Greatest Soccer player of all time?

[Canalman]

Best I've ever seen is Maradonna.

[Hardy]

You never saw Ray Treacy, then?

[ross4life]

The only person who can genuinely comment on such a discussion is someone who spent time in Brazil during the 60s, where he watched Pele and the quality of his opposition a lot, who is also around today and has watched Messi with a similar eye.

Pele was undoubtedly an extraordinary footballer; 1,000 goals is such a rare achievement.

It's easy to believe that scoring goals in football is more difficult these days, but there's no real evidence. It's just the standard of opposition that counts.

Ross4Life is the only person i can think of.

I was unique talent back in the day alright could play in always most every position! two footed,excellent strength,balance & although didn't keep check of the goals scored i must be close to Pele.

Don't deserve the title of "Greatest Soccer player of all time" but i'll take it anyway. Thanks Geoff 

[ONeill]

Bendtner

[Tony Baloney]

Bendtner

Not Arshavin?

[Myles Na G.]

George Best.

(from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4309502.stm)


Perhaps the best pointer to where George Best sits among the footballing gods comes from the man generally reckoned to be the best.

Pele himself once dubbed Best "the greatest footballer in the world".

Whether that was an honest, realistic assessment or a diplomatic platitude can be argued long into the night.

But does Best deserve to be up there with Pele and Diego Maradona?

Rating the greats is always something of an empty exercise, and if you are dealing in the currency of cold hard facts and statistics, then the Belfast Boy doesn't measure up.

Pele's avalanche of 1,280 goals in a career that stretched over 20 years dwarfs just about any other player.

And it could be argued that Maradona won the World Cup almost single-handedly for Argentina in 1986.

There will be those who argue that Best never proved himself on the biggest stage, but it is grossly unfair to pit Best's international career for Northern Ireland against World Cup winners Pele and Maradona.

   
PELE
Career goals: 1,280
92 caps, 77 goals for Brazil
Played in 3 World Cup winning squads
2 World Club Cups with Santos
Declared a National Treasure by Brazil govt.
Also played for New York Cosmos
Fifa's Player of the Century award was a masterclass in fence-sitting as Pele and Maradona carried off the spoils, with Best not in the frame.

But is greatness purely to be measured in terms of silverware and numbers? Best won his share of honours, but his greatness was something that could not be quantified.

People might have stared awe-struck at Pele's magnificence and rejoiced in Maradona's devilry and dash.

But they were transfixed, bewitched and delighted by the impish, cheeky skills of Best that invariably brought a smile to all except the defenders who had to face him.

Pele devotees will recall the 1970 World Cup as his finest hour - the sublime chest control that allowed him to lash in a goal against Czechoslovakia, the attempt from his own half against the same country, the outrageous dummy that left Uruguay keeper Ladislao Masurkiewicz looking haplessly for man or ball.

Fans of Maradona will point to perhaps the greatest World Cup goal ever, the mesmerising run from the half-way line against England.

   
DIEGO MARADONA
91 caps, 34 goals for Argentina
1 WC winners medal, 1 runners-up
International debut at 16 v Hungary
South American player of the year 1979, 1980
Unlike Pele, played in Europe
Won league title with Napoli
Fifa Internet player of the century
But no-one will forget Best's goal against Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final where he broke clear, kept the coolest of heads and left the keeper groping with a body swerve that would have dislocated the hips of a mere mortal.

A common denominator shared by the three was the early start to their careers at an age when most kids are sitting school exams.

By 18, Pele had won a World Cup, which mapped out the rest of a career, that until he was tempted out of retirement by the American dollar, was spent in Brazil.

Having been declared a National Treasure by the Brazilian government, Pele was never given the chance to test himself in European club football.

Unfortunately, both Maradona and Best were possessed by a self-destructive spirit, which left everyone unfulfilled and wanting more.

   
  I feel privileged to be old enough to have seen Best play
From AC
Have your say on 606
Maradona had already scaled the footballing summit in winning the 1986 World Cup when he hit the slippery slope in 1994, testing positive for drugs.

Best walked out at the top of his game when he was 28, but the early start to his career still meant he had played 11 seasons for Manchester United in arguably the toughest league in the world.

However, when he left, he may have had his best years to come and for that reason, many will argue that Best gave up his right to be considered the best that ever was.

All three also refused to go quietly once in the twilight of their careers.

   
GEORGE BEST
37 caps, 9 goals for NI
European Cup winner 1968
Won 2 League titles with Man Utd
Man Utd debut at 17yrs, 4mths
Effectively retired from top class football at 28
Still managed 11 seasons in the top flight
Other clubs: Dunstable, Stockport, Cork Celtic, Fulham, Hibernian, Bournemouth, Brisbane Lions
Played in NASL with LA Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale, and San Jose
Pele paraded his fading skills for New York Cosmos in the cause of boosting soccer in the States, while Maradona tried to coax his unwilling body to one last hurrah with the likes of Newell's Old Boys.

Best's farewell tour included Dunstable, Stockport, Cork Celtic, Fulham (alongside Bobby Moore), Hibernian, Bournemouth and Brisbane Lions, and also took in a Stateside leg.

But the ridicule they risked in playing past their sell-by date should be excused given their services to the game as a whole.

So with all factors taken into consideration, is there a definitive answer to the question 'who was the best'?

Probably not.

But what is sure is that George Best earned his right to be mentioned in the same breath as Pele, Maradona and other greats too.

And Pele certainly had his idea of who the Best man was.

If I remember correctly, Pele denied (or at least clarified) that remark, which gets rehashed every time there's a discussion like this.,  at the time of Best's death. He said then that he thought that George was the best player playing in Europe at the time, and claimed that that was what he had said originally. In other words, Pele didn't think GB was the greatest.

[ONeill]

Bendtner

Not Arshavin?

Give him another year and he'll be at Chamahk's level.

[JUst retired]

Eamon Dunphy must be in the list.in his own mind,along with his sidekick Giles.

[gawa316]

1st = Maradona, Best, Messi
4th = Paddy McCourt

[From the Bunker]

David May
Harry Kewell
Thomas Brolin
Alan Kernaghan
Robinho

[mylestheslasher]

Did Larry Reilly ever play soccer?

If so, then its him.

If not, well its hardly worth having a thread on this subject.

Larry Reilly never played soccer but he is still the best soccer player ever.

After Larry, the best (assuming best is most skillful) in my generation were

Messi and Zidane. Love(d) watching both of them play.

[Bingo]

Dirk kuyt

[muppet]

Bendtner

Not Arshavin?

Senderos.

[stephenite]

Ronnie O'Brien

[Sea The Stars]

Ronaldo deserves to be included in this discussion. Missed the guts of three years through injury but came back every time to conquer the world. He was unplayable between '96 and '98 for Barca and then Inter. Whatever happened that night in Paris probaly cost Brazil the World Cup. Had it all though, pace to burn, a fantastic brain, without doubt the best finisher there's ever been and he worked hard.

All the other usual suspects deserve to be mentioned too, Meazza, Garrincha, Puskas, Pele, Best, Cryuff, Beckenbaur, Figueroa, Maradona, Platini, Van Basten, Baresi, Zidane and Messi.