Your top 5 personal favorite football players of all time

[Mortimer]

1.Pele (Brazilian)
2.Maradonna (Argentine)
3.Franz Beckenbauer "The Kaiser" (German)
3.Ronaldo (Brazilian not Portuguese)
4.Roberto Baggio (Italian)
5.Dragan Stojkovic Piksi (Yugoslav)

[Damião de Góis]

He got a honorific Ballon dOr in 1995. Recheck your sources.

So why even mention it? That doesn't count.

And what the goals Messi and especially Ronaldo have in the CL, many in decisive matches? The standard of the CL is higher than any competition in history.

Maradona in Europe never scored more than 20 goals per season at his prime (and that given he was the penalty and free kick taker of his teams), he simply could not compete with Messi or CR7 for the balloon d'or unless he did something really special like in 86...his stats are a world apart from the goals and assistances of Messi and CR7 to compete. Besides in the CL he never did anything, just won a Uefa cup.

Even if could won the ballon d'or back then, he would not have more than 3 (86, 87 and 89 perhaps) he was somewhat inconsistent his whole career, in Barcelona was even a flop.

The biggest stage is the World Cup, everyone knows that. The Champions League is basically about who has the most money these days.

Maradona played in average teams like Napoli. Even Argentina in 1986 wasn't that great.

And the France of Zidane and Platini, the Brasil of Romário and Ronaldo or the Netherlands of Cruyff were not all super strong teams?! Come on be serious man:

France had a great team in the early/middle 80's it was not only Platini...Trésor, Giresse, Fernandez, Tigana, Papin etc
France won the WC 98at home without Zidane all the knockout stage, he got a red card vs Saudi Arabia in the first stage and was suspended until the final, scored two atypical head goals from corners and people talk of him like he was Maradona in Mexico.
France was super strong in late 90's / early 2000 with rock solid defence and midfield with Thuram, Lizarazu, Dessaily, Blanc, Vieira, Deschamps, etc and up there great players like Henri, Trezegue, Pires etc...also alot of good second line players

Brasil under the era of Romário and Ronaldo don't make me even start the crazy amount of talent, the surprise was that Brasil was not world champion every time.

And I remind you that Holland was finalist in the WC 78 WITHOUT Cruyff...same result as in 74 without him, lost the final to the home team.

Regarding the goals with national team, the FIFA friendly matches were always counted...but curiously Ronaldo has very few goals in international friendlies, around 80% of his international goals were in official matches.

In a few years looking back perhaps you will realize the true dimension of Messi and CR7.

Those were just a few examples, there are more. We both know CR7 has been lame in world cups (and euros).

[CordedWhelp]

Seymour Papadopolous, Dill Pickle, Lance "The Cheese" Sinclair, Daryl Shotsburger, and Sven Komisen

[Graham]

Russell Latapy -- Falkirk FC
Kevin McAllister -- Falkirk FC
James McFadden -- Scotland
Colin Hendry -- Scotland
Myself -- top 5 aside footballer. braw.

[Sebastianus Rex]

The biggest stage is the World Cup, everyone knows that. The Champions League is basically about who has the most money these days.

That was truth 20/30 years ago, nowadays the standard of the CL is way higher than the WC, the top teams are better, congregrate all the best players and have the best coaches. The Bosman law and money precisely allowed the top clubs to form teams with the créme de la créme...something it was not possible before, that's why the CL is clearly better than the WC in the last 2 decades or so.

Maradona played in average teams like Napoli. Even Argentina in 1986 wasn't that great.

He played in a big team in Argentina, Boca, and won almost nothing; played in a big team (Barcelona) and he was considered such a flop that only an obscure club like Napoli was interested in buying him; but saying the team of Napoli was average is like saying ManCity was meh before the Arabs bought it. Yes when Maradona arrived it was a mediocre team but in a couple of years they had a hell lot of good players: Arturo di Napoli, Bagni, Ciro Ferrara, Giordano, Carnevale (all italian internationals), Careca, Alemão (Brazilian internationals...Careca was a great player)...if that is an average team...but hey, maybe Maradona was not a player for big teams.

Those were just a few examples, there are more. We both know CR7 has been lame in world cups (and euros).

[/QUOTE]
He has been average (for his level) in WC's and good in Euros, I remind you with him Portugal was finalist of the Euro 2004, semi-finalist in 2012 (lost in penalties vs Spain), winner in 2016; semi-finalist WC 2006; winner of the League of nations; I don't think any other player in Portuguese history even comes close to what he did for the national team, honestly we were never a football power so let's not pretend we are, without CR7 he would probably not even qualify to a few euros and WC's.

Anyway in a good team with good players (Man Utd and especially Real Madrid) we all saw what he could do and how devastating he could be....you want him to make how many miracles with Portugal ?

[Damião de Góis]

That was truth 20/30 years ago, nowadays the standard of the CL is way higher than the WC, the top teams are better, congregrate all the best players and have the best coaches. The Bosman law and money precisely allowed the top clubs to form teams with the créme de la créme...something it was not possible before, that's why the CL is clearly better than the WC in the last 2 decades or so.

It's still the biggest stage to me and to a lot of people, always has been. All the all-time greats have performed in the world cup even those that didn't win it. It's a competition that a qattari investor can't win for the moment.

He played in a big team in Argentina, Boca, and won almost nothing; played in a big team (Barcelona) and he was considered such a flop that only an obscure club like Napoli was interested in buying him; but saying the team of Napoli was average is like saying ManCity was meh before the Arabs bought it. Yes when Maradona arrived it was a mediocre team but in a couple of years they had a hell lot of good players: Arturo di Napoli, Bagni, Ciro Ferrara, Giordano, Carnevale (all italian internationals), Careca, Alemão (Brazilian internationals...Careca was a great player)...if that is an average team...but hey, maybe Maradona was not a player for big teams.

Not sure if he was such a flop at Barcelona. 22 goals from midfield in 36 games when they even broke his foot in between. Not sure if you watched the documentary, but if he had flopped at Barcelona why would that huge crowd be receiving him at the stadium in Napoli when he was signed? He was a top player and famous, that's why.

He has been average (for his level) in WC's and good in Euros, I remind you with him Portugal was finalist of the Euro 2004, semi-finalist in 2012 (lost in penalties vs Spain), winner in 2016; semi-finalist WC 2006; winner of the League of nations; I don't think any other player in Portuguese history even comes close to what he did for the national team, honestly we were never a football power so let's not pretend we are, without CR7 he would probably not even qualify to a few euros and WC's.

Anyway in a good team with good players (Man Utd and especially Real Madrid) we all saw what he could do and how devastating he could be....you want him to make how many miracles with Portugal ?

Eusebio has done more for the national team than him, for the simple fact that he was the top scorer in World Cup 66, his only world cup. It's a huge prestige to win that award, on the biggest stage.

When CR7 accomplishes (which he won't) that i'll change my mind. He already had 4 attempts.

[Cristiano viejo]

So why even mention it? That doesn't count.

Why??

He played in a big team in Argentina, Boca, and won almost nothing; played in a big team (Barcelona)

lol, no, Barcelona was never a big team, less still in the early 80s.

[Cristiano viejo]

So why even mention it? That doesn't count.

Why??

He played in a big team in Argentina, Boca, and won almost nothing; played in a big team (Barcelona)

lol, no, Barcelona was never a big team, less still in the early 80s.

[Cristiano viejo]

Not sure if he was such a flop at Barcelona. 22 goals from midfield in 36 games when they even broke his foot in between. Not sure if you watched the documentary, but if he had flopped at Barcelona why would that huge crowd be receiving him at the stadium in Napoli when he was signed? He was a top player and famous, that's why.

Bah! he failed miserably in la Liga in his two years in Spain. First year Barsa got 4th, second year 3rd. Why do you think he left the team?

Eusebio has done more for the national team than him, for the simple fact that he was the top scorer in World Cup 66

hahaha... so it is better winning the Pichichi in a World Cup than winning an Eurocup, according you??

[FinalFlash]

Ronaldo(O Fenomeno), Gerrard, Maradona, Mkhitaryan, Maldini