All we’ve been reading about these past few weeks is Messi this, Ronaldo that. The seemingly never ending debate on which player is the best has granted, been a whole load of fun, yet for me it’s also been tiresome in equal measure.
There can be no doubt that Lionel Messi won his individual battle with Cristiano Ronaldo in Rome but does that really make him the world’s greatest footballer?
My inclination is that Ronaldo and Messi are the two most ‘dangerous’ players on the planet. One with his power and technique is the perfect Premier League specimen, the other with his craft and skill, the epitome of Spanish football at its best. They are the ultimate match winners. But are they the best?
Personally, I think not.
For all their skill, speed and trickery both superstars have areas of their game that remain distinctly average. All-round footballers they are not.
I’d like to think that the world’s best player should excel in almost every way. They should be complete. They should be the most influential player on the pitch, almost every time they step onto the grass.
With that in mind, can you think of two players who can top Steven Gerrard and Andres Iniesta? They have power, pace, skill, vision, endeavour, defensive nous, leadership, craft, goals, creativity, temperament….they have the lot.
I nominate Iniesta as the best player in the world as of today. Who gets your vote?
This article was previously published on 4sportsake.com.
“steven gerrard for me, he does everything iniesta does, just better”
=================
You mean like go missing in an england shirt and fail to win any league championships or barely even challenge??
Iniesta destroys him solely on the fact he wins the big prizes and tips the balance. Gerrard is tremendous but not in iniestas class. That boy could be as good as zidane.
Lampard ofcourse. 100 goals and 100 assists in the last 5 seasons. Need I say more?
All the guys are good in there own way,bt of course Ronaldo outstands them all.United 4 ever
United 4 life,Ronaldo in the one.
ronaldo is not…
i agree he is alot better b4..
but this year ..
alot are better than him
I bet all of you guys who argued gerrard credibility are those shithead red devil’s fans.. there’s reasons why legendary zidane (hail great zidane) vote him as world best player (ronaldinho too). as for ronaldo, for me he is one greedy player. he usually dive (trully shameful =P) to get those free kicks and scored some. i think he manage to score 42 goals that season just because his teammates play very well and other MU players are also great players( he should’nt get all the credit). the reason why ManU lost the UCL final is because of him. he want to become “the hero” to get his second world best player award.look at how many long shot he takes that night. Messi trully is the best player right now (no one can agrue that) and for gerrard, he amazed me cuz he drives his team mates ( other liverpool players sucks like second division team).his influence make his team play well.. thats why zidane toute him as the best.. cannot imagine how well he can do if he plays for giant teams like barcelona =D.. lampard has class but not good enough for me.. rooney- lack of discipline and passion.. kaka’ is great.. xavi too…iniesta is unbelievable..
for me the the top 10 rank should be:
1. messi
2. gerrard
3. iniesta
4. kaka’
5. xavi
6. lampard
7. ronaldo
8. arshavin
9. fabregas
10.torres
go barca!! viva la catalonia!!
haha..
agree about ronaldo.. he kind a selfish for the award..
but if he play for barca..
he will be the one on the bench..
haha.. you’re rite.. he never will be good enough for barca
ya… dare say Gerrard’s better.
He’s one of the most accomplished players of all time
he can virtually play everywhere in da field!!!!
N.B he started as a defender & nw he is one of da best midfielders in da entire world!!!!
To me, Gerrard is the best. He is the most INFLUENTIAL player in the world. He can turn a match on his own. (FA Cup Final 06). What’s more, he can inspire others to turn matches (Champs League Final – his 1st goal). He scores a crazy amount of goals for a central midfielder, and he is one of the best tacklers out of the world’s CMs. While Iniesta, Xavi, and Alonso’s passing may be slightly more precise, he can still play mighty balls and also has great vision (assist for Cisse in FA Cup final 06, ball for Kuyt in 0-0 draw vs West Ham this year).
However, the one thing that will always remain unproven with Gerrard will be his ability to play for a hugely talented side where he is just another “cog in the wheel” like Barca, Real, Inter, or Chelsea (because he will never leave Anfield).
His performances for England are improving as he is playing his natural game. Under Erikkson he played as a defensive mid, Lampard’s clean up man (what Makelele did for Lampard at Chelsea) which he did well. McClaren used him completely incorrectly but Capello has finally realised that Gerrard is England’s best and is giving him a free role, and he is subsequently playing much better for England.
One stat: Messi scored his first goal against an English club in the Champs League final: before that he had played against Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea (almost 10 games). Even Arbeloa marked him easily. Proof (if any was needed) that Messi would not last in the English game and thus cannot attain the title of “World’s Best Footballer”.
Neither can Ronaldo because, for all his wonderful goals and performances, he goes missing when it matters. If things aren’t going his way, he will sulk. (Champs League Final – 4 shots in 10 minutes, Barca score then he barely touches it.) Also when he was sullen and sulky in EPL near the end of the season (when he threw his shirt off, shrugged and sulked his way through being subbed because he’d done nothing to help his side).
Iniesta is not yet as good as Gerrard, nor does he offer the goalscoring prowess, but at 23, has the potential to be better.
torres + gerarrd + xabi alnso = the best
liverpool + gerrard + torres + xabi alonso = the best champions league is ours next years
excuse me….Ronaldo is the best and dont you forget it..how are you people so nasty, give credit where it is due, cannot compare CR to Messi or all the other guys. When messi won it was only his lucky day, and that is all, it wont happen again and besides that. Cr has all the other things well in proprotion even better than david B.
Iniesta and Gerrard are both fantastic footballers with unique abilities. Messi is also a fantastic footballer with an amazing football mind.
Why is Messi rated higher than Iniesta and Gerrard?
- Messi began playing for one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the world (Barcelona) at a tender age of 18. If you take Iniesta and Gerrard, Where they as energetic and explosive as Messi when they were 18?
-It is not everyday you get a player being compared to Diego Maradona. Its true that Iniesta is an astonishing play maker with very sharp and accurate thinking ability. Steven Gerrard is also a collective playmaker and makes great and effective use of the entire pitch with his threatning long and short pass distributions. BUT Messi… He really is something special, something unique. The way he adds more flare to the “Beautiful Game” and his dribbling ability is a key to hiis succesful carreer. Hes dribbles past defenders with such simplicity and speed that the defenders cannot cope with him. Even watching him without the ball hes is special. His runs are so explosive and sudden that can easily catch a deffender of guard. He is such a fine delicate player who keeps suprising people with his magnificent explosive skills. He is truely amazing.
its easy to sya that stevey G is the best cos he sticks out in the liverpool team. but if you think about it messi xavi and iniesta play for a team that is full of superstars that would easly steal the limelight from steve had they gone to aanfield so just the meer fact that inesta shines out while surounded by arguably the best player on the planet and the best pure striker in the game, etto as well as the most cultured right foot in the game xavi, since zizou left then out got to admit that iniesta is ahead of his time. and i havent even mentioned people like henry. as for ronaldo, he does not have big match temprament, thats what distinguishes between great and good. when crunch matches come he is always mediocre. messi performs everywhere ask the argentines back in argentina.
1 xavi
2 iniesta
3 messi
4 steve g
Messi And Ronald are better than Iniesta and Gerrarad!