Take a look at this then decide...oooh plus remembering one is still playing...

OPINION POLL:

Who is the greatest footballer of all time? Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona or Edson Arantes Do Nascimento (Pele)?



A. LIONEL MESSI ACHIEVEMENTS:



I. BARCELONA

· La Liga (5): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

· Copa del Rey (1): 2008–09; Runner-up 2010–11

· Supercopa de España (5): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

· UEFA Champions League (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11

· UEFA Super Cup (2): 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006

· FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011



II. ARGENTINA

· FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

· Olympic Gold Medal: 2008

· Copa América: Runner-up 2007



III. PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

· FIFA Ballon d’Or: 2010, 2011

· Ballon d’Or: 2009

· Golden Ball: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

· Golden Boot: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

· Golden Boy: 2005

· World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2006, 2007

· Olimpia de Plata: Argentinian Player of the Year: 2005

· FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2006

· FIFPro World XI: 2007

· Best foreign player in La Liga: 2007

· France Football Player of the Year: 3rd place: 2007

· World Soccer Footballer of the Year: 2nd place: 2007

· FIFA World Player of the Year: 2nd place: 2007



IV. GOALS SCORED

Years Apps (Goals)

2003–2004 8 (5)

2004–2005 22 (6)

2004– 201 (147)

2005 Argentina U20 7 (6)

2008 Argentina U23 5 (2)

2005– Argentina 67 (22)



B. DIEGO MARADONA

I. CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS

Boca Juniors

· Primera División: 1981

Barcelona

· Copa del Rey: 1983

· Copa de la Liga: 1983

· Supercopa de España: 1983

Napoli

· Serie A: 1987, 1990

· Coppa Italia: 1987

· UEFA Cup: 1989

· Supercoppa Italiana: 1990

II. ARGENTINA

a. FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979

b. FIFA World Cup:

i. Winner: 1986

ii. Runner-up: 1990

c. Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993

d. 75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979



III. PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

· Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979

· Argentine league Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981

· Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986

· South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas): 1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992

· Olimpia de Oro: 1979, 1986

· Italian Guerin d'Oro: 1985

· Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986

· Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986

· L'Équipe Champion of Champions – 1986

· United Press International Athlete of the Year Award: 1986

· Best Footballer in the World Onze d'Or: 1986, 1987

· World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine): 1986

· Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer): 1987–88

· Golden Ball for services to football (France Football): 1996

· Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999

· Marca Leyenda: 1999

· Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement:

· "FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002

· FIFA Player of the Century





IV. GOALS SCORED

Total in club competitions:

589 appearances 311 goals for Boca, Napoli and Barcelona

91 appearances and 34 goals for Argentina







C. EDSON ARANTES DO NASCIMENTO

I. CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS

· Santos

o Copa Libertadores top scorer (1): 1965.

o Campeonato Paulista top scorer (11): 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1973.

· Brazil

o Copa América top scorer (1): 1959

· BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality:

o Winner (1): 1970

· FIFA World Cup (Best Young Player):

o Winner (1): 1958

· FIFA World Cup (Silver Boot): 1958

· FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1958

· FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (Best Player):



II. BRAZIL

· Roca Cup: 1957, 1963

· FIFA World Cup: Winner 1958, 1962, 1970

III. PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

· Athlete of the Century, elected by worldwide journalists, poll by French daily L'Equipe: 1981

· South American Footballer of the Year: 1973

· Inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993

· Knight Commander of the British Empire: 1997

· Athlete of the Century, by Reuters News Agency: 1999

· Athlete of the Century, elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999

· UNICEF Football Player of the Century: 1999

· TIME One of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century: 1999

· FIFA Player of the Century

· Football Player of the Century, elected by France Football's Golden Ball Winners : 1999[15]

Maradona is certainly the GOAT. He inspired his team to a world cup trophy, something that Messi has been unable to do, though his on pitch wizardry is legendary.

Where is Zidane?

Zi..who?

pele, messi and maradonna in that order. i still remember ronaldinho, who mentored messi at barca.

is the order of the list above of any significance?

the way it should be is (AS OF NOW)

- Pele
- Maradona
- Messi

Messi will overtake Maradona soon... but that scoring from kick off thing...well it takes guts and genius.

Pele is tha 'GOAT'

Football has changed a lot over the years, FIFA rules keep changing every year. You cannot compare World Cup ya 1950' & 60s with what we have at the moment.....even the teams were few then. If you take a look at videos za those days and compare that to what we have in the modern game then you'd realize we are miles apart...though we also had some good goals then.

If we are looking for the best footballer of all time then we should be focusing on individual achievements. If you look at the statistics above no one comes close to Messi at Club level. Apart from Winning the World Cup with their National teams can Pele and Maradona really claim to be better than him in the other competitions/Awards? At 24 yrs old and he's already a legend at a time when we've had so many good players before him.

George Best was Northern Irish and he never graced the world cup nor the euros.Anyway the point he is still considered a great!