Never mind the quality feel the width".

It's not about assists and 'take ons' and the other tripe the Football Manager generation were weaned on. It's about skills and raw power and the ability of an individual to push and test the boundaries of football as a team game.

Overall it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself. Maybe work on that a bit more.

No, it's not about tripe achievements like goal scoring feats that Messi and Pele destroy Maradona over. Who'd want incredible records like that eh?

Who mentioned "take ons"? And I've never played football manager.

It sounds like you haven't actually watched Messi all that often if you're trying to use Maradonas "skills" as a factor in him being better than Messi. As I said, anything Maradona could do, Messi can do. The England Quarter Final goal is arguably the greatest of all time but Messi matched that type of goal (not in significance I accept) with his Getafe one.

How many others has Maradona actually got in that category though? Messi has loads close to it. In huge games like Semi Finals and Finals too

 

[twoblue]

Disagree mate, those players distinguished those clubs and turned them into European Super Club elite. I mean Ajax winning three on the trot European cups, incredible. Equally Benfica.

Not taking anything away from Diego, he was incredible, but Messi, Cryuff and Eusebio had massive impacts at club level and made super powers out of their clubs, it’s not a great comparison.

The three foreigner rule was in place during Diego’s time, wasn’t it, arguably narrowing the competition field, comparatively.

Super powering Ajax and Benfica - the biggest teams in the countries capital is always going to be easier than Maradona at Napoli in an unfancied south Italy town… prob the equivalent to a Sunderland

 

[twoblue]

No, it's not about tripe achievements like goal scoring feats that Messi and Pele destroy Maradona over. Who'd want incredible records like that eh?

Who mentioned "take ons"? And I've never played football manager.

It sounds like you haven't actually watched Messi all that often if you're trying to use Maradonas "skills" as a factor in him being better than Messi. As I said, anything Maradona could do, Messi can do. The England Quarter Final goal is arguably the greatest of all time but Messi matched that type of goal (not in significance I accept) with his Getafe one.

How many others has Maradona actually got in that category though? Messi has loads close to it. In huge games like Semi Finals and Finals too

Surely every football fan suffered a period of championship manager addiction.

Back to topic.
Maradona was awesome… messi is awesome.

Maradonas peak World Cup in 86 performance was probably better messi performance in any World Cup.

Messi has been awesome for 20 years. Maradona was awesome for prob 5 (Barcelona and post Napoli weren’t hugely successful)

Messi goal output is incomparable with Maradona, the trophies haul is incompatible. Messi is on another level here.

Messi for every time.
Maradona for a night out though