[Football] Maradona

[Flounce]

Well, was he the greatest footballer ever?


Ignore all the obvious “yes buts” this is just a question about his footballing skills.

For me neither Ronaldo or Messi come close

Not Pele or Cruyff either

Some of these dribbles, twist, turns and nutmegs defy belief and some serious attempts at gbh on him too

 

[SAC]

There will always be "buts"

For example, how good would Ronaldo, Messi and Pele have been if they were off their tits on illegal drugs?

Who knows?

 

[KZNSeagull]

No but he was a champion cheat

 

[MJsGhost]

Purely in football terms, he was incredible.

Greatest ever is an impossible question, though the debate can be enjoyable (can also be tedious with bores droning on with their blinkered view)

I absolutely love this clip:

 

[Flounce]

There will always be "buts"

For example, how good would Ronaldo, Messi and Pele have been if they were off their tits on illegal drugs?

Who knows?

I do know that Ronaldo would have been in tears at some of the tackles in the clip

 

[nwgull]

There will always be "buts"

For example, how good would Ronaldo, Messi and Pele have been if they were off their tits on illegal drugs?

Who knows?

I don't think that the illegal drugs on which he was off his tits were particularly advantageous to playing football!

Yeh, he was the best ever for me. Used to dominate games at the highest level despite the opposition getting away with kicking the crap out of him for 90 minutes.

 

[Exilegull]

As boring as it is he has nothing on Messi and Ronaldo ust look at their stats but maybe the best dribbler

 

[scooter1]

Purely in football terms, he was incredible.

Greatest ever is an impossible question, though the debate can be enjoyable (can also be tedious with bores droning on with their blinkered view)

I absolutely love this clip:

That is a great clip. His Puma Kings with the laces undone..

 

[Seagull58]

As boring as it is he has nothing on Messi and Ronaldo ust look at their stats but maybe the best dribbler

Except for Ronaldinho, who's dribbling highlights reels are as good as, if not better than, Diego's.

 

[Exilegull]

Except for Ronaldinho, who's dribbling highlights reels are as good as, if not better than, Diego's.

Not as much flair as Ronaldinho and some others but Maradona dribbling usually resulted in something most good dribblers arent efficient

 

[Brian Fantana]

Maradona doesn't get close to Messi for virtually any stat or attribute.

 

[Flounce]

Maradona doesn't get close to Messi for virtually any stat or attribute.

Funny how many Argentinians seem to think Maradona was better than Messi then.

Different training, diets, pitches, ref protection etc certainly favour Messi but I can’t see him coping with the way football was played when Maradona was at his peak. Just look at some of the attempted tackles on Maradona in the video posted.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Two things to remember when comparing Messi/Ronaldo stats with Maradona. (1) Maradona had very little protection & was battered around because of it (2) Maradona played central midfield, not in an attacking wide area. The stats are meaningless.

For me, Maradona is the greatest in my lifetime

 

[wolfie]

Obviously many of you didn't watch Pele !

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I think probably Maradona. Although I enjoyed some of the clips where he got a good hard kick.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

He really was amazing.

It’s either Maradona or Messi. Very little between them both but they’re ahead of everyone else.

 

[Comrade Sam]

Maradona was literally ninja football. For me the greatest ever and if he played now, with modern refs and pitches he would be unstoppable.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

There will always be "buts"

For example, how good would Ronaldo, Messi and Pele have been if they were off their tits on illegal drugs?

Who knows?

That was my first thought.

So the answer is no. Maradonna was not the best ever.

It was Pele.

 

[brighton_tom]

Went to Naples recently. They worship him like a god. Quite literally a shrine or painting or mural or shirt with his name on every street. I obviously knew he was popular there but the level of it is insane.

 

[MattBackHome]

Yep best ever to kick a ball