Most Talented Player Of Our Times

[NewGlory]

From the players I have watched live, I think Ronaldinho was by far the most talented. Absolutely magical. Obviously, Messi's and Ronaldo's club careers are far more distinguished (you could even find other footballers who have achieved more) and overall Messi is a better player, but if we look at just raw talent, i think Ronaldinho is ahead of everybody. Just unbelievable. At his best, maybe even more magical than Maradona? Hard for me to judge, since I have only really watched Maradona at the national team level and not so much his club performances (only recordings).

What do you think?

 

[meamth]

Ravel Morrison.

 

[Ali Dia]

Jimmy Bullard

 

[SAFMUTD]

Just pure talent has to be Ronaldinho, Ive never seen another player do the things he did. Obviously Messi is another one but Ronaldinho was magical, even if it lasted just for 2-3 seasons.

 

[Maluco]

Messi gets hard done by here. He has set the bar so high that we have crazy expectations of him. He has redefined what it means to be the best.

He is head and shoulders above everyone else for me. The fact that he has done it for so long just confirms his greatness rather than takes away from it.

Ronaldinho was fun to watch and did some lovely things. He was a fantastic player, but Messi is a much more talented player for me. The fact that he can still take teams apart at 33 not only shows he is more profissional than Ronaldinho, but I think it also confirms just how much better he is because of his versatility.

He could play upfront and use his pace and amazing balance and agility to take you apart, or he could drop back and pick passes and have you running after him all night. He is on a different level for me.

Even talking about strictly peaks, Messi is the best. You can argue about what his peak actually was but 91 goals in 2012 was absolutely devastating, because he was so much more than even the goals. An absolute freak.

 

[meamth]

Another one comes across my head.

Phil Jones, the next Duncan Edwards..

 

[rojo81]

For me its Messi without a doubt, Ronaldinho was amazing and more flashy, but that doesn't mean more talented. I would say Zidane was also more talented than Ronaldhino.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Brazilian Ronaldo. He combined insane tricks with great goalscoring and raw physical abilities. Ronaldinho is the most entertaining player ever. Then Messi came and perfected everything which probably has made him underappreciated.

 

[Mr Smith]

Brazilian Ronaldo. He combined insane tricks with great goalscoring and raw physical abilities. Ronaldinho is the most entertaining player ever. Then Messi came and perfected everything which probably has made him underappreciated.

This for me. He was devastating, unplayable. I think if he had stayed free of injuries and looked after himself better he would have been as good as Messi.

 

[drmuji]

Ronaldinho. No body could match his talent. Still feel bad about not getting him.
Zidane was pretty talented as well. Ronaldo and Messi are much more successful and hardworking

 

[RDCR07]

Bebe.

 

[Skills]

Messi's more talented than Ronaldinho. He's just not as flashy

 

[steve.crowford]

Kylian Mbappé

 

[Revan]

Messi is the most talented obviously. He has a decent claim at being the best dribbler, the best passer and the best finisher of all time.

Ronaldinho is the player that I loved watching most though. He was the magic itself.

 

[My only Eric]

Young Jesse

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Ronaldinho. No body could match his talent. Still feel bad about not getting him.
Zidane was pretty talented as well. Ronaldo and Messi are much more successful and hardworking

yup. Most entertaining player ever whilst also being the superstar that brought Barça back to the top.

 

[United58]

This for me. He was devastating, unplayable. I think if he had stayed free of injuries and looked after himself better he would have been as good as Messi.

At his absolute peak, I would say he was. His star shined briefly, but it was the brightest in the galaxy at the time. Insane talent, even after all the horrific injuries he was still one of the best strikers in the world. The hattrick at OT in 2003

 

[VanKenny]

Messi has been the most talented one by far. If you take Ronaldinho's best season, you can find 7 or 8 Messi seasons where he was still better. Its no contest IMO. Prime Ronaldinho could dribble past 1 or 2 quite often, but prime Messi could dribble past 3 or 4 quite often too.

Dribbling, pace, goal-scoring, passing... prime Ronaldinho is like a slightly worse version of prime Messi in every area.

 

[Matt007a]

Messi has skewed opinions with his ability and longevity. We forget what the highest level was before he came along because he’s so far above it technically. Ronaldinho was the greater entertainer and more flashy player but not the more talented. Messi is the most technically gifted player of all time most likely. Top 5 dribbler, passer and finisher ever, all in one player, not to mention his physical gifts in his earlier years.

R9 is the only player in my time to come close. No one has ever been able to do the things he did while carrying such frightening pace and power.

Maradona was clearly similarly technically gifted but I can’t claim to have watched him live.

 

[Zen86]

I saw some guy doing kick ups outside the Arndale once. He seemed pretty good, people were even dropping money in the street for him. Not sure who he plays for though.

 

[MiceOnMeth]

Rose tinted glasses and Nostalgia makes me want to say R9 or Dinho but I think Messi is both the most talented ever and the greatest ever

 

[roonster09]

Messi is the most talented player.

 

[Strelok]

Messi of course. He's just a joke of mother nature or an alien in disguise.

 

[Pretzels81]

Since the CR / Messi explosion in 2007-2009

Messi
CR
+ (random order)-----
Ribery
Ramos
Iniesta
Xavi
Busquets
Hazard
Rooney
Van Persie
Toure Y.
Kompany
Robben
Mbappe
Lewandowski
Aguero
L.Suarez
Neymar
Modric
Muller
Boateng
Neuer
Van Dijk
Salah
Kane
De Bruyne

 

[11101]

Depends what 'our times' means.

Ronaldinho had the most control over a football and is the one youd pay to watch, but he wasnt the most effective.

Brazilian Ronaldo had all the trickery of Ronaldinho and combined it with the directness of Messi and CR7, and the knees of a young foal.

 

[fck]

It's Messi and quite easily so. When you break it down.
dribbling = easily best ever
passing = all time great maybe the best ever
finishing = all time great
I could also mention free kicks where he's one of the best ever.

His array of abilities and the level of them is unmatched.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

This tend to favor attacking player.. which I just hate, since football have many positions.

Most talented Players, depends on positions:

Forward - Ronaldo Lima
Attacking midfielder - Ronaldinho (Messi is close second)
Winger - Cristiano Ronaldo (United version)
Side midfielder - Beckham
Centre midfielder - Pirlo
B2B midfielder - Robson
Defensive midfielder - Makelele
Attacking full back - Dani Alves
Defensive full back - Maldini
Centre back - Nesta
Goalkeeper - Cech (pre-injury version)

Just from my time.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Most talented - C.Ronaldo/Messi - don't even want to split the tie.

Most exciting - Ronaldinho

 

[Jonno]

Zidane
Ronaldo
Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo

/Thread

 

[Robertd0803]

Ronaldo/Messi.

No one else compares.

 

[MagooDad]

Messi is the biggest talent by a mile. He was the biggest talent at 17 and basically evolved for the next 10 years.

R9 is the one that comes closest.

Ronaldihno was a technical freak combined with world class physique at his peak. But even if it looks flashier than Messi, the end product is what matters.

Okocha was also a technical freak, but I don't think he necessarily was a huge talent just because of it. He was fun to watch, but a lot of it didn't real end up in assists or goals. Just entertainment.

 

[CM]

Messi, easy.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Messi by a mile.

Ronaldinho was my favourite to watch but just because he was flashier and trickier doesn't mean he was more talented.

 

[Botim]

I would say Maradona when it comes to raw talent. Just his warmups alone were so effortlessly mindblowing.

(He was a terrible professional though obviously: lazy, unreliable, impulsive, egomaniac... Character traits he still displays...)

edit: must be getting old seeing nobody considers Maradona of "our times" apparantly)

 

[Giggs' right foot]

Messi. Never seen anything like him. People say Maradona because he won the WC and Messi couldn’t do that, but Maradona couldn’t do what Messi did for four seasons, never mind what looks to be nearing +15 years of Messi brilliance.

Modric winning Balon d’or in 2018 really was a signal of Messi-tiredness. In the calendar year of 2018 Messi scored 51 goals, assisted 26 times in 54 games for club and country. The voters put him fifth in the world. I’m never fussed by Balon d’or but that really was the world of football saying... right, we’ve had enough of you.

 

[fps]

Messi. He has normalised the incredible, people just don’t see what he’s doing properly any more.

 

[izec]

Messi

Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
CR7

 

[balaks]

Messi by an absolute mile.

 

[Thaila-X]

If it wasn't for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, we would rate Wayne Rooney's achievements a lot higher than we do. The fact he achieved so much and is perceived by some to not have fulfilled his talent shows speaks volumes about how good he was and could have been.

 

[Paxi]

Lee Trundle
Titus Bramble