Messi vs. Ronaldo

Who is the better football player?


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    106

TheLeastOfTheBunch

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Jun 28, 2007
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Messi has more free kicks goals scored in the last 3-4 years than any of the teams in the big 5 leagues (aside from Barcelona of course). That tweet was made right before he scored his 2nd FK of the game vs Espanyol. He's definitely one of the best in the world at the moment in that regard, Neymar is also money usually with FKs.
 

Stray Wasp

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May 5, 2009
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If Higuain scores in the final and Argentina win the CL and/or if Argentina beat Chile in the copa america finals does that make Messi the GOAT?

Possibly, since Jorge Burruchaga scoring the winner in the 1986 World Cup final made Diego Maradona the GOAT in some people's eyes. (In some people's eyes it also made Burruchaga worthy of being dismissed as a mediocrity who Maradona had to carry on his shoulders, but them's the breaks).
 

Maestro84

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May 3, 2018
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Possibly, since Jorge Burruchaga scoring the winner in the 1986 World Cup final made Diego Maradona the GOAT in some people's eyes. (In some people's eyes it also made Burruchaga worthy of being dismissed as a mediocrity who Maradona had to carry on his shoulders, but them's the breaks).
Didn't Maradona get caught using steroids or some other performance enhancing substance?

Regardless, his WC "win" will always go down as the biggest asterisk in sports history.
 
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Evilo

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Mar 17, 2002
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Nah he got caught in WC 94.
There's no asterisk on his 86 win, besides his handball obviously.
He had a great WC.

Doesn't make him the best of all time, nor even top3. But I still rate him as possibly the most talented player ever and a top 5 player all time.
 

Stray Wasp

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Didn't Maradona get caught using steroids or some other performance enhancing substance?

Regardless, his WC "win" will always go down as the biggest asterisk in sports history.

He was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after failing a drugs test.

I'm unaware of any allegations regarding Maradona having taken drugs at the 86 World Cup. I've read no more than that he entered the tournament with concerns hanging over a knee injury that mysteriously disappeared. His autobiography makes mention of him receiving pain-relieving injections, though it should be stressed that such 'treatment' of injuries was frequent throughout football at that time - often taking a damaging toll on players in later life.

By contrast, allegations that West Germany's 1954 World Cup winners had received a chemical boost were aired within months of their sensational final defeat of Hungary.

1978 was a far more dubious Argentinian victory, as a result of suspicions about the military junta that then controlled the country having used every last ounce of influence at their disposal to ease the team's progression.
 

gary69

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Sep 22, 2004
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Then and there
He was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after failing a drugs test.

I'm unaware of any allegations regarding Maradona having taken drugs at the 86 World Cup. I've read no more than that he entered the tournament with concerns hanging over a knee injury that mysteriously disappeared. His autobiography makes mention of him receiving pain-relieving injections, though it should be stressed that such 'treatment' of injuries was frequent throughout football at that time - often taking a damaging toll on players in later life.

By contrast, allegations that West Germany's 1954 World Cup winners had received a chemical boost were aired within months of their sensational final defeat of Hungary.

1978 was a far more dubious Argentinian victory, as a result of suspicions about the military junta that then controlled the country having used every last ounce of influence at their disposal to ease the team's progression.

Maradona's drug use with Napoli in the late 1980's on the other hand is well known and widely published, I think he has admitted that himself as well. But it's unclear publicly what was going on around 1986, as doping wasn't that extensively tested before 1988 (see Ben Johnson) and Maradona was heavily protected by mafia at that time given the tensions between southern and northern Italy (with the WC 1990 hosting looming).
 

Wee Baby Seamus

Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Mar 15, 2011
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Definitely.
CR was better until Messi started taking them. Leo just kept getting better and better at them to the point I would say he is a top-3 FK shooter right now and I struggle to pick anyone over him if I have to take a FK

Messi is unambiguously the best FK taker in the world right now, and has been for a few seasons.
 

Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
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He was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after failing a drugs test.

I'm unaware of any allegations regarding Maradona having taken drugs at the 86 World Cup. I've read no more than that he entered the tournament with concerns hanging over a knee injury that mysteriously disappeared. His autobiography makes mention of him receiving pain-relieving injections, though it should be stressed that such 'treatment' of injuries was frequent throughout football at that time - often taking a damaging toll on players in later life.

By contrast, allegations that West Germany's 1954 World Cup winners had received a chemical boost were aired within months of their sensational final defeat of Hungary.

1978 was a far more dubious Argentinian victory, as a result of suspicions about the military junta that then controlled the country having used every last ounce of influence at their disposal to ease the team's progression.
The US backed junta but you know... democracy lol.
 

Albatros

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Aug 19, 2017
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Messi is unambiguously the best FK taker in the world right now, and has been for a few seasons.

Based on what exactly? His conversion rate is not among the best, scores a lot based mostly on the sheer number of chances he is given. He can shoot with finesse, sure, but in terms of power his free kicks are nothing special. I'm not sure if he's even the best Argentinian with challengers like Dybala, never mind unambiguously so.
 

Maestro84

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2019 could honestly be the most crucial year of Messi’s career. Barca’s got a good shot at winning another treble and with the majority of the original Barca core either departed or past their prime, winning a trophy like the CL can easily bump Messi’s legacy up even more since Barca will go as far as Leo takes them. Also, Copa America is happening again this year and hopefully Messi will give it another go. If Argentina can get it done this time and Messi plays good enough, then this whole myth of Ronaldo being better than Messi in international play will be finished with
 

Vasilevskiy

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Dec 30, 2008
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Based on what exactly? His conversion rate is not among the best, scores a lot based mostly on the sheer number of chances he is given. He can shoot with finesse, sure, but in terms of power his free kicks are nothing special. I'm not sure if he's even the best Argentinian with challengers like Dybala, never mind unambiguously so.

He doesn't need it when he can put it wherever he wants. He's the best Argentinian, easily.
Could you tell me 4 current better free kick takers than Messi?
 

Albatros

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Aug 19, 2017
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Messi's conversion rate is around seven percent, while for example Dybala's is over 20 percent.

Pjanić, Mata, Çalhanoğlu are way above too, among others.
 

TheLeastOfTheBunch

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Jun 28, 2007
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None of those players take FKs at anywhere near the rate that Messi does, so the conversion rates isn’t exactly an apples to apples comparison. It also should be mentioned that Leo’s scoring rate was at ~12% last season and it’s again hovering above 15% this season.
 
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The Abusement Park

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I don’t think Messi is the clear best FK taker in the world currently. But I think he’s very close with a few guys. But I can confidently say he’s a way better free kick taker than Ronaldo.
 
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