The Official World Cup 2018 Thread

[magpie seanie]

Hope this confirms Messi is no Pele when it comes to the World Stage.

The same Messi who dragged Argentina to the WC final in 2014 and won player of the tournament and only lost the final to a goal in extra time? That Messi.

We certainly live in a world of now.

That was a ridiculous FIFA PR decision, Messi wasn't in the top 10 players in 2014.

Yea Messi is all PR. Must have been PR that knocked Portugal out in the group stages that year too!

Didn't say that.  And what has Portugal going out at the group stages in 2014 got to do with the price of fish??

Probably has more to do with the price of fish that it has to do with Messi.

[laoislad]

So Messi is shite now is he? That what the experts on here think?

[Dinny Breen]

Hope this confirms Messi is no Pele when it comes to the World Stage.

The same Messi who dragged Argentina to the WC final in 2014 and won player of the tournament and only lost the final to a goal in extra time? That Messi.

We certainly live in a world of now.

That was a ridiculous FIFA PR decision, Messi wasn't in the top 10 players in 2014.

Yea Messi is all PR. Must have been PR that knocked Portugal out in the group stages that year too!

Didn't say that.  And what has Portugal going out at the group stages in 2014 got to do with the price of fish??

Exactly!

[longballin]

So Messi is shite now is he? That what the experts on here think?

Def not shite,  fantastic player but hasn't done it at World Cup level like Pele who scored great goal in final when he was 17 and 12 years later in final of 1970. Messi fluffed it totally in last World Cup final.

[Dinny Breen]

So Messi is shite now is he? That what the experts on here think?

Def not shite fantastic player but hasn't done it at World Cup level like Pele who scored great goal in final when he was 17 and 12 years later in final of 1970. Messi fluffed it totally in last World Cup final.

Robbing this from Twitter.

Pele! Injured in 62, sure he didn't play in the knockout games. 66? Sure he limped out, he didn't want it enough. 70? He has the best team around him. Fraud. And he never did it in Europe.

[longballin]

So Messi is shite now is he? That what the experts on here think?

Def not shite fantastic player but hasn't done it at World Cup level like Pele who scored great goal in final when he was 17 and 12 years later in final of 1970. Messi fluffed it totally in last World Cup final.

Robbing this from Twitter.

Pele! Injured in 62, sure he didn't play in the knockout games. 66? Sure he limped out, he didn't want it enough. 70? He has the best team around him. Fraud. And he never did it in Europe.

The best weren't in Europe then  He scored over 1000 goals. Hardly a fraud scoring in a World Cup final at 17. Messi missed a sitter in the last World Cup final. Good in Europe aye but not the greatest on World Stage . Messi is no fraud and for you to suggest Pele was a fraud shows you haven't a clue.

[mrdeeds]

Last WC Messi was class. Last night was a clusterfcuk in management. Argentina players keep passing to Messi even when he surrounded. He dragged them to WC. Football has existed longer than two weeks. Also Ronaldo has being poor in Madrids last few Champions League finals with a few penos. Barely played knock out in last Euro Champs and Nani was Portugals players. He is rubbish. No. Judge a player over their career. Messi was mentioned as the best ever at 23. And them finals Ronaldo struggled in was because he was being marked but Madrid players intelligent enough to pass to players in space. Argentinas bench last night probably would have bet their starting team with a CM pairing of 66 years old.

[longballin]

Not denying Mess is an incredible player. Probably in top 5 ever just saying in World Cup final tournaments never hit the heights of Pele.

[Dinny Breen]

So Messi is shite now is he? That what the experts on here think?

Def not shite fantastic player but hasn't done it at World Cup level like Pele who scored great goal in final when he was 17 and 12 years later in final of 1970. Messi fluffed it totally in last World Cup final.

Robbing this from Twitter.

Pele! Injured in 62, sure he didn't play in the knockout games. 66? Sure he limped out, he didn't want it enough. 70? He has the best team around him. Fraud. And he never did it in Europe.

The best weren't in Europe then  He scored over 1000 goals. Hardly a fraud scoring in a World Cup final at 17. Messi missed a sitter in the last World Cup final. Good in Europe aye but not the greatest on World Stage

How can you judge a player you have never seen play? How many of those 1000 goals did you see? In age when every minute of your game is watch and analysed, the likes of Messi and Ronaldo simply stand out above all other players currently and historically because the evidence is there for all to see.

Messi is the greatest footballer for all time and a great goal scorer, Ronaldo probably the greatest goal scorer of all time and a great footballer.

Enjoy these players and their achievements, these type of players only arrive every 20 years or so. You can enjoy both without having to try and disparage the other.

[longballin]

Messi is class no doubt. The best ever is worth a debate. For me it was Pele though Maradonna up there as well. After that Best and Cruff imo.

[Wildweasel74]

Maradona better than the two of them; and i still have pele ahead if him

[Minder]

Is Peles 1000 goals not a bit of a joke ? Friendlies and all sorts of shite included in that total

[longballin]

Is Peles 1000 goals not a bit of a joke ? Friendlies and all sorts of shite included in that total

No joke when he was putting them past keepers in World Cup finals.

[seafoid]

World Cup performance depends on the supporting cast.  It is very like the All Ireland club in that regard. I don't think you can say Diego Armando is better cos he won a World Cup.

[trailer]

Messi not even in top 3.
Messi great in a team of greats. Ronaldo great in any team. Ronaldo is the complete footballer.