Re: The Lionel Messi Appreciation Thread & Fan Club IV

[Myesyats]

If balon dor was based on merit Messi woulda had won at least 10. And if it was truly on merit Messi would have his own separate category altogether because nobody ever came close to his individual brilliance because he exists in a completely detached and far-removed star system.

[Vibe]

Ronaldo's average finishing position is actually higher than Messi's in the sham awards.

He beat Messi in it 11 times, while Messi beat Ronaldo 8 times.

[Myesyats]

And this is the real reason why this award is a sham because Ronaldo never came close to Messi who belongs in a category above ordinary mortals.

Now, this is the appreciation thread so please refrain from spreading your Penaldo gospel and your worshipping of false gods.

[Vibe]

I only worship R9.

[Cruijf]

If any other player who is not named Messi did the exact same thing, he wouldn't even be nominated

No offence, but this is truly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read on this forum. If a random player not named Messi dominated the World Cup the way he did, he’d have the Ballon D’or locked down regardless of what else he did that year. To say he wouldn’t even be nominated is lunacy. In fact, the only reason there’s any controversy is because his name is Messi, and we’ve seen him have way better years.

[Vibe]

It is completely unnecesarry to get personal here, come on now.

I don't know why Messi fans get so angry whenever someone challenges his goatness, world will remember him as the goat, but it was an open discussion before the WC.

Narratives are strong wherever there is business and a wide audience, and this was an obvious one. If someone genuinely believes Messi had a better year than Haaland or Rodri...

The World Cup's value is not in it's quality per se, it is the clash of cultures, different footballs schools, of national pride. Historically it was different, but now it can't measure up to Champions League or any of the top leagues as a competition.

I'm pretty sure an average Premier League team could compete for the WC without problems.

[El Gunner]

it was never an open discussion, only plebs, haters and Ronaldo stanboys made it a discussion...

i don't know why people like to cry and hate just move on... even more so i don't know why people take the Ballon D'or so seriously, i mean Nedved winning over Henry for 2004 should've made people see that there sometimes can be fraudulence in the voting... so stop taking it so seriously.

like that one commentator once said regarding Messi's GOAT status, "it's not about that statistics!" It's in what you see. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some men admire art, magnificence and majesty, while other men admire Cristiano's abs and self-centredness.

[Vibe]

it was never an open discussion, only plebs, haters and Ronaldo stanboys made it a discussion...

i don't know why people like to cry and hate just move on... even more so i don't know why people take the Ballon D'or so seriously, i mean Nedved winning over Henry for 2004 should've made people see that there sometimes can be fraudulence in the voting... so stop taking it so seriously.

like that one commentator once said regarding Messi's GOAT status, "it's not about that statistics!" It's in what you see. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some men admire art, magnificence and majesty, while other men admire Cristiano's abs and self-centredness.

So by your standards then Ronaldinho is the goat.

Ronaldo and Messi are separated by practically nothing and saying otherwise is fanboy bullshit. Both are well deserving of a goat status and it's a thing of preference, like Jordan and LeBron.

Messi is simply more likeable. Humble, still with his childhood sweetheart and that is very nice, while Ronaldo pays his wife monthly, had surrogate mothers or something, had rape charges and says stupid shit while constantly displaying arrogance.

That is the main separator between the two and behaving like the levels of performance displayed over their careers is not similar is nothing but evidence of fanboyism.

[El Gunner]

the kicker is that Messi also has stats on his side, especially playmaking/assists, and he is basically a ruthless forward and midfielder in one, something we haven't seen before in football history... and that's what objectively makes him the GOAT

[Cruijf]

It is completely unnecesarry to get personal here, come on now.

I honestly didn’t mean it personally, sorry if you took it that way. I don’t agree there is basically nothing between Messi and CR (I think the gap is quite large) but it’s fine if you disagree. I just think your claim that a player not named Messi wouldn’t have been nominated is outrageous.

[Vibe]

Maybe I took it too far with not being nominated, but I am convinced that a different player with the same performance would not have won.

It is difficult to say that the win was undeserved, but I believe that there were players who deserved it more.

[Cruijf]

What did Cannavaro do in 2006 besides the World Cup?

[Myesyats]

Ronaldo and Messi are separated by practically nothing

Messi is simply more likeable.

I'm sorry but

[Vibe]

I'm sorry

It's okay bro

[Beautiful Football]

What R9 did in 2002, other than winning world cup?

Look like CR7 is on Suicide mode. This guy is unbelievable. Cannot sleep without thinking messi. Talk about inferiority complex.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12693117/Cristiano-Ronaldo-say-Lionel-Messis-eighth-Ballon-dOr-laughs-video-mocking-old-rival.html

[BarcaLearning]

One thing thats really strange about the CR v Messi debate is everyone tends to bring up Messi failing to win the WC, but so little is ever mentioned about CR never coming anywhere close with Portugal?

Fact is, Messi is just way more influential... CR's goals means he wins games but in comparison to Messi, hes a distant second best...

[Harmonica]

Time Athlete of the Year

https://time.com/6342417/athlete-of-the-year-2023-lionel-messi/

[Harmonica]

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/goal-50-men-list-messi-haaland-bellingham-mbappe-no-ronaldo/blt42bcb4d77bbaa046#cs4ad4383f9add732f

50. Amrabat
49. Goncalo Ramos
48. Rabiot
47. Di Lorenzo
46. Tonali
45. Lisandro Martinez
44. Bounou
43. Xavi Simons
42. Kounde
41. Kim Min-Jae
40. Trippier
39. Barella
38. Saliba
37. Theo Hernandez
36. Rashford
35. Stones
34. Casemiro
33. Gabriel Martinelli
32. Bruno Fernandes
31. Emi Martinez
30. Ederson
29. Mac Allister
28. Ter Stegen
27. Hakimi
26. Kvaratskhelia
25. Rafael Leao
24. Pedri
23. Rodrygo
22. Ruben Dias
21. Benzema
20. Musiala
19. Lauraro Martinez
18. Griezmann
17. Odegaard
16. Gundogan
15. Osimhen
14. Julian Alvarez
13. Saka
12. Rodri
11. Lewandowski
10. Bernardo Silva
9. Modric
8. Vinicius
7. Salah
6. Kane
5. De Bruyne
4. Mbappe
3. Bellingham
2. Haaland
1. Messi

[Vibe]

Messi living of old fame from a cup in 2022 while Ronado is the top scorer in the world in 2023 going into 2024 while being 3 years older, GOAT debate wide open again and momentum shifting to CR7, Messi is done.

[Harmonica]

Ronaldo isn't even on the list lmao. He's done.

[Vibe]

Goal.com reader list

Literally the people who think Neymar is Nerman.

[Harmonica]

442 list with PL bias not even Top 100 lmao.

FourFourTwo's list:

100. Busquets
99. Nahuel Molina
98. Diogo Costa
97. Micky van de Ven
96. Benzema
95. Lucas Paqueta
94. Isco
93. Giroud
92. Enzo Fernandez
91. Serhou Guirassy
90. Nico Williams
89. Marcus Thuram
88. Ivan Martin
87. Nkunku
86. Gyokeres
85. Martin Zubimendi
84. Federico Chiesa
83. Douglas Luiz
82. Sterling
81. Fede Valverde
80. Victor Boniface
79. Dominik Szoboszlai
78. Grealish
77. Rashford
76. Moussa Diaby
75. Calhanoglu
74. Kulusevski
73. Brandt
72. Foden
71. Botman
70. Theo Hernandez
69. Tchouameni
68. Granit Xhaka
67. Anthony Gordon
66. Joao Palhinha
65. Toni Kroos
64. Marquinhos
63. Gavi
62. Santiago Gimenez
61. Florian Wirtz
60. Rodrygo
59. Hakimi
58. Isak
57. Bruno Fernandes
56. Lois Openda
55. Vlahovic
54. Coman
53. Luis Diaz
52. Alphonso Davies
51. Gabriel Martinelli
50. Maignan
49. Emi Martinez
48. Kolo-Muani
47. Kim Min-Jae
46. De Jong
45. Kimmich
44. Kubo
43. Modric
42. Mitoma
41. Ter Stegen
40. Trippier
39. Julian Alvarez
38. Maddison
37. Alejandro Balde
36. Camavinga
35. Zaire-Emery
34. Lautaro Martinez
33. Pedri
32. Van Dijk
31. Xavi Simons
30. Son
29. Walker
28. Lewandowski
27. Sane
26. Ruben Dias
25. Kvaratskhelia
24. Odegaard
23. Ederson
22. Bruno Guimaraes
21. Alisson
20. Rice
19. Rafael Leao
18. Stones
17. Alexander-Arnold
16. Saliba
15. Gundogan
14. Osimhen
13. De Bruyne
12. Musiala
11. Saka
10. Vinicius
9. Griezmann
8. Salah
7. Bernardo Silva
6. Messi
5. Rodri
4. Mbappe
3. Kane
2. Bellingham
1. Haaland

[Arquitecto]

How tf is Messi in. the goal.com list. This isn't 2022. He is playing in a proven scrub league and not exactly knocking anyones socks off.
CR is having a far better year and under heat that has melted his gel brazen hair.

[Harmonica]

How tf is Messi in. the goal.com list. This isn't 2022. He is playing in a proven scrub league and not exactly knocking anyones socks off.
CR is having a far better year and under heat that has melted his gel brazen hair.

Because he's been the best performing player of 2023? Best player in Ligue 1 titulero, went to the absolute worst team in MLS and did Maradona winning the first ever titulero for them in few games. Would've won double if he was fit for the other final. Cronaldo went to the best team of the dunes, and bought few goals. Nobody cares about that.

[Vibe]

How tf is Messi in. the goal.com list. This isn't 2022. He is playing in a proven scrub league and not exactly knocking anyones socks off.
CR is having a far better year and under heat that has melted his gel brazen hair.

Because he's been the best performing player of 2023?.

Ligue 1 finished in like February

[Arquitecto]

I am more surprised Harmonica doesn't now revere CR as being his rival for as long as he has given now they openly gush for another, the two rivals and look back at what they have had for well over a decade. I'd expect him shitting on the up & coming Messi hopefuls rather than someone who's competed with his legacy for this long and still doing so at 38

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