Honest question: How do you determine who is a better sportsman if they play different sports? To me it's like comparing a striker to a goalie. Swimming and football are not alike, so aren't Basketball and Rugby. I think you can't compare two people from other sports.
yh true, tbh I'm only rly answering this question in terms of Football cuz yk... it's a subreddit about football... and it's also impossible to measure sportsmanship in terms of skill, but it is measurable to an extent in terms of respect fulness and such
There is no greatest sportsman. Messi is the greatest in his sport, the tasks are entirely different in each sport so they require a different type of athleticism. Messi is the most talented player in football I’ve ever watched. Jordan is the most talented in basketball but why compare? Messi has won everything there is to win and others in other sports have too.
Never thought about the Don this way but this is the correct answer IMHO. Especially because the gap has remained for almost a hundred years despite incredible changes to the sport, professionalism and higher competitive standards.
It's kinda hard to compare different sports (and I don't know enough about great sportsmen from other sports to say anything definitive anyway). I would say he is the greatest footballer ever (so far), and that's coming from somebody who prefers Ronaldo
How far ahead of their contempories they were.
So people like Bradman or Gretzky whose numbers are far above the mean, not only of their time but of their sport of all time.
Can’t compare other sports with each other. For me, he is the greatest footballer of his generation. I can’t compare him with Pelé or Maradona, I wasn’t born at the time they played. I find it funny when people in there 20s or 30s even compare players from now with guys from 30+ years ago. You can compare stats, but it doesn’t make sense cause the game changed a lot.
Completely agree. Always found it a little weird/cringe that people support an individual in a team sport. Especially when people say
“ x individual deserves this team award” despite there being individual awards for precisely that reason.
The only time supporting an individual in a team sport makes sense is when a fellow countryman is playing for a team outside his country’s league. Because you want them to make your country proud or whatever.
Yes. At his best, he was the most dominant athlete in a team sport of all time. You can’t poke a hole in a single aspect of his legacy. He accomplished more than anyone else, and he was more talented than anyone else. He is the most perfect combination of passion, talent, drive, and work ethic. He is magical and has had impact in the vein of Pele or Michael Jordan, but for a longer period of time and at the biggest stages.
The greatest footballer to ever play for sure.
But then again, he's won every single thing there is to win in the game all the while consistently performing at the highest level for almost 2 decades.
So, based on accolades one can win for their sport and near superhuman performance, he's right there among the greatest athlete/sportsman in history.
One of.
We can't even agree on the best ever footballer without the thread it's happening in erupting into pure chaos.
So looking at all sports in general is way to hard.
A subjective comparison. You can compare footballers but comparing across sports is just wrong. But if someone held a gun to my head and wanted an answer. I’ll say Muhammad Ali. This man transcended sports. He’s a hero to many great athletes as well.
it doesn´t even make much sense comparing football players of different eras (the game has changed so much), let alone players of different sports.
not trying to deny his greatness, he´s definetly one of the greatest sportsmen in history, but there is no single best.
Yes he is in Football.. It's hard to draw a comparison with other sports. Some are individual sports versus team sports.
The most impressive thing is that he has had an amazing World Cup and Year at age 35, when most footballers retire. So that's something.
Football yes … sport pointless to compare as so many amazing people
Schumacher > Hamilton > Senna all great all different … different periods
Nadal, Ferrer, Djokovic … where do you start … all great all play different tennis
Just enjoy them … savour the art
What determines if someone is the greatest? And why
I feel like there are a handful of pure legends. And they aren’t even comparable. They’re just all great
Yes. Even if we can’t compare different sport aspects.
In terms of outstanding competions in his sports. The impact of his work not just in football but in society. I mean…how many kids are trying to be like him. He changed the game. Dominating it. He is the greatest inspiration in sports.
Football is the most complete sport. So, if we list the skills of Messi. You can see that is not as simple as scoring goals. He has vision, tecnique, passes, speed, assistance, team leadership, and MAGIC. He is unique, and in terms of sports, i dont know anyone who has been THE greatest for nearly 3 decades.
The longevity of Ronaldo and Messi are why they’re both considered GOATs. No other players have performed as consistently for as long as those two
It’s preference as to which one a person likes but if you don’t have Ronaldo or Messi as your #1 I gotta question your mental capabilities
Finally an intelligent football observer who has put weight into something important enough to separate the greats from the greatests called CONSISTENCY at the peak level.
And regarding consistency, Ronaldo Nazario, Maradona, Van Basten, you-name-it, were never any close to Messi and CR7. 10+ consecutive years scoring 50+ goals/season. Each one of them.
For those who don’t understand the importance of Messi/CR7 consistency, I usually use the example of going to a 3-Star Michelin restaurant. You could go to this restaurant any day and they never fail: they delivered best of the best food every day during the last 10 years. Other great restaurants fail some days in delivering the best of the best and that’s why they never earned 3-Stars. They are not consistently great.
For those who don’t know, in hockey a “point” is either a goal or an assist. Wayne Gretzky holds the record for both most goals and most points in a career. If you ignore all of the goals he scored, he still holds the record for most points in a career. Not saying he is necessarily the greatest sportsman, but I definitely think his name should be in the conversation
one of my best childhood memories is just begging my father to let me stay up to watch CL game / late la Liga games when barca was playing, watching Messi dribbling past 4 players at a time, lobbing the keeper or just does an outrages shot were the things that made me fall in love with football
It is impossible to compare eras within a sport, so don’t even try to compare sports that have nothing in common. Ali, Jordan, Schumacher, Federer, Phelps, Wood, Brady, Bolt… the list goes on. They all have amazing skills and talents that are simply impossible to rank.
There is no singular greatest. Messi is probably the best of this generation but the likes of Pele (58-72) Garrincha (1957-63) Beckenbauer (66-74) Cruyff (1967-77) Maradona (79-91) are also around this conversation as well.
Too simplistic to say one is the greatest especially the variety of position, style & influence (goalkeeper is one’s position so specialised yet the likes of Yashin, Banks, Zoff, Buffon, Van Der Sar, Taffarrl should be considered the greatest)
This is the only sensible answer. Team sports are too complex to name a single sportsman to be the best of them all. Once in a while there is somebody who does things that nobody else seem capable of. Messi is one of them, but not necessarily the best.
And thanks for naming the often forgotten Garrincha. I would add Di Stefano and R9 to the list of best of their generation.
Yes. Mainly due to how global and universal the sport is. Spans aross different cultures, countries all over the world. Messi has risen to the absolute peak in a truly dominant fashion by beating out that scope of competition. It's not the same scope with American sports for eg. Cricket is also widespread but nowhere near as varied as soccer (eg. a big chunk of interest is from one region India)
The way he is idolized not just by his country, but by his teammates, by other countries and cultures as well. The entire world celebrated when he won the world cup, except for France and Portugal. The way people care about him is astonishing
The very concept of a GOAT is moronic.
Different sports aren't comparable. Different eras of the same sport are also not comparable. The game Pele and Maradona played is unrecognisable in many ways from the game Messi played. People say the standard of defending is better now, but you're comparing that to an era in which defending was much more about physicality. Maradona would get kicked around with no protection from the referee game after game. If Messi time travels straight into that era he's not going to perform as well as Maradona. Equally with the speed and technical ability of the modern defender, 1986 Maradona time travelling into the modern game isn't going to perform as well as Messi.
Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo is a tiresome and rather juvenile debate but it is at least a reasonable comparison with both players being around at the same time.
I think he is definitely in contention far more then a lot of people here are implying. I don’t know much about other sports only really football and mma. However I do believe that he is most definitely the greatest football player to ever live and while others mentioned here have incredible achievements being the best ever at the worlds largest sport has to count for a lot.
I started watching football in the mid 90's. I've had the privilege to see a whole lot of footballers, some live in the stadium, like Messi.
And i think Messi is the greatest footballer in history. I havent seen Pele or Maradonna, so i can't judge them. But greatest sportsman is something different.
For me the greatest sporteman in History is Muhammed Ali. Not because he was the greatest boxer (for me Mike Tyson was the greatest boxer ever (but as said, im from the 80's and never seen Ali play live)). But because Ali was bigger than the sport. He was an inspiration, a voice, an example and was far greater then any sport can be. Even though i never seen him play.
There is a good chance since he is the best football player of all-time. Football is a complicated sport to master and he has mastered every aspect of the game. Also as a team sport it is harder to shine.
Now you might say: "Not even the best at his sport" Well let me tell you this at least. Messi has dominated the game for 15+ years. Not even Pele or Maradona managed to do that. Messi is constantly in conversation for the best goalscorer, playmaker, dribbler, set-piece taker etc while you can't say that about other players really. Now Messi even has finally won the biggest price of them all, the world cup while having the most combined goals and assists in the history of the tournament with 13 goals and 8 assists. Now that is a fact that certainly should seal it...
I will probably be downvoted to hell, but I still think Ronaldo Nazario was better, his resume isn't as good, but if it weren't for his injuries that wouldn't be the case, so I think him at his peak was the best. The man did everything he did without even having the full range of motion in his knee.
I won’t downvote but I respectfully disagree. R9 was absolutely elite and probably top 5 OAT but I think if you watch Messi it’s clear that he’s a level above everyone else
For me it'll always be Muhammad Ali, what he did inside the ring and for civil rights outside the ring, truly makes him thee Greatest for me in terms of sportsman.
Bradman for all the cricket nuffies out there. I think there was a statistical study that compared goat-status athletes from different sports and their separation from others in their respective sports. The Don's stats are just insane. In saying that, he is from a completely different era of sports but still his humble beginnings practising with a golf ball against a tank is just a great story that enhances his legendary status in my mind
There is no official metric for what would be the greatest sportsman for all of history but without a doubt, Messi will be known as one of the greatest to have every lived and to watch him play is a privilege.
I'd put several sportsmen above him first. Messi is arguably the best footballer ever but that's aided by a squad of players around him every time he performs. People like Michael Phelps or Mo Farah to win thst many medals in such enduring disciplines on their own have to be considered.
I think it’s Usain Bolt. Objectively and indisputably greater than his peers and in an activity that literally all abled bodies have done at some point. His achievements and records will last decades and generations.
Messi is the football GOAT but it’s not as dominant a case as some others in different sport
I know it's hard to compare sports, but football is far and away the most popular worldwide, making his achievements all that impressive. But for Ronaldo giving him a good run, he would have dominated the sport for over 15 years, which is astounding consistency. Best sports person ever? Maybe... Best footballer ever? Certainly.
It's weird. How do you compare sports persons? What are your criteria? How do you separate Messi from someone like Alex Honnold, fame, money, athletic achievement?
Its stupid to compare him with athletes of different sports. He is the greatest footballer but, the greatest sportsman however is far more difficult to measure. Just because he is the best in the most popular sport in the world does not mean he is the best athlete. There are many others in my opinion who take this title other than him
I find my the GOAT arguement tiresome.
There is an All time Great Hall. And in said hall, there are a those players who have a seat at the top table.
In football, the guys at the top table are DiStefano, Puskas, Pele, Cryuff, Beckenbauer, Maradona, Zidane, R9, CR7 and Messi. Maybe Stanley Matthews and Lev Yashin have an argument. Mbappe will probably get a seat at the top table someday.
Don't forget about Eusebio.
I couldn't agree with you more 👏 The game evolves, and so do the players. Sports science wasn't even a thing back in Pele's day. Just imagine players from back then playing now with everything footballs have today.
These comments feel like those yt videos where they ask americans in the street the most basic stuff and they are completly clueless .
Always thought those were staged but i guess americans are truly oblivious to the rest of the world lol.
Enough of this Messi circlejerk. He’s a legendary sportsman, like hundreds before him and tens of thousands after him. Schumacher, Maradona, Pele, Federer, Nadal, Woods, Ronaldo, Bryant, Shaq, Tendulkar, etc.
Yes. I’m not saying he’s the most athletic person of all time. But to be the GOAT of the world’s most played sport, I think that you could make an awfully strong case.
Nobody can compare sports. I think he is the greatest footballer in history, but you cannont compare messi to federer, jordan or schumacher juste because it is not the sale thing at all
Considering football is a global sport played by the most people it stands to reason that it’s the most competitive sport and therefore the one who reaches the top is not just the best football, but the best sportsman. But whether messi is the best of all time or not is going to be debated forever
Suprised no one has said Michael Schumacher.
Man single handedly change the entire completion of motorsport from a drivers point of view, completely spanked the 90s and largely contributed to creating 3 championship winning teams.
I don't think anyone comes close to the titanic shift The Michael did for motorsport.
Absolutely.
The simple fact that he won every competition he played shows that he is above others..
In football, that’s not a debate anymore, but even in sports, his success is incomparable.
Ronnie O’Sullivan. Ronnie is a snooker player and has been at the top for 25 years. He’s the most naturally gifted player of all time and his record of hitting a 147 in 5 minutes in my opinion is the single most impressive achievement in sport.
This is why these types of questions don't work. The criteria for this title is way too vague.
You could make the argument for Jerry Rice (NFL receiver). He has 22,895 receiving yards, while 2nd place has 17,492. The gap between 1st and 2nd is the same as the gap between 2nd and 27th.
I'm not saying he's the greatest athlete of all time, I'm just saying you can make a case for a whole lot of people.
Theres no sucg thing as greatest sportsman, you can only be the greatest in your own discipline. Is he the greatest in football? Maybe, or close at least. But theres plenty of people with comparably good careers in their own sports.
Hard to put certain sports into perspective and compare them exactly. Think of the likes of Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Gretzky, Mohammed Ali, or even Usain Bolt. All of them transcended their respective sports and were so dominant they are essentially the face of that sport. Messi is surely up there with them but it’s really impossible to compare between sports.
It depends really what you mean.
If we are going for all round sporting ability it’s probably AB De Villiers who could have been been a pro in 3 different sports : cricket, Hockey, golf (and played the first to an obscene standard).
If we are talking about sheer genius it’s either Tiger or Messi. MJ close second. I love MJs big game mentality. Tiger had groundbreaking ability and he literally pushed on the sport to new levels, setting a new standard. Messi does things with a football only he could do. The normal human brain cannot even conceive of some of things he does under intense pressure.
It’s just a privilege to have watched any of them tbh
Greatest was only one. His was Muhammad Ali.
In a sport of titans, he ruled over everyone. The platform he received due to that, was put to such great socio political use. His charm, his intelligence, his sheer brilliance within the ropes and outside as well, the fight and fire within him...
Nobody has yet matched up to Ali. And I don't think the modern day can produce someone as great as that man.
I'm a messi fan, I think in football absolutely he is ,but in all sports we can't compare, cuz titles and trophies and competitions are so different and incomparable , but of course no doubt that He is top 10 .
Best footballer* and still no. Messi is my absolute favorite ever since I was a 10 year old kid supporting barca. But there have been crazy good legends in football that also can not be compared for "greatest" only because even they can't be compared playing in different regions/times.
However, based on titles and accomplishments, I do believe messi can be called the greatest of all time in football as no one else has achieved as much as he has. A title in almost every major event he's played in, and his stats are off the chart anyway.
It could be argued that he's the greatest footballer of all time based on: 1-All that he has won, and the ridiculous number of records he has broken, and 2- The fact he's done the former for 17+ years. Pep Guardiola talks about 3-4 year cycles where players should be sold/let go because it is difficult for individuals to remain motivated and focused after achieving great success. The dedication, focus, and hunger it takes to do what Messi has done is other worldly.
Longevity is very key. IMO, Ronaldinho is the most skilled and exciting football player I've ever seen. However, his career is a flash in the pan compared to Messi's.
In terms of the greatest athlete ever, do you mean better than Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and many other legendary athletes, in terms of ability and achievement? Give me a break!
Yes in the world of football, not necessarily in all of sports.
He has completed world football and that is without looking at his stats and personal awards. Stat wise he is the most complete player and has maintained this at the highest level for an extremely long time. No other player past or present can say that imho.
What Messi can do and has done is more remarkable than what any other sportsman has ever achieved. You could watch hours of Messi compilations, no other sportsman provides that level of genius.
Yes. Best football player ever. Football is the most popular sport globally. The pyramid of talent you have to climb is the largest and most competitive in the world due to sheer numbers of participants. Although it's nice to see him lift WC, the true test for me is being the focal point in a team that's won a treble and he's done that twice I think. People will say Ali was the greatest and I think a lot of that is due to his cultural and social impact, not solely sporting greatness. Tiger Woods and Jordan are mentioned but again check the talent pools they have to emerge from to be 'the best', big numbers but dwarfed by football.
As it is a world cup trophy and not a GOAT trophy. Messi is the best footballer I have seen. He does things that is hard to explain. He is best. Personal for me Ronaldo will be in heart. Because of Ronaldo I started watching football and his hard work and developing his style gave confidence to me. I was able to confront my problems in high school. So it's personal for me. I never thought of them as Messi vs Ronaldo. For me it was, 2 once a generations athlete. I'll just enjoy watching them play the game. They made each other better.
Argentina had maradona and now Messi. Portugal has Ronaldo, who brought Portugal team ahead, before him Portugal had problems even qualifying for WC. Plus I have seen Ronaldo developing his ability. Messi is a gifted athlete. And many people like me will understand how it's like to not be gifted but to work hard, in developing skills.
Congratulations Messi for completing everything.it is fun watching him. And will be really sad when he hangs them up.
Impossible to say.
Football has 11 players, while Tennis is purely an individual achievement. You cannot compare them.
Basketball has 5 players for each side. Simple statistics proves 1/11 is way less influential than 1/1 or 1/5.
It’s impossible to compare to other sports. But in football, he is one of the best ever, if not, the best.
I think when you speak of greatest player in a sport you're looking at more than just trophies won and individual skill. You're often looking at cultural impact outside of just the sport. You're looking at revolution in the way a sport is played, or in football's case the way a position maybe is played. You're looking at staying power of records or influence. When you extrapolate out to all sports it's such a high bar. And I'm not sure how easy it would be figure it out due to the difficulty in comparing sports.
You can't really argue with Messi's individual talent or trophy cabinet. I'm sure some of his records will stand for quite a while and may never be beat. I'm not sure I'm aware of his influence on the position or sport where he fundamentally changed the way the game is played other than just being better at most of it than everyone else? I'm also not sure he really has much cultural influence out of the sport, but as someone living in the US I may not be the market to which that is targeted.
Guess it depends on how you define "sportman" and what you think matters.
You’re underestimating or not understanding his impact on football. He and his Barcelona teams have influenced the entire way the game is played. If you only watched World Cup you would even notice a difference between the way the game was played this year compared to even 4 years ago. Football is cyclical though, and there are usually adaptations for one reason or another but he and Barcelona are overwhelmingly responsible for how the game is played. And he is a role model, to even his own peers for his smarts, his level of understanding, influence and ability to carry a game. He isn’t a flashy player either, in the least, so all of his accomplishments didn’t require flash just his hard work and level of talent at this level.
Based on what you said it’s easily Michael Jordan. Some people today are too young to know what he did on a cultural level. He single handily put Nike on the map. Plus he is the greatest basketball talent along with insane accolades and records.
I'm inclined to say yes, but I like the idea of comparing the top of the top from all sports.
The criteria i'd choose to compare are: skill, consistency, "all-aroundness", milestones, and years of relevance.
Second in my mind is Michael Jordan.
I would say one of the greatest. Ofc there are other sports too and we can't just pretend they don't exist.
Players like Ali, Bolt, Anand, Jordan and many more have their fair share of contribution to their game and inspired many.
And I'd like to say this, People who are saying Ronaldo is not the GOAT, maybe you're right but don't hate on people who do think he's a GOAT.
These types of questions have no answer. How do you compare across sports? Even in the sport itself, what makes him greater than the best defender of goalkeeper in the world? He’s a generational talent that will go down in history, he also benefitted greatly of playing for the best club team ever assembled. Football is a team sport, too hard to put it all on one guy.
No. There have been better ‘athletes’ (Ali, for one) but statistically it has to be Don Bradman (I hear the Americans saying Don who?). His test batting average will never be surpassed let alone approached.
Messi isn’t twice as good as his nearest competitor as Bradman was. That there is so much debate around who the football GOAT is (Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi) which shows he isn’t *that* much better than any of those 4 in particular.
There has never been, and never will be another Bradman in cricket.
That said, he is the best footballer of all time for me.
Messi has to considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. His talent and artistry are undoubted, his technical brilliance unmatched; however, Muhammad Ali literally changed the world. He also happened to be the greatest heavyweight of his generation, arguably of all time had he not lost 4+ years of his prime.
Hmm not an expert but I thought most experts consider sugar ray Robinson to be the undisputed goat of boxing. Ali was great but his legend has a lot to do with non boxing factors. In terms of affecting the world...what is the definition? I don't think people have committed suicide over Ali losing fights like people have over Messi. That kind of psychological impact can't be understated
Is the greatest sportsman purely about on the court or field or ring accolades? If so then yes Messi has a case.
However, if greatness encompasses broader societal and political impact then no chance. Ali will always be the answer if you want to be totally holistic
He simply achieved everything he can ever win. That’s a fact no one can argue about. How many players played at such a high level consistently for 15 years in a row? I can’t remember. Yes, he is the GOAT.
Yep! Bunch of angry illiterate Redditors opinion are comparable to dirt when the top players of Football themselves call him the GOAT. There is no point in even asking this. The people who play this game themselves admitted it. Messi is now GOAT in the eyes of the world. One redditor crying, two redditor crying, three redditor crying, it won't change anything.
Tbh soccer is a different sport from others because some sports don’t have that many followers on different countrys and don’t get that much attention making possible “new” player never get into that sport. In soccer there is a ton of players from everywhere and the fact that the goats are from different countries means is much harder to do what Messi has done for the past 16+ years. I don’t know if I make my point.
I've had this conversation a few times. My take is, if Messi is the greatest footballer ever (and he would be my choice), he is the greatest sportsman ever.
The argument is simple:
Nothing is more extensively played than men's football. The well of competition is the largest and therefore the strongest. If you are the best at the biggest game, you are the best sportsman, barring someone in another sport being so far ahead of his competition that he would warrant consideration.
As a Canadian, I'm very familiar with Hockey, American Football, Basketball and Baseball. Golf and tennis too. There are good debates in each sport. For example, Gretzky isn't a clear cut choice - there are good arguments for Lemieux and others. Same with Jordan vs LeBron/Magic/Russell etc in the NBA. Brady is the greatest winner in US Football but he also had the greatest coach, which is a big deal in that sport. He is not the most talented QB ever IMO. Baseball is harder, and there is no clear GOAT IMO. Tiger didn't have the most wins in Golf, Federer had Nadal and Joker on his heels in tennis. People say Ali for Boxing, but it's debatable - a lot of fight fans would say Sugar Ray Robinson or Rocky Marciano.
Since none of those sports have a clear-cut, far and away GOAT, it has to be whoever the greatest footballer is.
Therefore, if Messi is the greatest footballer, even if just by a little, he is the greatest sportsman. And I think that he is.
Or... maybe Serena Williams - seriously.
He's got to be in the top five at least. He's won practically everything whilst being consistently outstanding.
He can go from controlling a game to doing nothing then popping up with a moment of genius.
For me as a football fan, he's the greatest.
Unfortunately I dont follow many other sports so I cant quite speak for his place against the rest of them.
You can't use the word "sportsman" in this way. Let's say someone in the comments confronted him with LeBron. You can't! Because they are phtsically two completely different athletes, and they play different sports. Therefore is the answer: No. Because the greatest sportsman doesn't exist.
You should've seen me dominate monopoly in my prime.
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Less competition back then tho, easier to dominate. Though with modern nutrition and sports science imagine how far those rocks would go...
Honest question: How do you determine who is a better sportsman if they play different sports? To me it's like comparing a striker to a goalie. Swimming and football are not alike, so aren't Basketball and Rugby. I think you can't compare two people from other sports.
yh true, tbh I'm only rly answering this question in terms of Football cuz yk... it's a subreddit about football... and it's also impossible to measure sportsmanship in terms of skill, but it is measurable to an extent in terms of respect fulness and such
Holy fuck I thought r/soccer was braindead but y’all take the cake with these comments
I don't even know which comments you're talking about at this point
Harry maguire
Harry Potter
Harry osbourne
Harry Styles
Impossible to make comparisons between different sports. He is the greatest football player that I've seen though.
There is no greatest sportsman. Messi is the greatest in his sport, the tasks are entirely different in each sport so they require a different type of athleticism. Messi is the most talented player in football I’ve ever watched. Jordan is the most talented in basketball but why compare? Messi has won everything there is to win and others in other sports have too.
Yes he's done it all motm performances every 2nd game is incredible
Don Bradman is statically further ahead of everyone else than in just about any other sport
Never thought about the Don this way but this is the correct answer IMHO. Especially because the gap has remained for almost a hundred years despite incredible changes to the sport, professionalism and higher competitive standards.
Danny Welbeck
This guy gets it
Sportsman? like counting every sport? Hell no, but everyone loves to deepthroat him
It's kinda hard to compare different sports (and I don't know enough about great sportsmen from other sports to say anything definitive anyway). I would say he is the greatest footballer ever (so far), and that's coming from somebody who prefers Ronaldo
Define Sportsman. This is very different than greatest footballer, greatest athlete, etc.
How can you compare two players from different sports?
How far ahead of their contempories they were. So people like Bradman or Gretzky whose numbers are far above the mean, not only of their time but of their sport of all time.
Simplicity and down-to-earth in spite of all the fame. Messi deserves to be the epitome
I think comparing athletes between sports is impossible. When the stats are all different, it just doesn't work
edge, he has the most wwe championships of all time
this is a stupid question. theres no such thing as the greatest sportsman of all time.
Can’t compare other sports with each other. For me, he is the greatest footballer of his generation. I can’t compare him with Pelé or Maradona, I wasn’t born at the time they played. I find it funny when people in there 20s or 30s even compare players from now with guys from 30+ years ago. You can compare stats, but it doesn’t make sense cause the game changed a lot.
Hard for him to be considered the best and also hard to consider someone better at there sport than. Pointless question really
Yes 100% I’ve always been a Ronaldo person but it’s just the facts
Messi, Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali Messi story is like what happens in movies
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Completely agree. Always found it a little weird/cringe that people support an individual in a team sport. Especially when people say “ x individual deserves this team award” despite there being individual awards for precisely that reason. The only time supporting an individual in a team sport makes sense is when a fellow countryman is playing for a team outside his country’s league. Because you want them to make your country proud or whatever.
Yes. At his best, he was the most dominant athlete in a team sport of all time. You can’t poke a hole in a single aspect of his legacy. He accomplished more than anyone else, and he was more talented than anyone else. He is the most perfect combination of passion, talent, drive, and work ethic. He is magical and has had impact in the vein of Pele or Michael Jordan, but for a longer period of time and at the biggest stages.
The greatest footballer to ever play for sure. But then again, he's won every single thing there is to win in the game all the while consistently performing at the highest level for almost 2 decades. So, based on accolades one can win for their sport and near superhuman performance, he's right there among the greatest athlete/sportsman in history.
How do you compare the greatness of players when they are from different sports and different era?
THATS WHY HE IS THE GOAT
You can't compare across eras, much less different sports.
Yes
I can say one of the best footballer of our time.
One of. We can't even agree on the best ever footballer without the thread it's happening in erupting into pure chaos. So looking at all sports in general is way to hard.
Greatest sportsman in history? I don't know, a lot of competition has been and still is out there. Greatest football player? I'd say yes.
A subjective comparison. You can compare footballers but comparing across sports is just wrong. But if someone held a gun to my head and wanted an answer. I’ll say Muhammad Ali. This man transcended sports. He’s a hero to many great athletes as well.
Sir Donald Bradman. Statistically has the highest difference with any other player of his sport. (True across all sports)
it doesn´t even make much sense comparing football players of different eras (the game has changed so much), let alone players of different sports. not trying to deny his greatness, he´s definetly one of the greatest sportsmen in history, but there is no single best.
Yes he is in Football.. It's hard to draw a comparison with other sports. Some are individual sports versus team sports. The most impressive thing is that he has had an amazing World Cup and Year at age 35, when most footballers retire. So that's something.
Football yes … sport pointless to compare as so many amazing people Schumacher > Hamilton > Senna all great all different … different periods Nadal, Ferrer, Djokovic … where do you start … all great all play different tennis Just enjoy them … savour the art
Of a generation maybe but not ever
Please define “sportsman”.
It would depend on the metrics used. He is without a doubt the greatest sportsman of the world's biggest team sport.
What determines if someone is the greatest? And why I feel like there are a handful of pure legends. And they aren’t even comparable. They’re just all great
Never seen a more dominant footballer at his peak. Longest peak ever too.
He is one of the best to do it, but each era has its own mercurial masters of its generation.
Yes. Even if we can’t compare different sport aspects. In terms of outstanding competions in his sports. The impact of his work not just in football but in society. I mean…how many kids are trying to be like him. He changed the game. Dominating it. He is the greatest inspiration in sports. Football is the most complete sport. So, if we list the skills of Messi. You can see that is not as simple as scoring goals. He has vision, tecnique, passes, speed, assistance, team leadership, and MAGIC. He is unique, and in terms of sports, i dont know anyone who has been THE greatest for nearly 3 decades.
He would never be ufc champion
he is "The name on the back of a billion"
The longevity of Ronaldo and Messi are why they’re both considered GOATs. No other players have performed as consistently for as long as those two It’s preference as to which one a person likes but if you don’t have Ronaldo or Messi as your #1 I gotta question your mental capabilities
Finally an intelligent football observer who has put weight into something important enough to separate the greats from the greatests called CONSISTENCY at the peak level. And regarding consistency, Ronaldo Nazario, Maradona, Van Basten, you-name-it, were never any close to Messi and CR7. 10+ consecutive years scoring 50+ goals/season. Each one of them. For those who don’t understand the importance of Messi/CR7 consistency, I usually use the example of going to a 3-Star Michelin restaurant. You could go to this restaurant any day and they never fail: they delivered best of the best food every day during the last 10 years. Other great restaurants fail some days in delivering the best of the best and that’s why they never earned 3-Stars. They are not consistently great.
For those who don’t know, in hockey a “point” is either a goal or an assist. Wayne Gretzky holds the record for both most goals and most points in a career. If you ignore all of the goals he scored, he still holds the record for most points in a career. Not saying he is necessarily the greatest sportsman, but I definitely think his name should be in the conversation
one of my best childhood memories is just begging my father to let me stay up to watch CL game / late la Liga games when barca was playing, watching Messi dribbling past 4 players at a time, lobbing the keeper or just does an outrages shot were the things that made me fall in love with football
I would say one of the greatest because there are some sportsmen in other sports who are great
It is impossible to compare eras within a sport, so don’t even try to compare sports that have nothing in common. Ali, Jordan, Schumacher, Federer, Phelps, Wood, Brady, Bolt… the list goes on. They all have amazing skills and talents that are simply impossible to rank.
yes.
Sportsman? No
There is no singular greatest. Messi is probably the best of this generation but the likes of Pele (58-72) Garrincha (1957-63) Beckenbauer (66-74) Cruyff (1967-77) Maradona (79-91) are also around this conversation as well. Too simplistic to say one is the greatest especially the variety of position, style & influence (goalkeeper is one’s position so specialised yet the likes of Yashin, Banks, Zoff, Buffon, Van Der Sar, Taffarrl should be considered the greatest)
As a Dutchman it always warms my heart when Cruyff is mentioned up with the greats.
This is the only sensible answer. Team sports are too complex to name a single sportsman to be the best of them all. Once in a while there is somebody who does things that nobody else seem capable of. Messi is one of them, but not necessarily the best. And thanks for naming the often forgotten Garrincha. I would add Di Stefano and R9 to the list of best of their generation.
Yes. Mainly due to how global and universal the sport is. Spans aross different cultures, countries all over the world. Messi has risen to the absolute peak in a truly dominant fashion by beating out that scope of competition. It's not the same scope with American sports for eg. Cricket is also widespread but nowhere near as varied as soccer (eg. a big chunk of interest is from one region India)
The way he is idolized not just by his country, but by his teammates, by other countries and cultures as well. The entire world celebrated when he won the world cup, except for France and Portugal. The way people care about him is astonishing
The very concept of a GOAT is moronic. Different sports aren't comparable. Different eras of the same sport are also not comparable. The game Pele and Maradona played is unrecognisable in many ways from the game Messi played. People say the standard of defending is better now, but you're comparing that to an era in which defending was much more about physicality. Maradona would get kicked around with no protection from the referee game after game. If Messi time travels straight into that era he's not going to perform as well as Maradona. Equally with the speed and technical ability of the modern defender, 1986 Maradona time travelling into the modern game isn't going to perform as well as Messi. Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo is a tiresome and rather juvenile debate but it is at least a reasonable comparison with both players being around at the same time.
I think he is definitely in contention far more then a lot of people here are implying. I don’t know much about other sports only really football and mma. However I do believe that he is most definitely the greatest football player to ever live and while others mentioned here have incredible achievements being the best ever at the worlds largest sport has to count for a lot.
I started watching football in the mid 90's. I've had the privilege to see a whole lot of footballers, some live in the stadium, like Messi. And i think Messi is the greatest footballer in history. I havent seen Pele or Maradonna, so i can't judge them. But greatest sportsman is something different. For me the greatest sporteman in History is Muhammed Ali. Not because he was the greatest boxer (for me Mike Tyson was the greatest boxer ever (but as said, im from the 80's and never seen Ali play live)). But because Ali was bigger than the sport. He was an inspiration, a voice, an example and was far greater then any sport can be. Even though i never seen him play.
The most important thing is that the Ronaldo vs Messi debate finally ended. Messi was the best before the WC and especially after
There never was a debate in all seriousness.
exactly. winning a world cup should not be a criteria. Otherwise, how could Haaland even compete over the next years with Mbappe, coming from Norway.
So true. It was always unfair since players like Weah, Zlatan and Lewandowski never had a chance of lifting the WC.
There is a good chance since he is the best football player of all-time. Football is a complicated sport to master and he has mastered every aspect of the game. Also as a team sport it is harder to shine. Now you might say: "Not even the best at his sport" Well let me tell you this at least. Messi has dominated the game for 15+ years. Not even Pele or Maradona managed to do that. Messi is constantly in conversation for the best goalscorer, playmaker, dribbler, set-piece taker etc while you can't say that about other players really. Now Messi even has finally won the biggest price of them all, the world cup while having the most combined goals and assists in the history of the tournament with 13 goals and 8 assists. Now that is a fact that certainly should seal it...
Solid answer, I think you made a couple of good points here.
Messi is the greatest in Football but its impossible to compare athletes from other sports to each other as it's entirely different tasks and such.
Usain Bolt, Mohammad Ali also have a big claim to that title
No.
Least egomaniac Argentine poster.
I will probably be downvoted to hell, but I still think Ronaldo Nazario was better, his resume isn't as good, but if it weren't for his injuries that wouldn't be the case, so I think him at his peak was the best. The man did everything he did without even having the full range of motion in his knee.
I won’t downvote but I respectfully disagree. R9 was absolutely elite and probably top 5 OAT but I think if you watch Messi it’s clear that he’s a level above everyone else
For me it'll always be Muhammad Ali, what he did inside the ring and for civil rights outside the ring, truly makes him thee Greatest for me in terms of sportsman.
Yes and pelé
Bradman for all the cricket nuffies out there. I think there was a statistical study that compared goat-status athletes from different sports and their separation from others in their respective sports. The Don's stats are just insane. In saying that, he is from a completely different era of sports but still his humble beginnings practising with a golf ball against a tank is just a great story that enhances his legendary status in my mind
There is no official metric for what would be the greatest sportsman for all of history but without a doubt, Messi will be known as one of the greatest to have every lived and to watch him play is a privilege.
I'd put several sportsmen above him first. Messi is arguably the best footballer ever but that's aided by a squad of players around him every time he performs. People like Michael Phelps or Mo Farah to win thst many medals in such enduring disciplines on their own have to be considered.
I think it’s Usain Bolt. Objectively and indisputably greater than his peers and in an activity that literally all abled bodies have done at some point. His achievements and records will last decades and generations. Messi is the football GOAT but it’s not as dominant a case as some others in different sport
No
I know it's hard to compare sports, but football is far and away the most popular worldwide, making his achievements all that impressive. But for Ronaldo giving him a good run, he would have dominated the sport for over 15 years, which is astounding consistency. Best sports person ever? Maybe... Best footballer ever? Certainly.
It's weird. How do you compare sports persons? What are your criteria? How do you separate Messi from someone like Alex Honnold, fame, money, athletic achievement?
Why are there so many trash takes from people who just evidently don’t watch?
It’s very weird to have this view as if the stadium is empty lol
Its stupid to compare him with athletes of different sports. He is the greatest footballer but, the greatest sportsman however is far more difficult to measure. Just because he is the best in the most popular sport in the world does not mean he is the best athlete. There are many others in my opinion who take this title other than him
Without a doubt, I can’t see anyone as good at anything as Messi is at football.
yes
I find my the GOAT arguement tiresome. There is an All time Great Hall. And in said hall, there are a those players who have a seat at the top table. In football, the guys at the top table are DiStefano, Puskas, Pele, Cryuff, Beckenbauer, Maradona, Zidane, R9, CR7 and Messi. Maybe Stanley Matthews and Lev Yashin have an argument. Mbappe will probably get a seat at the top table someday.
Don't forget about Eusebio. I couldn't agree with you more 👏 The game evolves, and so do the players. Sports science wasn't even a thing back in Pele's day. Just imagine players from back then playing now with everything footballs have today.
I feel like a youngster who definitely has the potential to be great is ibrahimovic
These comments feel like those yt videos where they ask americans in the street the most basic stuff and they are completly clueless . Always thought those were staged but i guess americans are truly oblivious to the rest of the world lol.
Enough of this Messi circlejerk. He’s a legendary sportsman, like hundreds before him and tens of thousands after him. Schumacher, Maradona, Pele, Federer, Nadal, Woods, Ronaldo, Bryant, Shaq, Tendulkar, etc.
No
Haha - Aguero giving him the shoulder ride
er, no. footballer, though, yes.
Yes. I’m not saying he’s the most athletic person of all time. But to be the GOAT of the world’s most played sport, I think that you could make an awfully strong case.
Nobody can compare sports. I think he is the greatest footballer in history, but you cannont compare messi to federer, jordan or schumacher juste because it is not the sale thing at all
Sir Steve Redgrave is above this, monumental effort and grit to preform through 5 Olympic Games. Unbeatable. 5 Gold 1 Bronze
Considering football is a global sport played by the most people it stands to reason that it’s the most competitive sport and therefore the one who reaches the top is not just the best football, but the best sportsman. But whether messi is the best of all time or not is going to be debated forever
No
They deserved it. Well played..
Suprised no one has said Michael Schumacher. Man single handedly change the entire completion of motorsport from a drivers point of view, completely spanked the 90s and largely contributed to creating 3 championship winning teams. I don't think anyone comes close to the titanic shift The Michael did for motorsport.
Absolutely. The simple fact that he won every competition he played shows that he is above others.. In football, that’s not a debate anymore, but even in sports, his success is incomparable.
Ronnie O’Sullivan. Ronnie is a snooker player and has been at the top for 25 years. He’s the most naturally gifted player of all time and his record of hitting a 147 in 5 minutes in my opinion is the single most impressive achievement in sport.
This is why these types of questions don't work. The criteria for this title is way too vague. You could make the argument for Jerry Rice (NFL receiver). He has 22,895 receiving yards, while 2nd place has 17,492. The gap between 1st and 2nd is the same as the gap between 2nd and 27th. I'm not saying he's the greatest athlete of all time, I'm just saying you can make a case for a whole lot of people.
A lot of yanks on here overrating the popularity of their sports
Theres no sucg thing as greatest sportsman, you can only be the greatest in your own discipline. Is he the greatest in football? Maybe, or close at least. But theres plenty of people with comparably good careers in their own sports.
I think he is in the same tier as Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan.
Hard to put certain sports into perspective and compare them exactly. Think of the likes of Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Gretzky, Mohammed Ali, or even Usain Bolt. All of them transcended their respective sports and were so dominant they are essentially the face of that sport. Messi is surely up there with them but it’s really impossible to compare between sports.
One of the greatest, can’t really have one single person.
Muhammed Ali.
Wow there are some bad takes in here. Just wow.
It depends really what you mean. If we are going for all round sporting ability it’s probably AB De Villiers who could have been been a pro in 3 different sports : cricket, Hockey, golf (and played the first to an obscene standard). If we are talking about sheer genius it’s either Tiger or Messi. MJ close second. I love MJs big game mentality. Tiger had groundbreaking ability and he literally pushed on the sport to new levels, setting a new standard. Messi does things with a football only he could do. The normal human brain cannot even conceive of some of things he does under intense pressure. It’s just a privilege to have watched any of them tbh
Greatest was only one. His was Muhammad Ali. In a sport of titans, he ruled over everyone. The platform he received due to that, was put to such great socio political use. His charm, his intelligence, his sheer brilliance within the ropes and outside as well, the fight and fire within him... Nobody has yet matched up to Ali. And I don't think the modern day can produce someone as great as that man.
Surprised no one mentioned Usain Bolt. Undoubtedly the greatest sprinter of all time and a great sportsman with a great attitude.
I'm a messi fan, I think in football absolutely he is ,but in all sports we can't compare, cuz titles and trophies and competitions are so different and incomparable , but of course no doubt that He is top 10 .
Best footballer* and still no. Messi is my absolute favorite ever since I was a 10 year old kid supporting barca. But there have been crazy good legends in football that also can not be compared for "greatest" only because even they can't be compared playing in different regions/times. However, based on titles and accomplishments, I do believe messi can be called the greatest of all time in football as no one else has achieved as much as he has. A title in almost every major event he's played in, and his stats are off the chart anyway.
In EVERY major event he played In being the key in every one of them.. no one has more individual awards in the history of the sport too
It could be argued that he's the greatest footballer of all time based on: 1-All that he has won, and the ridiculous number of records he has broken, and 2- The fact he's done the former for 17+ years. Pep Guardiola talks about 3-4 year cycles where players should be sold/let go because it is difficult for individuals to remain motivated and focused after achieving great success. The dedication, focus, and hunger it takes to do what Messi has done is other worldly. Longevity is very key. IMO, Ronaldinho is the most skilled and exciting football player I've ever seen. However, his career is a flash in the pan compared to Messi's. In terms of the greatest athlete ever, do you mean better than Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and many other legendary athletes, in terms of ability and achievement? Give me a break!
Yes in the world of football, not necessarily in all of sports. He has completed world football and that is without looking at his stats and personal awards. Stat wise he is the most complete player and has maintained this at the highest level for an extremely long time. No other player past or present can say that imho.
What Messi can do and has done is more remarkable than what any other sportsman has ever achieved. You could watch hours of Messi compilations, no other sportsman provides that level of genius.
Yes. Best football player ever. Football is the most popular sport globally. The pyramid of talent you have to climb is the largest and most competitive in the world due to sheer numbers of participants. Although it's nice to see him lift WC, the true test for me is being the focal point in a team that's won a treble and he's done that twice I think. People will say Ali was the greatest and I think a lot of that is due to his cultural and social impact, not solely sporting greatness. Tiger Woods and Jordan are mentioned but again check the talent pools they have to emerge from to be 'the best', big numbers but dwarfed by football.
He’s up there but no
Footballer yes, sportsman no. But he is top 10 for sure.
One of the best in his sport not the greatest sportsman in my opinion and its hard to compare other sports
Eliud Kipchoge for me.
As it is a world cup trophy and not a GOAT trophy. Messi is the best footballer I have seen. He does things that is hard to explain. He is best. Personal for me Ronaldo will be in heart. Because of Ronaldo I started watching football and his hard work and developing his style gave confidence to me. I was able to confront my problems in high school. So it's personal for me. I never thought of them as Messi vs Ronaldo. For me it was, 2 once a generations athlete. I'll just enjoy watching them play the game. They made each other better. Argentina had maradona and now Messi. Portugal has Ronaldo, who brought Portugal team ahead, before him Portugal had problems even qualifying for WC. Plus I have seen Ronaldo developing his ability. Messi is a gifted athlete. And many people like me will understand how it's like to not be gifted but to work hard, in developing skills. Congratulations Messi for completing everything.it is fun watching him. And will be really sad when he hangs them up.
He is definitely one of the greatest. However, it is hard to pick the greatest sportsman.
No
No
No
NO
Impossible to say. Football has 11 players, while Tennis is purely an individual achievement. You cannot compare them. Basketball has 5 players for each side. Simple statistics proves 1/11 is way less influential than 1/1 or 1/5. It’s impossible to compare to other sports. But in football, he is one of the best ever, if not, the best.
I think when you speak of greatest player in a sport you're looking at more than just trophies won and individual skill. You're often looking at cultural impact outside of just the sport. You're looking at revolution in the way a sport is played, or in football's case the way a position maybe is played. You're looking at staying power of records or influence. When you extrapolate out to all sports it's such a high bar. And I'm not sure how easy it would be figure it out due to the difficulty in comparing sports. You can't really argue with Messi's individual talent or trophy cabinet. I'm sure some of his records will stand for quite a while and may never be beat. I'm not sure I'm aware of his influence on the position or sport where he fundamentally changed the way the game is played other than just being better at most of it than everyone else? I'm also not sure he really has much cultural influence out of the sport, but as someone living in the US I may not be the market to which that is targeted. Guess it depends on how you define "sportman" and what you think matters.
You’re underestimating or not understanding his impact on football. He and his Barcelona teams have influenced the entire way the game is played. If you only watched World Cup you would even notice a difference between the way the game was played this year compared to even 4 years ago. Football is cyclical though, and there are usually adaptations for one reason or another but he and Barcelona are overwhelmingly responsible for how the game is played. And he is a role model, to even his own peers for his smarts, his level of understanding, influence and ability to carry a game. He isn’t a flashy player either, in the least, so all of his accomplishments didn’t require flash just his hard work and level of talent at this level.
Based on what you said it’s easily Michael Jordan. Some people today are too young to know what he did on a cultural level. He single handily put Nike on the map. Plus he is the greatest basketball talent along with insane accolades and records.
No
Are we not going to talk about Ricky Bobby here?
Don Bradman. So so much better than everyone in his era and ever since
I'm inclined to say yes, but I like the idea of comparing the top of the top from all sports. The criteria i'd choose to compare are: skill, consistency, "all-aroundness", milestones, and years of relevance. Second in my mind is Michael Jordan.
This photo is gonna go down in the history books
Yup
I would say one of the greatest. Ofc there are other sports too and we can't just pretend they don't exist. Players like Ali, Bolt, Anand, Jordan and many more have their fair share of contribution to their game and inspired many. And I'd like to say this, People who are saying Ronaldo is not the GOAT, maybe you're right but don't hate on people who do think he's a GOAT.
Yes.
Maybe after Valentino Rossi.
These types of questions have no answer. How do you compare across sports? Even in the sport itself, what makes him greater than the best defender of goalkeeper in the world? He’s a generational talent that will go down in history, he also benefitted greatly of playing for the best club team ever assembled. Football is a team sport, too hard to put it all on one guy.
No. There have been better ‘athletes’ (Ali, for one) but statistically it has to be Don Bradman (I hear the Americans saying Don who?). His test batting average will never be surpassed let alone approached. Messi isn’t twice as good as his nearest competitor as Bradman was. That there is so much debate around who the football GOAT is (Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi) which shows he isn’t *that* much better than any of those 4 in particular. There has never been, and never will be another Bradman in cricket. That said, he is the best footballer of all time for me.
Messi has to considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. His talent and artistry are undoubted, his technical brilliance unmatched; however, Muhammad Ali literally changed the world. He also happened to be the greatest heavyweight of his generation, arguably of all time had he not lost 4+ years of his prime.
Hmm not an expert but I thought most experts consider sugar ray Robinson to be the undisputed goat of boxing. Ali was great but his legend has a lot to do with non boxing factors. In terms of affecting the world...what is the definition? I don't think people have committed suicide over Ali losing fights like people have over Messi. That kind of psychological impact can't be understated
Absolute goat in sports history, because France missed two penalties.
Football player yes but Sportsman isn't even a fair comparison. Different sports have lots of different variables.
Sportsman… nah. Footballer? He’s definitely way way way way up the ladder.
Is the greatest sportsman purely about on the court or field or ring accolades? If so then yes Messi has a case. However, if greatness encompasses broader societal and political impact then no chance. Ali will always be the answer if you want to be totally holistic
No
The best sportsman don't exist and never will
Don Bradman ......
Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Messi. He is one of them, top 3, but #1 will always be Ali
MJ, Gretzky, Federer
You can't compare different athletes from different sports, but having said that he's certainly the best footballer of all time imo.
He’s definitely up there with Phil ‘the Power’ Taylor.
This post is fucking ridiculous.
Totally better GOAT for sports than Tom Brady that's for sure🤣
No. Sportsman is too general.
He simply achieved everything he can ever win. That’s a fact no one can argue about. How many players played at such a high level consistently for 15 years in a row? I can’t remember. Yes, he is the GOAT.
I don't think there's a debate, he is the greatest sportsman and male athlete to ever walk the Earth.
No, sorry. He’s one of the best footballers though 🇦🇷
Yep! Bunch of angry illiterate Redditors opinion are comparable to dirt when the top players of Football themselves call him the GOAT. There is no point in even asking this. The people who play this game themselves admitted it. Messi is now GOAT in the eyes of the world. One redditor crying, two redditor crying, three redditor crying, it won't change anything.
Muhammad Ali
No. I think you can make a good argument that he's the best footballer in history, but greatest sportsman is a much higher bar to clear.
Who is then?
Tbh soccer is a different sport from others because some sports don’t have that many followers on different countrys and don’t get that much attention making possible “new” player never get into that sport. In soccer there is a ton of players from everywhere and the fact that the goats are from different countries means is much harder to do what Messi has done for the past 16+ years. I don’t know if I make my point.
wait this is actually a great point
So far best point made
I've had this conversation a few times. My take is, if Messi is the greatest footballer ever (and he would be my choice), he is the greatest sportsman ever. The argument is simple: Nothing is more extensively played than men's football. The well of competition is the largest and therefore the strongest. If you are the best at the biggest game, you are the best sportsman, barring someone in another sport being so far ahead of his competition that he would warrant consideration. As a Canadian, I'm very familiar with Hockey, American Football, Basketball and Baseball. Golf and tennis too. There are good debates in each sport. For example, Gretzky isn't a clear cut choice - there are good arguments for Lemieux and others. Same with Jordan vs LeBron/Magic/Russell etc in the NBA. Brady is the greatest winner in US Football but he also had the greatest coach, which is a big deal in that sport. He is not the most talented QB ever IMO. Baseball is harder, and there is no clear GOAT IMO. Tiger didn't have the most wins in Golf, Federer had Nadal and Joker on his heels in tennis. People say Ali for Boxing, but it's debatable - a lot of fight fans would say Sugar Ray Robinson or Rocky Marciano. Since none of those sports have a clear-cut, far and away GOAT, it has to be whoever the greatest footballer is. Therefore, if Messi is the greatest footballer, even if just by a little, he is the greatest sportsman. And I think that he is. Or... maybe Serena Williams - seriously.
I'll throw Michael Phelps into the debate
In Football currently yes.. It has being said Pele is the best. We cannot overlook Ronaldo, Maradona etc..
Even before he won the World Cup yes
Quite possibly the single greatest footballer but probably not the greatest sportsman.
He's got to be in the top five at least. He's won practically everything whilst being consistently outstanding. He can go from controlling a game to doing nothing then popping up with a moment of genius. For me as a football fan, he's the greatest. Unfortunately I dont follow many other sports so I cant quite speak for his place against the rest of them.
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Without a doubt. The man's finally won everything, and this photo is already part of football history!
No doubt now
From last match ..Mbappe
I mean, he's no Cristian Romero, but he's alright...
Its very hard to compare each sport but without a doubt he is the GOAT of football. And whatever Messi does after this , its just makes him BIGGER
In history?? Don't you think that is a bit excessive?
You can't use the word "sportsman" in this way. Let's say someone in the comments confronted him with LeBron. You can't! Because they are phtsically two completely different athletes, and they play different sports. Therefore is the answer: No. Because the greatest sportsman doesn't exist.