Dante wrote:Because Nesta didn't fail traps , or lose his man , or have shockers   . Every defender did , does and will do. That's legitimately your only hope of reaching such levels of defending , by failing and trying to get better next time. But yes good thing you rate Nesta above those who taught him a thing or two

Uefa Cup final 1998 and Lazio-Roma 1-5 were two matches where he was destroyed for example.

You don't have to tell me Robes . Nesta himself said once about Ronaldo that he had watched that game so many times over the years and still couldn't figure out what he did that was so wrong in the end. Ronaldo was just that good and he could do no more , he decided . And it's no shame tbh , again no matter who you are , you cannot stop every goal from happening. And at times , you'll even get rekt.

Hell Ronaldo gave Maldini nightmares when they played in derbies . I've never seen Maldini struggle like this ever after , pre or post Inter Ronaldo. Maldini was always bold and precise with his tackling and challenges but always took care not to injure or foul opponents , if he could help it. And he was highly successful at it for a ridiculously long time .

Yet against Ronaldo in some games , he would fiercely tackle him and get yellows , some of those tackles were quite dangerous . That's like literally the best he could do against Ronaldo as well. I remember watching a derby once a few years ago, damn i felt sorry for Ronaldo at some point

Once again , you don't become that good unless you get beaten first and improve the next time. There's no shame and nothing embarrassing failing to stop such players , no matter how great you are.

Maradona and its not even close for me

btw, as long as the goal isn't a free kick, long range shot, or some spectacular bicycle kick, anybody can take a gif of a goal and make the analogy that the defense should have done better or the guy who's scored is playing against scrubs, cos they "let" him score....even free kicks, sometimes its an awkward wall, and one can still go "oh they're defending like scrubs". the gif proves nothing

@Dante
Infact  Lazio-Roma 1-5 was easily his worst match in career.
It's enough normal to be destroyed by prime Ronaldo , but in that derby Delvecchio and Montella ridiculed him and he was subbed after 45 ( Nesta in a derby ! ).
Scrub performance in big games happen also to great players.



Anyway about the topic, I don't get the comparison . For everything.
Firstly, the most banal thing, Maradona won 2 Scudetti , Higuain still must win it. And I 've still many doubts he will get it.

I haven't watched that 1-5 game , but i have seen the goals in highlights years ago. Even going by that i must agree , at least i can't remember any other game he played which ended this badly , or him suffering to the point of substituting him , without being injured . I remember a few Milan-Lazio games where Shevchenko gave him a lot of trouble , but nothing like this. I remember meh games of his but few if none that he was the main problem . Especially in big games as you say.

As for the topic , yeah i discuss other things here because simply put , there's only one option and that is Maradona . It will be humongous if Higuain leads Napoli to the Scudetto , yet what Maradona did back then is rightfully the stuff of legend . Tbh there's not even a case at this point , Higuain must go there once to begin with . Then we can thoroughly talk about it.

Stats are good but lack in essense when Napoli 15-16 comes into San Siro to win 0-4 , and back then it took Maradona to win against Milan ; let alone the Scudetto . No wonder they retired the n10 at Napoli , they're never getting anyone like him again .

Personally find Dante shouldn't put the entire blame on GL and just focus on who actually called it embarrassing. Hurting people feelings and shit

Serie A when Maradona did it was the best league in the world already...  granted, he won it once Platini retired from Juve and football (or was a shadow of himself his last year).  But you did have Van Basten's Milan, Juve was still damn good, Roma, Sampdoria, etc.  Heck even Verona was really good for a bit.  All the best foreign players were going to Italy (as much as it was allowed back then).  Italy NT had won WC 1982 and there was a lot of great Italian talent.

Serie A today is nowhere near as competitive.  It would be a great achievement for Higuain... but that Napoli team was basically crap other than Maradona and he carried them.  This Napoli's team talent is not crap compared to the rest of Serie A.  It's one of the better squads.

Shouldn't we wait and see if Higuain actually ends up winning a title?

Doc wrote:Personally find Dante shouldn't put the entire blame on GL and just focus on who actually called it embarrassing. Hurting people feelings and shit

(:

You're right , i shouldn't have generalized .

Dante bro, no hard feelings... I'm the least to judge people or players's value on ocasional brainfarts, it's ok to suck at times, we all do, that's evolution, but man that was hilarious. The way those 3 Milan players run at the Napoli player, i don't know what the hell they were thinking, and the other defenders are so convinced in their action .

I think we tend to give more credit to past important personalities in every domain, not just football, because in the past the very talented people who could follow their path were way fewer, and it was possible to be a level above the competition at their time, now it's way harder. Now the competition is so damn high in everything because knowledge in many domains has developed beyond bounds, and so many people have access to it, have a direction, have the possibility to follow their gift, and can become very good.

In comparisons like the one in this topic, we can only use common sense, because the environment is very different now, the game has evolved, a very obvious difference for example is the speed of play. And i guess it's pretty obvious what the common sense tells us regarding the subject of this topic.

Of course no hard feelings lol . We just talk and have some banter ffs , no need to point this out .

Alright , I can't disagree with some of the points you raised , if not with the premise that just because this was 30 years ago or so , it's to be rated as less.. everything . Right , it's true football evolved , it's also true the entire world of football has adopted a lot of the concepts that Milan team did with Sacchi. From zonal marking , (high) offside traps or the importance of positioning , pressing , modern football followed a lot from that team and that team executed most of it to standards that are impressive even today. Nevertheless you obviously downplay the past , that's plain , so let's just agree to disagree i guess .

Btw , i know how it looks , maybe , like just because these are legendary figures of my team , i am making excuses or something . It's sincerely not the case , but anyway , i'll have it look however it does , i don't mind . I still genuinely hold the opinion they did absolutely nothing 'wrong' there and that it matters very little how football evolved , with regards to what we see in the gif. I still very much believe you think this was funny because you just don't understand what you see in the gif.

You think , don't know what the hell they were thinking and find it's funny they were so convinced in their action .. while it's something as simple and obvious as top players believing in their ability and tactics that won them everything time and again , like every other great team does today. What you watch but fail to see , but find funny that they were so convinced in their action , is the very core element of every successful team everywhere , ever , during any age . Trusting in your teammates ability to deliver , whatever the plan is . On this case , it was executing , and ridiculously quickly , a high offside trap. Mind you , the duration of execution and Maradona's run from when he start running to receiving the ball is like 1.something second ; in real time it was slightly faster than that poor camera recorded .. Meaning , speed of it all was very modern standard , if you like. In that span of time , they simply reacted by instinct and practice , automated stuff that anyone who has touched a ball in his life understands you don't think at such moments. I can tell you with absolute confidence , other backlines would just stand and watch Maradona  . Then again other backlines could barely play Milan's game. They would just play catenaccio against him . And they often did.

What's more , you can't play a high offside trap that much deeper. Maradona or not , they played their game . Is that so funny ? It's like laughing against a team which plays their game against Messi and not resort to parking the bus ? What's so funny about this ? Maybe because one player failed to steal the ball half a second sooner , it's funny ? You can argue about the choice of tactic if you want , but then again it's all hindsight . And even we put this aside , would Guardiola abandon his tactics because they failed here and there , would anybody , especially when they have worked ? No.

You also can't do it that much faster. Maradona saw the opening half a second earlier and made an absolutely ridiculous run and finish , and even then , he did what the Milan players did ; be convinced in his teammate's ability to deliver , otherwise it would all have been for nothing . Wouldn't look that funny then would it , if his teammate just failed a simple ball ? Just because one lob went through , it's funny ? Luckily for him his teammate delivered and he still finished the move with yet another ridiculous action . It was all done in fine form by the back line and they reacted exactly like they were expected to react , it just happened Maradona was even better than that on the occasion .

I find it amusing you actually think what happened was funny just because it didn't work that one time , going as far to downplay the entire game of those years , yet fail to see that this was 99% Maradona , regardless of the back line. Countless other players wouldn't even see that , or dare to take their chance , or even be successful from start to finish , even if they dared it. It's.. it's not funny and i would like you to believe me when i say i am not saying this just because it is about Milan.

Finally , moving on from the gif , to give you an analogy as an answer to your response , it's like 20 years from now , a poster in GL 2036 watches a gif from Barcelona-Inter , 09-10 CL in Camp Nou. He will see Messi and co failing to break the Inter defense and he will have seen or known about Messi and that great Guardiola's Barcelona . He will be like 'lol see , when they didn't get much space they could barely do this or that as it happens today , football has progressed a lot since 2010' .... Do you see my point? Would you agree with all this from 1 gif , 20 years from now? Would you agree with a lad downplaying Guardiola's Barcelona just because it was 2010?? Because you're that poster in 2036 and i bet you anything you like , it will happen one day , just like it has always happened .

Yet Barcelona that day did nothing wrong with their tactics or execution of said tactics , their tactics too won them everything and were copied , Messi , Xavi , Iniesta , Busquets , Guardiola , e.t.c , wasn't any less or any worse just because they weren't successful on the occasion. It was Inter who were just that good that night , nothing more and nothing less . The essence of it all is the exact same here.

In the end , i honestly fail to see what's so funny , or embarrassing . All i see is Maradona being superior on the day and the rest of your points , while certainly correct , don't necessarily help your case . That's what i think , again we can agree to disagree , since i doubt your stance could change , and in the end why should it , with one post anyway .

Another important goal for Pipita, and not just any goal, a pressure goal.

Updated, Higuain with 3 consecutive first team goals. And still standing important with 14 rounds left.

lol... Thanks for the laugh! Now we're comparing Higuain to Maradona because of statistics. Amazing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21dkqtBwXk

Yes, let's compare a striker to a midfielder and talk about who is better.

Rank stupidity.

No one has ever been better. Not Messi, not either Ronaldo, not Ronaldihno, not Zidane and not Pele, no one.

Sorry you missed him, but you did.

lmao so posting a youtube video with shitty ass music makes Maradona better than Messi

Maradona's top 3 place all time is even debatable.

For 20 year olds, absolutely.

The level of ignorance here is amazing. You've never seen him live, but adamantly want to declare who the better player is - based on statistics.

Go ask the people of Naples who the better player is. You probably wouldn't leave the city alive.

It's like arguing with someone who has been blind since birth about what the colour red looks like. Let me tell you, it's extremely entertaining. I'm sorry, but you're clueless. The video above was for your benefit, not mine. As I had the absolute pleasure to see him play IRL. And believe it or not, Messi, farless for Higuain, don't compare. No one does. You and the rest here don't get it. His level is never, ever gonna be seen again. Not ever.

Top 3 best ever? Hope for your sake you keep that a closet opinion.

PS: Try reading the comments of people who have actually seen Maradona play. Look at what they say about anyone since him. Even the Messiah here... It's a joke. A complete joke!

^ That's the beauty thing about opinions tho. When you dig up quotes you'll find people who have watched Maradona play, have played with him or against him, but have ranked Messi higher.

This would be a wonderful time to make a Messi vs Cruijff at Barca thread.
Let's hear from harmonica on this.

Vapotrini wrote:PS: Try reading the comments of people who have actually seen Maradona play. Look at what they say about anyone since him. Even the Messiah here... It's a joke. A complete joke!

Offtopic:

Osvaldo Ardiles (teammate Maradona WC82) – "I've already said this that Messi is not only the best football player right now, but also the best football player ever in the history of football. I played with Maradona for 7 years. I thought I'd never see another player like that but I have to say Messi is better."
Cesar Menotti (coach Maradona WC82) - "Messi is the best player in the world. He's at the level of the best Maradona."
Jorge Valdano (teammate Maradona WC86) - "Messi is Maradona every day. It is June 1986 for 5 years now. The last 5 years, Messi is the Maradona of the World Cup in Mexico."
Diego Simeone (teammate Maradona Sevilla/WC94) - "Diego has filled us with emotions. But between the cracks, without doubt, Messi is better than Maradona."
Francisco Carrasco (teammate Maradona Barcelona) - "Messi is impressive, he does wonders. What he does in the last metres, Maradona couldn't do as often."
Bernd Schuster (teammate Maradona Barcelona) - "Messi is the best player I have seen in my life."
Pichi Alonso (teammate Maradona Barcelona) - "I played with Maradona, and Messi is a lot better, scores more, more of a team player, physically stronger..."
Julio Alberto (teammate Maradona Barcelona) - "Messi is better than Diego. He's from another galaxy. Better than Pele or Maradona."

Jan Mulder (teammate Cruyff Ajax) - "Lionel Messi is by far the best player ever."
Willem van Hanegem (teammate Cruyff WC74) - "Messi is in my eyes the greatest of all-time."
Hugo Sotil (teammate Cruyff Barcelona) - "I've played with geniuses like Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, but for me Leo Messi is the best player ever."
Marcial Pina (teammate Cruyff Barcelona) - "Messi is the best player I've ever seen, better than Maradona and Cruyff together."

José Altafini (teammate Pele WC58) - "Messi is better than Maradona."

Justo Tejada (teammate Di Stefano) - "Messi is from another galaxy. He does more difficult things than Di Stefano, Pele or Maradona."

Ivan Helguera (teammate Zidane/Ronaldo Real Madrid) - "For me, Messi is the best player in history"
Michael Owen (teammate Zidane/Ronaldo Real Madrid) - "Best player of all time? Messi."
Ruud van Nistelrooy (teammate Ronaldo Real Madrid) - "Messi is on a different level. The fact he is doing what he is year after year says that he is the best of all time."
Mircea Lucescu (coach Ronaldo Inter) - "I don't think there ever has been or will be a phenomenon like Messi. He's even better than Pele."
Albert Ferrer (teammate Ronaldo Barcelona) - "I played with Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Laudrup and Stoichkov but Messi is the best I've seen"
Luis Enrique (teammate Ronaldo Barcelona) - "Messi is the best player I've seen in my life."

Carlos Bianchi - "A few days ago I did a talk for a business and a Brazilian asked me in the middle of the conference who I considered the best footballer in history, Maradona or Pele. I answered that, with all due respect to those two, right now I see Messi as superior to everyone."
Javier Zanetti - "Who's better, Messi or Maradona? Messi has overtaken Diego: Leo is the greatest of all time."
Gabriel Milito - "It doesn't seem right to me to claim that you have to win the World Cup in order to be regarded as the best ever. He just keeps on improving and outdoing himself year after year and that's why he is the best ever for me."
Javier Saviola - "Nobody plays like Messi, and I think no one ever did. And as Guardiola said, he does it every three days."
Alfio Basile (coach Argentina) - "I'm the only one who's coached both Messi and Maradona. No one has ever coached both of them. I've got the world record there. Two world-wide stars. But I always say Messi is a real extraterrestrial, cause at the speed he goes with the ball glued to his feet I haven't seen nor will ever see someone like that. He does every play as if he was watching it from the stands. As soon I saw him with the young team, I thought 'this is a serious thing, this guy will be the best player in the world'. Because it's incredible. If you watch him in a practice, by your side, he does things wich are incredible to be done for a human being!"

Paolo Maldini - "Messi makes the difference. I think he reached and surpassed the level of Maradona."
Stoichkov - “MEssi is one rung higher on the ladder than Maradona, Cruyff and Pele”
Alan Smith (ex-Arsenal): "I saw Maradona - shared same pitch - but Messi's extraordinary consistency elevates him just above his countryman"
Dino Zoff (ex-goalkeeper Juventus): "I've faced Maradona, Pele and Cruyff, and I think Messi is up there with those players."
Bernat (Bayern): "Messi is the best player in history. Everyone who understands football a little thinks the same."
Guardiola (coach Bayern): "I didn't see Pele, but Leo is the best player ever. He's unique."
Graeme Souness - "Lionel Messi is the best player ever - and it's not even close. Messi surpasses Pele and he's also way out ahead of Maradona - it's not even close anymore. Messi is a problem solver, a game changer, the greatest player to have played the game."
Leonardo Araujo - "It's official: Leo is better than Maradona."
David Luiz - "Messi is fantastic, he's the best player in history."
Sergio Aguero - "Messi is the best in history."
Xavi - "Messi is the best player in the world, and for me the best ever. Just 27, still getting better. He's only competing against himself. He's the smallest, but he's the best at everything, even in the air. Messi is a phenomenon. I'm not about to say anything new. What Leo has been doing is amazing. He's even the best at defending. When he puts pressure on the full-backs, he wins the ball back. He's the best at everything, no matter what he does."
Jose Nunez - "Messi is the number one, the best player I've ever seen, better than Maradona."
Arda Turan - "Messi is out of this world, he's an alien. For me, he's the best player in the history of football."
Koldo Aguirre - "I thought I had seen the best player in the world: Di Stefano. But now I've changed: Messi is the best."
Jupp Heynckes - "Messi has swept the board at the Ballon d'Or in the last few years. He's a genius and is certainly on a par with Maradona and Pele."
Ottmar Hitzfeld - "Messi is, together with Pele, one of the best that ever lived. Breaking Muller's record was a matter of time."
Kalusha Bwalya (ZAM most capped) - "Messi is the best player in the world and for me the best in history. Best player I have seen in my life."
Patrick Kluivert - "Is Messi the best player of all time? For me, yes."
Wayne Rooney - "Messi is the best ever"
Hans Krankl (AUS best player) - "Messi is from another planet, the best player in the world and the best in history. Unbelievable, a wonder."
Romerito - "There's always the talk about the World Cup, but for me, Messi is already better than Maradona."
Arturo Vidal - "I've only seen footage here and there of Maradona, but I think Messi is better."
Oscar Garcia - "Messi is the best player I've ever seen."
Dennis Wise - "Messi's 25 but i can say he is the greatest footballer i've ever seen-"
Vitolo - "Messi is the best player of all time and today he had a stormer."

Gary Lineker - "Messi is indisputably the greatest player ever to don a pair of football boots. Don't even attempt to argue the point."
Adriano Galliani - "Messi is the best player ever. And this is said by someone who has seen Maradona and Pele play."
Luis Suarez Miramontes (Ballon d'Or 1960) - "There has never been a fast, skillful, technical player who also scores so many goals. Until Messi. He has it all."
Enrique Orizaola (ex-coach, 90 years of age) - "Messi is the best player I've ever seen, better than Maradona."
Jose Luis Chilavert - "Messi is the best, he is better than Maradona."
Michel -  "Is Messi better than Maradona? For me yes. I've played against Maradona and I can say that what I have seen Messi, I have not seen done by anyone since I'm in the football world and now I am getting closer to fifty years"
Arsene Wenger - Who's the best player of all-time? "Lionel Messi."
David Villa -  ”I haven’t seen anything like him on a football pitch. Look, there were many brilliant players throughout history, but with all respect to the opinions of other people, no one is even close to Leo.”
Gerry Armstrong - "I know what it's like to score against Barcelona, but end up losing 4-1. My first goal in Spanish league was against Barcelona. Unfortunately a certain Diego Maradona was in the side for Barcelona and he just took control and they beat us 4-1. Look at this little man (Messi), well, I think he's better than Maradona, I think he better than anybody I've ever seen."
Ray Hudson - On Messi. "Greatest football player I've ever seen, and certainly one of the most fabulous footballers in the history of the game, in my opinion, the greatest ever."
Rudi Voller - "Messi is now in the same league as Pele and Maradona”
Peter Schmeichel - "I've played against some of the greatest, including Maradona, but Messi might be the best I've ever seen."
Ronald de Boer - "To talk about Messi, people should stand up. Best ever? From all those I saw, yes."
Marco Reus - "Who's the best player ever? Lionel Messi."
David Silva - "For me, Messi is the best player of all times."
John Terry - "And, quite clearly for me, Messi is the best ever."
Michael Owen - "Best player of all time? 1. Messi 2. Ronaldo 3. Maradona"
Frank Lampard - "I grew up with Maradona, he was my favourite player, but for me, Messi is the best, not just of this era, but of every era."
Ivan Rakitic - "Leo is not only the best player in the world now but the best player in the history of football."
Juan Laporta - “Messi is the best player in the world and the best in the history of football."
Rene Maulensteen - "I see Messi as the best player of all-time."
Pablo Aimar - "For several years, I thought there would not be another player like Maradona. And now I see that Messi is on a par him with and with the best of all time."
Cassano - "Messi is best player in history."
Domenico Criscito - "Messi is alien of football! An extraordinary player.. The best of all times!"
Gary Neville - "Messi, greatest player of modern times and arguably all-time."
Albert Luque - "Messi is the best player in history."
Miku - "Messi is the best player in history."

Steven Gerrard - "Messi, the best ever? I think so."
Steven Jovetic - "Messi is the best in the history of the game. First is Messi, then come all the others. He's an inspiration for me."
Thiago Alcantara - "Greatest player of all time? For me, no doubt: Lionel Messi. We have the pleasure to enjoy today the best ever."
David Lomban - "Toughest I've marked? Messi. No one has his reaction time. He decides at the last moment. Best I've ever seen."
James Wilson - "Messi, greatest of all time."
Llorente - "Messi is exceptional. I think he's the best player of all time. He does different things."
Cassano - "Messi is the number one, and there's no number two. Then you might have a number three, four... And I'm talking about history! Youth idol? Maradona. But now there's only one player for me. Barça's number 10. Period."



That Gerry Armstrong quote is still favorite of mine, it came in this match (1-4).



PS. unlike you I actually saw Maradona live in 80's, and Messi surpassed him like 3 years ago.

Winter is Coming wrote:^ That's the beauty thing about opinions tho. When you dig up quotes you'll find people who have watched Maradona play, have played with him or against him, but have ranked Messi higher.

Except that's not really true is it? Maradona was the people's villain, especially amongst the English. He was very easy to hate and Messi is very easy to love. So opinions here from player's don't mean all that much imo.

Opinions aside, let's examine things. Name a single thing Messi is better at, than Diego? (EDIT: And this is asked of you too Harmonica with your million quotes) Just one thing. Seriously, name  "one" single thing Messi is better at than Maradona?  To put it mildly, it literally doesn't exist. Then you examine what he's won, who he's won it with and against, with unquestionably less talent... how is this still debatable??

From a video that has 90% less highlights than Messi has in any single calendar year, he did things that Messi simply cannot do.

Rabona for assist (multiple times)
Scoring from half line
Scoring from a corner (multiple times)
chipping the keeper at full speed from outside the box

Yes, yes this means nothing in the grand scheme of things. But isn't being entertained part of what football is all about? The entertainment value was infinite, on top of the superior skill level.

Do you really think quoting other people is going to take away what people have seen with their own eyes? Jesus, c'mon. You think they have a church built for him in Naples because he got lucky?

I'm literally yet to meet someone my age who doesn't agree with what I'm saying above, even if they don't say it as "passionately" as I do. And if I have they really are far and few in between. Ask yourself, why is that? Could it be because there was actually a better player before you were born to see? Just maybe people played football at a higher level when you didn't exist? Yes, unbelievable, I know....

Believe it or not, Messi does not come close to Maradona imo, only their nationality, height and choice of foot makes them similar. One is a once in a life time phenomenon, the likes I will never, ever see again, the other is a very, very talented footballer who in 15-20 years may be eclipsed. They're far apart, in my mind. And no amount of quotes or votes will ever change that, cause I saw it with my own *bleep* eyes. As did many, many others... but seeing will always be believing. Hence the resistance here. FFS half this forum doens't even realize that Michel Platini was one of the greatest footballers ever. Says it all really...

Except that's not really true is it? Maradona was the people's villain, especially amongst the English. He was very easy to hate and Messi is very easy to love. So opinions here from player's don't mean all that much imo.

What? According to who? Maradona is mostly universally loved and has been showered recognition since for ever. Maybe the English, as you say, but other than that people don't have a negative impression of him that affects their assessment of him as a football legend.

I'm not really going to weigh in on this you already got your hands full with Harmonica, however I find it hard to believe someone actually thinks Messi doesn't have at least one thing that he's better then Maradona at or at least at the same level or relatively there as a footballer either, the world, legends, etc aren't ranking him along side him and Pele for no reason.

About 60-70% (if not more) of English players grew up idolizing Maradona

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

Except that's not really true is it? Maradona was the people's villain, especially amongst the English. He was very easy to hate and Messi is very easy to love. So opinions here from player's don't mean all that much imo.

What? According to who? Maradona is mostly universally loved and has been showered recognition since for ever. Maybe the English, as you say, but other than that people don't have a negative impression of him that affects their assessment of him as a football legend.

According to whom? History. Falkland islands. To this day, the English still don't like Argentinians and vice versa.

Maradona was not loved as much as you say, he was an easy target. People loved to hate him, rest assured though... love him or hate him, they all watched him play.

What?

We have absolutely no problems with the Argentinians. Also, Maradona is one of the most highly regarded footballers in England and has always been in discussions over the greatest of all time debates. He is a living legend and is loved unanimously across the country.

Vapotrini wrote:lol... Thanks for the laugh! Now we're comparing Higuain to Maradona because of statistics. Amazing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21dkqtBwXk

Yes, let's compare a striker to a midfielder and talk about who is better.

Rank stupidity.

No one has ever been better. Not Messi, not either Ronaldo, not Ronaldihno, not Zidane and not Pele, no one.

Sorry you missed him, but you did.

I didn't want to be offensive so I didn't say it, but since you did I have to concur, no player was/is better than Diego Maradona. Not Messi or the Ronaldo currently playing and certainly not Higuain. I can only put Pele, Cruyff as close and maybe Ronaldo, the real one, before his injuries while at Inter. Can't think of others at the moment.

Having had the pleasure to watch Maradona in Serie A and the 1990 WC in person I have yet to see a player with a better combination of skills, speed and football intelligence (not life brains of course).