Who's the best soccer player in the world ?

[Rawex]

 

[defjaam]

Neymar showed in the World cup 2014 in Brazil that he's the best as far as talent / skill goes. But as proven time and time again: Hard work beats talent, when the talent doesn't work hard enough.

So as far as effiency goes, Neymar probably not even top 10... Ronaldo just showed that he's more effective than Neymar at the age of 34.

Plus Neymar has a tendency to be quite a bitch.

Mbappe and Hazard are going strong now. Both of them are game changers, that's why Zidane wants them in Madrid for the next season.

 

[defjaam]

Also lol @ the losers here trying to put down legends like Maradona, Zidane, and others. Those guys were great during their time, the top of the food chain, just like the top players today. Actually it meant much more back then. Today its pretty clinical, like "Ok Messi is done, wheres the next guy?".

Nothing special anymore.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

Ronaldo does it again on the big stage. He wins the champions league 3 times in a row, and just took Juventus through with a hat-trick over Atletico, while Madrid are having their worse season that I can remember.

Does Ronaldo become undisputed GOAT if he wins the champions league for Juvetus?

Messi's still got it on lock.

Still far more efficient, far more selfless, and he creates his own plays. Ron Ron has been a tap-in merchant for years. He'll have to be content with being top 5.

 

[Robbie Corleone]

Alfredo Morelos

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Taylor Twellman

 

[Vegeta]

Today, maybe V. van Dijk (Liverpool).
Last 10 years, Messi

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

Messi

 

[Prex32]

maradona
insane ball control, real wizard, best technician
todays footballers like ronaldo and messi are more athletic powerhouses

 

[Rimbaud82]

maradona
insane ball control, real wizard, best technician
todays footballers like ronaldo and messi are more athletic powerhouses

Messi an athletic powerhouse

Insane ball control, real wizard, best technician literally describes Messi.

 

[BrokenSword]

If juventus win the champions league then it has to be Ronaldo. He's been incredible across the three toughest European leagues.

 

[Stargazer Rex]

Not to toot my own horn but I was pretty good at slide tackling when I was in 3rd grade.

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

imo Messi is better than Ronaldo.
It sucks that Messi is such a small dude.
Imagine his talent in a larger frame
I read they have Messi a lot of hormones to grow at 16

 

[RagingBeringola]

imo Messi is better than Ronaldo.
It sucks that Messi is such a small dude.
Imagine his talent in a larger frame
I read they have Messi a lot of hormones to grow at 16

In terms of pure talent and technique, Messi is way ahead of Ronaldo.
Messi was Indeed diagnosed with HGH disorder at the age of 10. He was on treatment for several years. Not sure how many though. But I heard he went to Barcelona at age 13 because Barcelona would take the costs of the treatment in charge, since the family nor the argentinian clubs would be able to pay for it at that time. Not sure how much the treatment helped him to become the player he is, but for sure would have been a pity to not have a player like that around.

Ronaldo makes for his disadvantages comparing to other more talented guys by being a training machine and a workaholic having just for aim to be the best. He also has the mentality of a winner. He hates losing, and even when winning, he wants to win by bigger margins or score more goals.
Also, he proved he could play at very high level in different countries/teams and even in the mediocre portuguese national team.
Some people call him Pushaldo or Penaldo saying he only is able to score with penalties and pushing the ball in the net for easy goals. But man, I wish my team had a pusher like that. Despite his critics, he scores with both, left and right, headers, free kicks, and has a high % success for the penalty kicks.

 

[Da Speeit]

@Goonerview

 

[Goonerview]

Lionel Messi

 

[SaiWa]

maradona
insane ball control, real wizard, best technician
todays footballers like ronaldo and messi are more athletic powerhouses

this is puzzling considering Messi is practically the same build body wise as Maradona. He's about 2 inch taller than Maradona but that's nothing considering the average height is a bit below 6 feet.

Granted Maradona was so gifted and he fucked around so much (drugs, women, partying, etc...). Who knows how much greater he would have been if he had taken his career more seriously.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

Ronaldo makes for his disadvantages comparing to other more talented guys by being a training machine and a workaholic having just for aim to be the best. He also has the mentality of a winner.

Ronaldo might be one of the greatest stories of hard work in sports history.

I saw a documentary of his where his own youth coaches at Sporting state that while obviously good, there was nothing to indicate he'd be an all-time great even when he was already 17-18 years old. And even when he first got to United he was seen as a flashy, skilled, but not truly good player. But he worked his ass off and became a beast.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

this is puzzling considering Messi is practically the same build body wise as Maradona. He's about 2 inch taller than Maradona but that's nothing considering the average height is a bit below 6 feet.

Nah, Maradona has always been wider and stockier. Here they are at around 19-20 years of age:

In their late 20s:

 

[Joe_Armstrong]

Don't forget about Ronaldo. The fat one, not the gay one.