Quote (Mr_Mill @ 6 May 2015 23:36)

I'll take that shout B)

e: and he didn't score vs belgium btw, was Higuain

Quote (zarkadon @ 6 May 2015 23:34)

He faced plenty of great teams. That Germany was really good and he also faced England and Italy, two teams consisting of players that dominated european club football in the 80s. Uruguay and Belgium weren't bad either.

I don't see how that was any easier than Iran, Nigeria, Bosnia, Switzerland and Belgium (the only teams Messi managed to score against).

But, most importantly, look at the teams he faced in Serie A. Trapattoni's Juve that won every single european trophy, Sacchi's Milan which dominated the CL and reinvented football, that Roma led by Conti that had played the CL final only a couple of years ago, that Sampdoria that would play it in 92... Napoli had a worse side than all of these teams, and they still managed to win 2 scudetti and an EL.

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 10:40pm)

ah, right

Quote (dng-andre @ May 6 2015 05:38pm)

Old players always receive nostalgic love I think.
In years time, we will look back at this era and thank god that we had the chance to witness what Messi and Ronaldo have shown us.

I personally think if Messi keeps this up for a couple of years, then he will go down as the greatest - perhaps not recognized initially, but eventually as years pass.

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 10:55pm)

Yep. Messi still has time to do tons of amazing stuff, but he still can't be considered better than Diego.

Quote (fender @ May 6 2015 10:47pm)

after he ends his career he will definitely be top 10 if not top 5 but maradona >>>

Quote (fender @ May 6 2015 12:47pm)

after he ends his career he will definitely be top 10 if not top 5 but maradona >>>

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 12:55pm)

Yep. Messi still has time to do tons of amazing stuff, but he still can't be considered better than Diego.

Quote (fender @ May 6 2015 01:02pm)

assuming they watched the games, they would still think his performances at the wc were overrated and he wasn't the leader maradona was who literally made the whole team a level better...

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 01:10pm)

For me it's more about how Maradona carried a mediocre lot both at club and national level to glory rather than about winning the WC or not.

Di Stefano didn't even play a single WC (due to a series of very unlucky circumstances), and he's considered among the best. When Messi retires he might be comparable to him or Cruyff or Zidane, but his inability to carry the guys he plays with in the national team stops him from being better than Maradona.

And the way Maradona led a very mediocre side to 2 scudetti when Serie A was by far the best league in the world is imo a decisive factor that will be very hard for Messi to compensate with something else.

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 01:34pm)

He faced plenty of great teams. That Germany was really good and he also faced England and Italy, two teams consisting of players that dominated european club football in the 80s. Uruguay and Belgium weren't bad either.

I don't see how that was any easier than Iran, Nigeria, Bosnia, Switzerland and Belgium (the only teams Messi managed to score against).

But, most importantly, look at the teams he faced in Serie A. Trapattoni's Juve that won every single european trophy, Sacchi's Milan which dominated the CL and reinvented football, that Roma led by Conti that had played the CL final only a couple of years ago, that Sampdoria that would play it in 92... Napoli had a worse side than all of these teams, and they still managed to win 2 scudetti and an EL.

Quote (zarkadon @ May 6 2015 11:10pm)

For me it's more about how Maradona carried a mediocre lot both at club and national level to glory rather than about winning the WC or not.

Di Stefano didn't even play a single WC (due to a series of very unlucky circumstances), and he's considered among the best. When Messi retires he might be comparable to him or Cruyff or Zidane, but his inability to carry the guys he plays with in the national team stops him from being better than Maradona.

And the way Maradona led a very mediocre side to 2 scudetti when Serie A was by far the best league in the world is imo a decisive factor that will be very hard for Messi to compensate with something else.