Greatest Soccer Player ever?

[9 to 5]

Tied between Maradona and Matt Jansen.

[MDK]

Gotta be Pele, no doubt about it, closely followed up by Maradona and a whole host of others. Pele has to be the greatest football player ever and arguably the best sportsman ever. The amount of goals, his skill, he seems like a nice bloke as well. Also, for what he did at the '70 world cup when he made the (Uraguayan?) 'keeper look like a complete bitch with that dummy.

Altho maybe the impotence adverts might take away from his achievments. Call them, I would.

[botchedpiledriver]

Best doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in this topic. Granted, he was good. But he never played in any major tournements and he retired when he was around 28 years old.

I'd say Pele is the greatest. Scored goals for fun at every level throughout his career. He is the icon of football, theres no doubt about it.

[Liam]

Even though I voted for Pele, I find it funny whoever said that Pele got kicked around, and Maradona didn't....very funny guy.

[pigeon]

Best doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in this topic.  Granted, he was good.  But he never played in any major tournements and he retired when he was around 28 years old.

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[Liam]

Best doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in this topic.  Granted, he was good.  But he never played in any major tournements and he retired when he was around 28 years old.

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Of course he deserves to be mentioned. How can his nationality count against him? He may not have played in any international tournaments, but he did become European player of the year while his side became the first English side to win the European cup. He actually retired when he was 37, by the way.

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Yeah, but he might as well have when he was in his late 20's, as he was just a wasted talent, playing in the lower divisions and the US just to make money to fuel his alcohol addiction.

[9 to 5]

Best doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in this topic.  Granted, he was good.  But he never played in any major tournements and he retired when he was around 28 years old.

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Of course he deserves to be mentioned. How can his nationality count against him? He may not have played in any international tournaments, but he did become European player of the year while his side became the first English side to win the European cup. He actually retired when he was 37, by the way.

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To add to that point, would say Weah doesn't deserve a mention because aside him Liberia sucked? He did retire at 28, but came back and played on. His Fulham days are legendary.

[jrhodes]

I'd have to go with Maradona. He had a touch like a midwife.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I've got a few actually, so basically I cant narrow it down to just one.

I'll say Pele for sure, simply because he belongs there for how great he was. His skill on the ball was just amazing. Most people seem to always mention a Forward when this question is asked, yet they always forget about others it seems. I'll say Peter Schmichael is up there for me, simply because I rate him as the greatest goalkeeper of all time. Then a third runner up is George Best, who I personally think is the greatest person you could possibly get on the ball. When he just stopped and begged defenders to come towards him, that's just awesome stuff.

[Malenko]

I already did something about this for another site but that was to select a team of 23 as if it was a selection for a world cup... i might as well copy paste it in here...

Lev YASCHIN - GK - The best goalkeeper of all times.

Gordon BANKS - GK - Chosen out of a big bunch. Another one like the German Sepp Maier could have taken his place.

Peter SCHMEICHEL - GR - Never a goalie was so decisive for a world/euro cup triumph as Schmeichel was for Denmark's Euro 92 cup win. This is really not overrating him as i've seen the usual long list of guys who come along when discussing these things. It could have been another one just like in the case of Banks, but he's as good a choice as them.

Franz BECKENBAUER - Sweeper, Center Midfielder - The kaiser is without a doubt the best Sweeper i've seen playing. Amazing bringing the ball upfront from behind.

Frank RIJKAARD - Center Midfielder, Defender - Great midfielder for Milan, great central defender for Ajax, great anchorman for the national team.

Franco BARESI - Sweeper, Central Defender - Last pick for the defense. Wanted a fourth Central Back and this was the first that came to mind, but it could have been another one.

Daniel PASSARELLA - Central Defender, Sweeper - Dominant in the defense and able to score upfront.

DJALMA SANTOS - Right Wing Back - I had doubts on whether i should pick this one or Carlos Alberto. The fact that this one is better defensively while being just as good offensively gave him the edge.

NILTON SANTOS - Left Wing Back - Very good left wing back. I have the feeling i'm forgetting someone though.

Johan NEESKENS - Central Midfielder - The most versatile player i've seen playing.

DIDI - Central Midfielder, 10 - Artist. Spectacular. The true star of the 58 world cup.

Diego Armando MARADONA - 10, Left Interior - The best 10 ever. The best player ever as a whole, and the most decisive player ever to his teams.

ZICO - 10, Center Forward - Would be a great replacement for Maradona in the all time team. Amazing player.

PELÉ - Center Forward, Left Interior - Possibly the best forward ever and also the most versatile offensively.

JAIRZINHO - Right Winger, Center Forward, 10 - Underrated. You can't score in every single game in a whole world cup out of luck. Ultra fast, great in the 1on1 and a goalscorer.

Mané GARRINCHA - Right Winger - If there's a player who could be said to have hands on his feet, that player was Mané Garrincha. The Joy of the People as he was called. The star of the 62 world cup.

Roberto RIVELINO - 10, Left Interior - Fabulous in the 70 World Cup, and another underrated one for playing alongside Pele. Thunderous striking and huge ability. The same dribble Rivaldo got famous for doing when playing for Barcelona, Rivelino was excelling at it 30 years before.

Johan CRUIJFF - Center Forward, Left Interior - One of my favourite players ever. Calling him a center forward is extremely reductive. He did it all. Nuclear player on the 3 European Cups won in a row by Ajax and also when playing for Barcelona and Holland. The star of the 74 World Cup and Holland should have really won that one.

Zsoltan CZIBOR - Left Winger, I couldn't think of a better Left Winger. Someone who would get to the line, assist, organize, and score with such ease as he did. Therefore gets his place.

Alfredo DI STEFANO - Center Forward, 10 - Just imagine the Playmaking ability of a Zidane at his best and the finishing ability of Ronaldo at his best. That's right. Two "galacticos" in one. I can't imagine how much would he cost had he played nowadays.

Ferenc PUSKAS - Center Forward, Left Interior - Super goalscorer and true magician with the ball. One of the two biggest stars of the Real Madrid team that won 5 consecutive European Champions Cups (Now Champions League), and the major Star of the Hungary team that lost only one game in 6 years including qualifying games, friendly games, olympic games and World Cup games. Unfortunately for them, that loss came in the World Cup Final where they lost 3-2, and even then he scored the 3-3 but it was ruled offside.

Marco VAN BASTEN - Striker - Got noticed scoring goals that most people like to watch... Bycicle Kicks, strikes without much angle, and acrobatic ones. He was also a very complete player. Unfortunately, injuries ended his career too soon.

Gerd MULLER - Striker - Just because i think every team should have a bomberman. A mercyless striker as it's shown by his numbers: 68 goals in 62 games in the National Team and 14 goals in two world cups.

Also, honorable mentions to George Best who was in my opinion the best British player ever, and Gerson who was a GREAT brazilian midfielder in the 70's but the competition is plenty.

That's what i had written. If i had to pick a top ten out of those i would say 1- Maradona, 2 - Johan Cruyff, 3 - Mane Garrincha, 4 - Pele, 5 - Alfredo di Stefano with Franz Beckenbauer as the best player ever in defensive positions.

[G-O-D]

Pele, from what limited footage I have seen, is to me the best player ever.

The best player that I have seen while still playing is Gianfranco Zola

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

Air Bud, best player ever. No, seriously, it's Pele, he made soccer somewhat a popular sport in the U.S. and of course with his performance for the Brazilian teams, just amazing.

[The Kraig]

Zinedine Zidane.

Sorry old school lovers, but in this day and age, it's a whole lot harder to excel so far as to be a legend. Zidane IS a legend, and I haven't seen anyone play continuously well as he does. It was a whole lot easier for Pelé, Maradonna, etc because defenders were shit back then. The best they could hope for was hacking their legs away to get them subbed off, because they weren't good enough.

[Malenko]

Zinedine Zidane.

Sorry old school lovers, but in this day and age, it's a whole lot harder to excel so far as to be a legend. Zidane IS a legend, and I haven't seen anyone play continuously well as he does. It was a whole lot easier for Pelé, Maradonna, etc because defenders were shit back then. The best they could hope for was hacking their legs away to get them subbed off, because they weren't good enough.

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[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Zidane is overrated shit, he's a good player and has been great, but he's had his balls sucked far too often.

[The Slickman]

Best Potential Player in the world was Paul Gascoigne and at 1990 world cup he was the best player in that tournement . People remember the tears but he was THE fucking man in that cup at the age of like 20-21 , then he went down hill , so that blows that away .

Best player ever , your looking at Maradona or Pele . If Pele played today , i dont think he wouldve been so succesful . Its a different game , I think if Micheal Owen would have been as good as Pele if Owen played in that era . Not saying Owen was as good as Pele but if you were fast you were good . And Owen is composed in front of goal .

And last Mention goes to 'Jinking' Jimmy Greaves . He was brilliant and rightly among the greats for England Geoff Hurst stole his spotlight . I cant remember if Jimmy was injured or suspended but he brang England to that competition and at te time Hurst was a shit West Ham player . Let it be known now Geoff Hursts hat-trick was a fluke

Edited June 9, 2005 by The Slickman

[Dan]

Zidane has been way too slow over the past season, he takes his time way too much, Like Freddi Kanouté.

[The Slickman]

Zidane has been way too slow over the past season, he takes his time way too much, Like Freddi Kanouté.

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[Liam]

Cos he was comparing the slow, methodical way they both play.

[RawIsWar]

Pele was a footballing god, he was absolute amazing with the skills he could do and is definately the greatest soccer player ever.

George Best also deserves a mention because in his day he was just as good as Pele