Clues in the name George Best was the Best. Messi wouldn't be able to do what Best did on the old mudbaths with balls that weighed a ton and no protection from the refs. Put Best in the modern era and he'd wipe the floor with everyone with all the modern developments etc.

FOREVER SCHOLES:

Modern footballers will always be far and away better than previous generations

Modern players have the advantage - superior training methods, protection from the refs, better quality pitches balls ect, but you could say that if those previous generations of players were playing today then they would have become even better players. And you say modern footballers will always be better then previous generations - so are u gonna tell me that rooneys better then maradona? or that valencias better then garrincha? as for the current generation, ronaldo and messi are the only players worthy or being compared to the all time greats, anybody who thinks current players like rooney, robben and david villa are up there with the all time greats have no idea what their talking about.

impossible to say how latter day footballers would fit into the modern day game. However, I was lucky enough to see players like Duncan Edwards, George Best and Bobby Charlton and their abilities would fit into any modern day team. Plus they were footballers, not over paid, publicity seeking referee fooling egoists. They were pure footballers who played the beautiful game with passion and belief. Scholes is their only modern day equivilent. Sadly I think that that type of player will finish when Scholes finally retires. So my answer is George Best, he would keep Messi out of any team.

It is really difficult to compare modern players with greats from the past. But it is maybe significant that anyone who DID see Best in his prime would vote for him as the greatest ever...and that would include me.

Messi......that lad is GOOD, but how can any one be BETTER than BEST :) hee heee

Again, comparing players from different eras is of no use. Circumstance differ. Now all players get lot more protection, the balls are lighter, pitches are lot better etc. etc.

I am not old enough to say that I saw Best playing, but why argue about this, just enjoy their videos and appreciate the beauty of the football they played :)

PaulScholes18:

BuggsyMalone:

Too many ppl got rose tinted glasses on. Best was unreal yes but Messi is better.

Messi is breaking record after record. Whether it be most goals in Europe, highest scorer for Barca, most goals in a season etc.. Won player of the year 3 times in a row. No doubt going to be 4 and probably 5

He's the best player that has ever lived. Without a doubt.

This fella says it all, Messi is something else, I don't think there's ever been anyone even close to him.

disagree. while messi is absolutely amazing , no denying he is easily up there as one of the best ever.........there is still a a bandwagon after him. messi could make a simple goal and the whole world and media would be suckin on the back of his balls for the next day. fact. put it this way, in my opinion, c.ronaldo is up there with him, why? well why not because he scores just as much, if not more, and has done more in breaking la liga records in the short time hes been there. why isnt he as favoured? personality. messi is so loved yes because he is absoluetly magic, but also because of his personality.

Il put it short and sweet and have a serious, unbiased think about this.

Messi, with ronaldos personality. ronaldo with messi's personality. id bet ronaldo would be standing amongst fans where messi is now....

Also in response to Buggsy..........its nothing to do with rose tinted glasses. Infact if we are talking about glasses its going to be messi brand ones because of his popularity. the fact is some people simply prefer best, and some prefer messi.

Honestly, alcoholism and off-the-pitch distractions ruined Best's career. Add to that the instability that came through once Sir Matt retired at Man. Utd.'s backroom staff also made his career worse as he got more into the off-the-pitch stuff. Even then, he was class and carried the team at times. Best was truly a special player who played in much tougher conditions and times against very rough and physical teams. He even played against Eusebio's Benfica and scored against them when Benfica were one of the greatest sides back then!

Don't get me wrong, Messi is also a great player, but with the conditions Best went through, I'd say Best would be better by ability. Besides, he was less recognized due to the fact that he was from Northern Ireland, and they weren't that good internationally, back then. Messi's Argentinian, and that automatically made him famous from the off.

SHAUN7:

Just imagine George Best with the treatment Messi gets - smooth pitches and medical staff etc. He'd been even more unbelievable.

Anyone who says Messi is better than Best is more built on that because he's now. George Best is simply the greatest ever.

Yeah George Best made it look easy even with bogged down pitches and savage defenders. He'd be even more incredible now. Definition of wasted talent.

BuggsyMalone:

best - 7:

whydoweattractidiots:

Just a question....

Do you think the brilliant Messi would be able to dribble the ball through the mud baths that the brilliant Best had to do?

i put a link to a video............theres a run at 3.18 and a goal at 0.45..................do you think messi would have ran through all that? no he would have been taken the fook out

RE: ur post about Messi getting knocked off. Do you actually watch him? He's very strong for his size and rides ALOT of challenges and considering he plays for one of the biggest play acting teams in Europe its a credit to his personality that he doesn't fake injury (i've never seen him do it anyway)

Mate, did you see Messi against Milan at the San Siro. He was useless and Guardiola came out and complained about the pitch!! Now just picture how bad Messi would be if he was forced to play on pitches like those in the video.

Just imagine George Best with the treatment Messi gets - smooth pitches and medical staff etc. He'd been even more unbelievable.

Anyone who says Messi is better than Best is more built on that because he's now. George Best is simply the greatest ever.

I think it's hard to answer because they are two different genarations Messi is talent player ,having won many titles,scored many goal but he only achieved the good result with Barca club not with his national football team. Barca has many good players ,which helps to build messi's success so I have never thought Messi is the best player

BuggsyMalone:

Too many ppl got rose tinted glasses on. Best was unreal yes but Messi is better.

Messi is breaking record after record. Whether it be most goals in Europe, highest scorer for Barca, most goals in a season etc.. Won player of the year 3 times in a row. No doubt going to be 4 and probably 5

He's the best player that has ever lived. Without a doubt.

This fella says it all, Messi is something else, I don't think there's ever been anyone even close to him.

mark.k.:

tim-scoreboard:

FOREVER SCHOLES:

Modern footballers will always be far and away better than previous generations. Anyone thinks Best and Edwards could come back and dominate world football is severely mistaken.

If george was playing today he would be as unplayable as Messi, genius transcends generations and George was a genius

I agree with this^.

I'm thinking if Best were alive today and in his prime he would edge it on talent alone. Best could attack from the left, right or middle because he was top class with both feet. Nobody ever knew what direction he would take. With Messi, lots if his goals come cutting in from the right and attacking with his left foot because he is clearly stronger on his left.

This is one for the young and older lads to argue over a pint. I missed George in his pomp by about 15 years, but lads I know who saw him regularly and who have also seen Maradona and Messi say emphatically that George is the best. Having seen Platini, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo and Messi, I have to say that Messi is the best I’ve seen. But there is no escaping the fact that as a club we have been blessed in having one of the greatest players to have graced the game play for us!

Simple message Maradona Great Pele Better George Best For all those young kids, if I can use a computer at my age with all this modern technology, just imagine what George would have done. Don't see many pitches that are covered in mud today, nor defenders that smack you every-time you get the ball without be carded. Simply the Best

george Best, if he played now he would be amazing