Lionel Messi - Greatest EVER footballer?

At 24 yrs old still, you'd have to say hes the best footballer thats ever walked this planet! and still a good 6 yrs left in him prime-time? I know there has been some amazing footballers over the last 5 decades and more, but Surely he has to be there best there was, is & ever will be? (p.s. - 5 more goals tonight so far - Barca 7-0 up!)

EDIT: Messi becomes the first player ever tonight to score 5 goals in a single champions league game!

He is as I like to say: A TANK!

Merlin, why did you leave the chat thing?

He's got f**k all on Gestede

He has to do it at a world cup first

He is as I like to say: A TANK!

Merlin, why did you leave the chat thing?

They must have been f*cking about and flagged me out of the chat? I was banned for 177minutes! lmao. nobs.

He has to do it at a world cup first

No he doesn't - He can't help his whole team not being a unit - like Barca are - amazing team, but obviously - - - AHHHHHH f**k! 2-2 brighton..............

He has to do it at a world cup first

No he doesn't - He can't help his whole team not being a unit - like Barca are - amazing team, but obviously - - - AHHHHHH f**k! 2-2 brighton..............

For me he does, even if his team don't perform he should.

By a mile

2nd behind fahey

He equalled Torres goal count for the last 36 games tonight!

Lionel Messi is 5 goals away from becoming Barcelona's all time top goal scorer.



And he is 24 years old.

Rivaldo was good

in work tonight was planning on wacking city on sky radio thingy 0117.
ended up watching 90mins of messi, and city via facebook updates....
unbelievable footballer.
best I have ever seen.

The best thing about him, when people hack him down and kick lumps out of him, he just gets straight back up and on the ball. No rolling about like the rest of the fannies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfRCa71Kmw

SAD

how at 24 is he the worlds greatest footballer when at 23 rudy is young an raw but shows potential?

how at 24 is he the worlds greatest footballer when at 23 rudy is young an raw but shows potential?

good point, Give it a year and Rudy will be better than Messi

He has to do it at a world cup first

Agreed. No doubt that he is one of the best players I have ever seen, but... Pele at 18 years old dragged Brazil to their first World cup win, then added another two winners medals to his haul. Maradonna, dragged Argentina to a World cup in 86, (he may have been in the 78 squad? not sure?) and until Messi does the same, he's narrowly short of the greats.

Great player though he is, he needs that World cup medal to be amongst the greats.

4th or 5th highest champions league scorer. 24 years old. He still needs to come to the premier league. Cant see spanish defenders getting stuck in like some defenders here.

He has to do it at a world cup first

Luke, that is probably the single most stupid comment in the world of football ever! I heard similar of other pundits on that program last night.
Are they, and you, saying that Ryan Giggs is a crap footballer because he's never qualified for anything? How about George Best, he never qualified for anything either so that makes him rubbish as well?

You can't blame Messi for the ill's in Argentina's football. He's just one player, it's not his fault that he's not got the team around him and I doubt very much if he employed the manager.

Did anyone watch the programme on ITV 4? Cracking insight into this young man who is without doubt the Greatest ever.

4th or 5th highest champions league scorer. 24 years old. He still needs to come to the premier league. Cant see spanish defenders getting stuck in like some defenders here.

f**k me, Did I get up this morning and wonder in to the "stupid comments thread"

Have you seen this lad play? Or are you just reeling off comments made by pundits who were talking for the sake of saying something?

If you watch him you'll see that he gets the shit kicked out of him all the time, but he just bounces off them and keeps going. Last night there were 3 or 4 German defenders on top of him and he just bounced his way straight through them.
When he plays against English teams they tend to stop him by taking his legs out, which is the only answer they've got for him. They then complain that he's "diving" ffs! Man U tried that tactic against him in the CL final, and look what he did to them, the so called best in England!

4th or 5th highest champions league scorer. 24 years old. He still needs to come to the premier league. Cant see spanish defenders getting stuck in like some defenders here.

f**k me, Did I get up this morning and wonder in to the "stupid comments thread"

Have you seen this lad play? Or are you just reeling off comments made by pundits who were talking for the sake of saying something?

If you watch him you'll see that he gets the shit kicked out of him all the time, but he just bounces off them and keeps going. Last night there were 3 or 4 German defenders on top of him and he just bounced his way straight through them.
When he plays against English teams they tend to stop him by taking his legs out, which is the only answer they've got for him. They then complain that he's "diving" ffs! Man U tried that tactic against him in the CL final, and look what he did to them, the so called best in England!

I have seen him play before, even though i didnt see them last night. But all im saying is that he would find it harder playing over here than he does in spain.

how at 24 is he the worlds greatest footballer when at 23 rudy is young an raw but shows potential?

good point, Give it a year and Rudy will be better than Messi

He's got to get better than Eddie and Etuhu first.

4th or 5th highest champions league scorer. 24 years old. He still needs to come to the premier league. Cant see spanish defenders getting stuck in like some defenders here.

f**k me, Did I get up this morning and wonder in to the "stupid comments thread"

Have you seen this lad play? Or are you just reeling off comments made by pundits who were talking for the sake of saying something?

If you watch him you'll see that he gets the shit kicked out of him all the time, but he just bounces off them and keeps going. Last night there were 3 or 4 German defenders on top of him and he just bounced his way straight through them.
When he plays against English teams they tend to stop him by taking his legs out, which is the only answer they've got for him. They then complain that he's "diving" ffs! Man U tried that tactic against him in the CL final, and look what he did to them, the so called best in England!

I have seen him play before, even though i didnt see them last night. But all im saying is that he would find it harder playing over here than he does in spain.

I've heard a few say just that but I don't think it's true. I think it's quite the opposite, I think he'd find it too easy over here. In our own back yard we like to think the Premeirship is the best and hardest in the world. In reality though I think it's way below that of some of the other Euro countrys. I'd like to go in to detail about why - starting with England and English teams being piss poor abroad, but it is very long winded and better suited to the pub rather than a mb. See you for a few pints then.

100% dont think by into this "Has to do it in a world cup" line.

The international scene is nowhere near the importance now as it was back in Peles day, or Maradonas even.

There is so much money involved in the club game now that far more importance is put on that. The demands of the club game have made the international scene seem like a hinderance.

Just look at the last World Cup, it was hardly worth watching. A load of tired players finishing off a season.

I dont believe that winning the World Cup is a pinnacle of a players career anymore. Winning league titles and Champions league is for me.