In 2012–13 Real Madrid C.F. only won super cup but Ronaldo Managed to win Ballon D'or.
In 2013–14 Real Madrid C.F. won Cup double and Ronaldo won Ballon d'or.
It was always about lobby not about achievements.
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In 2012–13 Real Madrid C.F. only won super cup but Ronaldo Managed to win Ballon D'or.
In 2013–14 Real Madrid C.F. won Cup double and Ronaldo won Ballon d'or.
It was always about lobby not about achievements.
New Recruit
Maradona played in weak teams like Argentina and Napoli and made them champions. Messi may be the most skilled but he doesn't have the killer instinct and big match sucess like Maradona. He spent his entire career in the best club assisted by the best.
Champions League all time top scorer Messi ??Lionel Messi
Here’s why:
Messi has outscored Maradona in all departments statistically. For the Argentina national team, Messi has scored 55 goals in 113 international appearances (0.491 per game average) compared to Maradona’s 34 goals in 91 games (0.374 per game). Messi is now Argentina's highest goalscorer. Among the now active players, only Sergio Aguero (33) and Gonzalo Higuain (30) can speak of breaking the record and still they are nowhere close. The below infographic is an old one from my previous answer. But still you can see that Messi lead Maradona in all aspects.
At club level, Messi has amassed 412 goals in 482 games, compared to Maradona’s 312 in 588 matches (161 goals for European Clubs and 151 in Argentina). Messi has won 7 league titles whereas Maradona only 3 (His contribution to Napoli should not be overlooked, of course).
Champion's League is considered the highest standard of football in the world right now. Jose Mourinho famously said that the UEFA Champions League is 'more important' than the FIFA World Cup; Sir Alex Ferguson and Wesley Sneijder have endorsed Mourinho's view. And Messi has won 4 of those with Barcelona playing a key role in all of them. However, Maradona has won none.
(The above infographics shows club stats for Europe only)
Messi has been named world footballer of the year four times (and has huge chances for a fifth one also); Maradona earned the accolade only once.
Yes, Maradona's era had physical and brutal defenders. To score those goals during that period, despite his physical stature, Maradona is truly talented. But, football today is very technical and tactical - a thinking man's game. Managers have latest technologies at their disposal to review, preview and plan the matches beforehand. More than the players' talents, it is the tactics that wins matches. Finals of 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America are proof of that. Messi was rendered almost useless with heavy man-marking. Despite all that tactics and marking, Messi has been able to showcase his talents/skills which have won/almost won many matches. Again, the finals of 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America are proof. That left us pondering over the question - Had Higuain taken those chances?. I will never forget those awesome 3 minutes in the 2014-15 UEFA CL semifinal first leg against Bayern Munich.
Messi's lack of silverware with Argentina is the only reason he is still compared with Maradona. It is wrong that winning tournaments with the national side is prerequisite to be considered among greats. Johan Cryuff, Zico and George Best never won a WC, but their position in the pantheon of greats is indisputable. Maradona won the WC because his team-mates took those goal scoring chances while Messi's didn't. And coach Carlos Billardo also played a key role for Argentina in 1986 WC. Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga aided Maradona, unlike Higuain/Di Maria/Pastore.
Messi plays a neat, clean game and stays on his legs unless a really nasty tackle brings him down.
To quote Paulo Maldini:
Leo Messi is the best player in the world. From what I'm seeing, he's approaching the point where he is perhaps overtaking Maradona in terms of everything he's achieved in recent years.
Here's what Messi has brought to this football era:
What many achieved over a period of time, Messi has done it alone and he is just 28!
When Sports Illustrated host, Maggie Gray asked Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
“Lionel Messi?”
“Fantastic.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo?”
“Good.”
Maradona is still being compared with Messi due to Messi’s lack of silverware with Argentina. Had Argentina won one of either 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa America or 2016 Copa America Centenario, Maradona would be biting dust from the pages of footballing history books.
Check it again
Champions League all time top scorer Messi ??
checked it twice before posting
Statistics does not tell the true picture. The fact is that Messi has never delivered for Argentina. Not only in the finals but also in knockout stage. All his success is while being supported by the best in the world. To become all time great a player has to deliver under pressure and against the odds. Thats why Maradona is regarded as the greatest while there were players with better stats and dribbling skills like Puskas and Garrincha. Messi will be the most prolific goal scorer in european club football history. But not the all time greatest. He is not in the same league as Maradona or Zidane when it comes to performance and leadership in difficult and big matches. Messi may retire with few more ballon d or but still in future footballers willl be compared with Maradona or Pele not Messi.Lionel Messi
Here’s why:
Messi has outscored Maradona in all departments statistically. For the Argentina national team, Messi has scored 55 goals in 113 international appearances (0.491 per game average) compared to Maradona’s 34 goals in 91 games (0.374 per game). Messi is now Argentina's highest goalscorer. Among the now active players, only Sergio Aguero (33) and Gonzalo Higuain (30) can speak of breaking the record and still they are nowhere close. The below infographic is an old one from my previous answer. But still you can see that Messi lead Maradona in all aspects.
At club level, Messi has amassed 412 goals in 482 games, compared to Maradona’s 312 in 588 matches (161 goals for European Clubs and 151 in Argentina). Messi has won 7 league titles whereas Maradona only 3 (His contribution to Napoli should not be overlooked, of course).
Champion's League is considered the highest standard of football in the world right now. Jose Mourinho famously said that the UEFA Champions League is 'more important' than the FIFA World Cup; Sir Alex Ferguson and Wesley Sneijder have endorsed Mourinho's view. And Messi has won 4 of those with Barcelona playing a key role in all of them. However, Maradona has won none.
(The above infographics shows club stats for Europe only)
Messi has been named world footballer of the year four times (and has huge chances for a fifth one also); Maradona earned the accolade only once.
Yes, Maradona's era had physical and brutal defenders. To score those goals during that period, despite his physical stature, Maradona is truly talented. But, football today is very technical and tactical - a thinking man's game. Managers have latest technologies at their disposal to review, preview and plan the matches beforehand. More than the players' talents, it is the tactics that wins matches. Finals of 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America are proof of that. Messi was rendered almost useless with heavy man-marking. Despite all that tactics and marking, Messi has been able to showcase his talents/skills which have won/almost won many matches. Again, the finals of 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America are proof. That left us pondering over the question - Had Higuain taken those chances?. I will never forget those awesome 3 minutes in the 2014-15 UEFA CL semifinal first leg against Bayern Munich.
Messi's lack of silverware with Argentina is the only reason he is still compared with Maradona. It is wrong that winning tournaments with the national side is prerequisite to be considered among greats. Johan Cryuff, Zico and George Best never won a WC, but their position in the pantheon of greats is indisputable. Maradona won the WC because his team-mates took those goal scoring chances while Messi's didn't. And coach Carlos Billardo also played a key role for Argentina in 1986 WC. Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga aided Maradona, unlike Higuain/Di Maria/Pastore.
Messi plays a neat, clean game and stays on his legs unless a really nasty tackle brings him down.
To quote Paulo Maldini:
Leo Messi is the best player in the world. From what I'm seeing, he's approaching the point where he is perhaps overtaking Maradona in terms of everything he's achieved in recent years.
Here's what Messi has brought to this football era:
What many achieved over a period of time, Messi has done it alone and he is just 28!
When Sports Illustrated host, Maggie Gray asked Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
“Lionel Messi?”
“Fantastic.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo?”
“Good.”
Maradona is still being compared with Messi due to Messi’s lack of silverware with Argentina. Had Argentina won one of either 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa America or 2016 Copa America Centenario, Maradona would be biting dust from the pages of footballing history books.
Statistics does not tell the true picture. The fact is that Messi has never delivered for Argentina. Not only in the finals but also in knockout stage. All his success is while being supported by the best in the world. To become all time great a player has to deliver under pressure and against the odds. Thats why Maradona is regarded as the greatest while there were players with better stats and dribbling skills like Puskas and Garrincha. Messi will be the most prolific goal scorer in european club football history. But not the all time greatest. He is not in the same league as Maradona or Zidane when it comes to performance and leadership in difficult and big matches. Messi may retire with few more ballon d or but still in future footballers willl be compared with Maradona or Pele not Messi.
Wrong.
People said Messi is Messi because of Ronaldinho
Ronaldino Retired. Messi still remained on top and made Barcelona the world champions
People said Messi is Messi because of Xavi.
Xavi retired. Messi still remained on top and made Barcelona the world champions
People said Messi is Messi because of Henry.
Henry retired. Messi still remained on top and made Barcelona the world champions
And today, people still say "Messi is messi because of his support"
lol. See how flawed this logic is?
Messi is Messi because he is undoubtedly the best player of all time. Pele and Maradona didn't face the level of competition that Messi faces in Europe---and he still DOMINATES European league(s).
Messi played in 4 finals and lost all. The argentine team has players like aguero, higuain and demaria. And a great defence which resisted the German onslaught for 113 mins in WC final. Maradona played for b grade team Napoli and made them league champions. All this against brutal defenders and tacklers.Nobody says Ronaldo is the greatest ever while his accomplishments are comparable to Messi's. My opinion is that Messi is not in the same league as Maradona to be the greatest ever.So you are saying Ronaldo, Pele and Maradona was playing with Teenage players and alone carrying their team ???
The same argentina team without messi was even failed to defeat very small teams, Messi is the one carrying the team but in finals with competitive teams you need a team play which he enjoys at Barca but not in argentina.
Messi played in 4 finals and lost all. The argentine team has players like aguero, higuain and demaria. And a great defence which resisted the German onslaught for 113 mins in WC final. Maradona played for b grade team Napoli and made them league champions. All this against brutal defenders and tacklers.Nobody says Ronaldo is the greatest ever while his accomplishments are comparable to Messi's. My opinion is that Messi is not in the same league as Maradona to be the greatest ever.