MOST PLAYERS CONSIDER it a significant achievement to score 100 goals for a club.
However, Lionel Messi has a habit of exceeding what is expected of most players.
The Argentinian scored a hat-trick against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League last night (see video below), helping Barcelona to secure qualification from the group stages in the process.
The star also scored his 200th goal for the club, a feat which even Maradona – the player to whom Messi is most frequently compared – could not achieve.
Messi now looks likely to surpass legendary Barcelona forward Cesar, who scored 235 goals for the club during the 1940s, and become the club’s highest-ever goalscorer.
With this latest achievement in mind, do you think he can now be regarded as the greatest footballer of all time?
Poll Results:
Always an impossible poll to do fairly. We only ever get highlights of players like Pele, Best, Puskas etc.and it makes it impossible to compare. However he is the best player of his generation IMO and comfortably so.
Ive a friend, a utd supporter, “typical” who claims Rooney is a better play than Messi… should I call him a friend..
Vincent – he needs all the friends he can get !
I’d call him a doctor for starters! lol
Remember, You are judged by the company you keep!
He is the greatest ever, alot of pundits might not agree only Pele comes close
It’s difficult to compare Messi and Maradona though both are unquestionably footballing geniuses. Messi has scored more goals for Barca but he plays in an era where his talent is given full opportunity to shine. Maradona was kicked, assaulted and maimed when he played in Spain enduring at least two terrible injuries most infamously at the boot of Andoni Goikoetxea, the Butcher of Bilbao at the Camp Nou in ’83. Just watch Messi’s 2nd goal in the clip above. It’s reminiscent of many he has scored in La Liga where defenders fearful that a rash challenge will mean a red card, just back off and don’t even put a foot in. It doesn’t take away from Messi’s God given talent but comparisons are difficult.
I think its too early to if he is the greatest player ever, but without a doubt will be the greatest of this generation
Just because he scores goals doesn’t make him the greatest.
I think thats the point, people normally don’t go to watch great defense
Because he never sets up any goals either does he not?
In the last 20 years I’d rate Zidane as having been better than him, and TBH in the current Barca team I’d say that Xavi is more important than Messi.
Messi will do the eye-catching stuff, Xavi controls games (just as Zidane did in the past).
Brian I couldn agree more. As a utd fan I watched the champions league final last year and it was xavi that ran the show. He does it for barca and Spain. Messi while world class has rarely done it for Argentina. When you look at maradona who won a seria a with a poor napolia team and a world cup with an average Argentina team.
He doesn’t do it for his country, play any team outside the top 4 or 5 in la liga and you’ll score a hat full of goals, he doesn’t defend or tackle really so how can he be called the best ever
Do you watch him play for Barca? His work rate is immense and he defends as much as he attacks.
If you count goals and assists, he’s contributed to 286 goals in his 286 games for Barcelona.
No one else comes close to those kinds of stats!
That’s because he plays in a fantastic team, best ever probably but your only as good as the people around you, how many goals has he scored for his country
He is the best ever in his position.
He is ONE of the best ever but saying he is THE best ever is making a pretty bold statement. Soccer is different now than back in Pele’s or Best’s day, how would he have faired back then?
He also only gets a handful of tough games a year; other than the top few teams the Spanish league is not particularly strong. How did he perform at the last world cup against tougher opposition? His performances weren’t great.
Remember, he’s only 24, it’s a bit early to be lauding him as the best ever player. Would love to see him playing in the premiership though!
Agree with most of your points, EM. However, I always cringe when I see Georgie Best’s name being thrown into these discussions. Best was a talented player who could do great things on the pitch but never maximised his potential and over time he has become grossly overrated, particularly after he passed away which is usually the norm. Bobby Charlton was the better all-round player on that United team but never gets the credit as the media hog-light was always over Best.
Regarding Messi, he is a joy to watch but is still in the early days of his career so it’s a bit premature to be calling him the greatest player ever. EM, I agree with your point about Messi at the World Cup, by any other players standard he had an excellent WC but by the standards he has set himself in La Liga, he didn’t meet them. Maradona on the other hand could play to the same high standard for both club and country.
Another aspect that must be considered is the club sides they both played with. Messi is surrounded by some of the best players in the world which allow him the freedom to express himself and with the likes of Xaxi and Iniesta orchestrating things in the middle it is a perfect fit for a player of Messi’s ability. Maradona on the other hand single handedly turned Napoli from an average Italian side into a team which went on to win 2 Serie A, an Italian Cup and an UEFA Cup. This was at a time when the Serie A was head and shoulders above everything else.
At the moment I would have it 60-40 in favour of Maradona but Messi has time on his side to surpass that.
@BlaaBoy
Fair point re Best.
It’s an interesting comparison though. Best had serious skills, he was only 20 when he started making headlines around Europe. He was Uniteds top scorer for 6 seasons but went into rapid decline from his late 20s. It will be interesting to see how Messi develops over the coming few years. He’s been very lucky with injuries but one bad knock could change everything.
He is on his way to be the best. His chance will be on the Brazil wc.
Surly that decision cannot be made until the end of time.
Messi for me is better than Maradona, my other idol. World cup or not, just wait and see.
eh, Gary ‘The Doc’ Doherty?
Measi is an amazing playrr ther is no doubt but i question would he score as freely as he does if he played in the premiership, better defenses than la liga.. Hes never really shiwn up for argentina which shows he has benefited greatly from the team of players( xavi, iniesta) that surround him at barca aswell as a top class coach, he is amazing but to be the greatest i think he needs to play in england for a couple of seasons to see how he measures up, again im not slating him as i am a fan but to be voted the greatest u need to show versatillity( dif leagues, internationally)
In the last 2 years yes you can summarize that he is one of the greatest but its much too early to decide is he the best yet. He is MAGIC to watch but remember he has Xavi and Iniesta around him also.
Remember Ronaldino, for 3 years he was untouchable, the “greatest”. Then he turned into some heap! :)
He is unreal, a magician on a ball, but THE greatest. too early.
As for Rooney been better! Been blinkered and been blinkered.
Watching Lionel Messi every week on Sky, he is in no doubt the best player at present. His skill and work rate is immense and his goal tally and goal assist is a true reflection of his talent. He has come up with some fantastic goals and important ones (both Champion League finals for example). However what sets him apart is his attitude. He wants to play every game, and plays for the team. I have now doubt that he will be a part of a world cup winning team in the future !
Also may be wrong but of its down to scoring goals alone I think Ronaldo has a better scoring average in la liga than messi. Not saying he’s the better player tho.
Had to agree conor I think ronaldo has a better around game them messi
Maradona had as much skill but,unlike him, Messi seems to have an excellent temperament.He’s the best I’ve ever seen.
until he produces for his country i’ll reserve judgement
Who is voting for ronaldo?
Messiah