Football's Greatest

Alright, so there will always be discussion about who is the greatest to ever play, no matter what game or sport you're talking about. In this case, we're talking about football, and no, not the eggball that's played in the US of A. We're talking about REAL football. The one where players use their feet to kick balls. Imagine that!

I will be giving you all my two cents on who is the best footballer to ever play. I will also include some of the greatest moments and other evidence to back up my arguments. So let's do this!

So, when I talk about who the greatest footballer is or was, I'm not concerning myself with comparing different eras and so on. It doesn't matter to me if a player dominated his era 50 years ago. He might have dominated then, but he would not dominate today. If that's the case then that is not enough for me.

Now, with this buildup I expect most of you who read this to assume that I will automatically pick Lionel Messi as my GOAT. Wrong. WRONG! Messi is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest footballers of all time, but he doesn't make it all the way to the top of my list. I will try to explain why later.

My pool of players to choose from will be as follows:

- Pelé

- Johan Cruyff

- Diego Maradona

- Ronaldo (The original one)

- Zinedine Zidane

- Ronaldinho

- Cristiano Ronaldo

- Lionel Messi

The Brazilian Pelé dominated the game in the third quarter of the 20th century. He was an incredible goalscorer, and became a world champion on multiple occasions with his national team.

Johan Cruyff revolutionized the game. The Dutchman changed how football was played, and he laid down the foundation for one of the greatest clubs the world has ever seen.

Diego Maradona was the artist with the "Hand of God". Some hate him, while others worship him. A world champion with a stained legacy, but no one can deny his talent as a footballer.

The original Ronaldo rose up to become the World Cup all-time top scorer. Dominating the game on a level few others have reached, with successful stints in several of Europe's top leagues.

A true maestro, Zinedine Zidane was the definition of an artist. Everything he did look so easy, so beautiful, and so simple. He made it look that way, but in reality, he was an absolute beast, and a world champion.

The playful Ronaldinho was such a natural. He cut through defenders like a knife through warm butter. And some of the moves he came up with will never be forgotten.

With a physique like no one else, Cristiano Ronaldo bodied his way into this list. Quick, strong, and extremely skilled, this player is still dominating the top European leagues.

La Pulga. His nickname might not sound very nice, but it only serves as a contrast to his work on the pitch. Lightning fast, and a nose for goal that hasn't been experienced in at least a few decades.

So the big question is: Who is the greatest of all time?

Here is my answer:

The greatest footballer to ever play is.............. drum-roll, please.........................

RONALDINHO

"But why? When the debate is always about Messi or C. Ronaldo. What's your major malfunction, bro? Are you daft? Ronaldinho? He was only good for, like 5 years! Get out of town with that BS!"

Sure, Dinho didn't stay on top for as long as we would've hoped. But what he did when he was on top was supreme to anything anyone else has ever done. Have you seen what he did? It was as if the opponents were stuck in syrup around him. It was almost as if he didn't see them. That's how easy it looked. And we all know that it's not easy. But that's how easy Ronaldinho made it look.

I will say that Messi and Zidane was close, but they haven't been to that extreme level Ronaldinho was at for a few years.

Pelé, Cruyff and Maradona dominated football during their time. But they would not dominate today's football. The rest of the players have caught up. They were great, and I do believe that they would have been good today, but they were nowhere near the level of Ronaldinho at his best. And I think that might be the main reason why I chose him and not any of the others. Dinho dominated his era. But unlike the others, I think he is the only one who would dominate THEM.

At his peak he was just too strong, too big, too fast, and too skilled. The ball was him. He was the ball. He wasn't like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has worked his ass off to be where he is, and he wasn't like Messi, who, even though it seems natural to him, at least it looks like he has to put in some effort to do the things he does. Not Ronaldinho. It seemed to just come to him. He didn't force the game. he felt it. He wasn't just the ball. He was the game.

Enjoy.

Now, there are a few other things I feel like I need to mention.

Even though Ronaldinho is the greatest to ever play, he didn't provide us with the greatest goal of all time. Nor did he impact the game itself as much as others. Here's what I mean:

The greatest goal ever scored was actually scored, in my opinion, by Zinedine Zidane. It was scored in the Champions League Final in 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen. Here it is:

Just look at that.

Look at it again.

Look at it thrice.

In my opinion, the greatest goal ever scored.

Why? Well, because it contains so many elements of what it takes to be a truly great footballer. Zidane doesn't have much to work with. The ball Carlos sent his way only went his way because of luck. There was no precision in the cross from Carlos. But it's enough for Zidane. He has the skill. He has the power. He has the timing. And, he has the awareness. If one of those aspects were missing there's no way he scores that goal. But he had it all. He even had the guts to try it. Almost anyone else attempting that shot will miss the ball completely and look like an idiot. He didn't care. He went for it, and we should all be glad he did. He produced an immortal piece of art.

The last thing I want to talk about is the evolution of the game of football. If we look at old videos of people playing, it seems like there are a few who knows what the hell is going on, while the rest is just sort of there. Nowadays, it's completely different. Every player you see on TV is an athlete, and they all know exactly why they are where they are.

But who is was the most powerful force when it came to changing the game itself? Johan Cruyff.

Before Cruyff there were 22 men running around on a patch of grass, chasing a ball. After Cruyff we could see organized teams playing a certain strategy. Cruyff's strategy was Total Football. So simple, but so difficult to pull off. The main idea of Total Football is that as long as your team is in possession of the ball, the other team can't score. It's offense and defense at the same time. Look at this video:

Look at the Dutch team. Then look at the other team. (Looks like Argentina). The men in orange is playing around the other team, while the opposition is just running between, like puppies chasing a shadow. Cruyff and his team is sharing the ball, passing it among themselves until they see an opening. Short passes, on the ground. So simple that it looks like the easiest thing in the world.

This changed football, and it is still changing it. Cruyff brought his ideas to one of the biggest clubs in the world, FC Barcelona, and their style is still built upon his concepts. Look at the similarities between the Dutch team of the 1970's, and the FC Barcelona squad of the new millennium:

This is what Cruyff started, and this is why I felt the need to include this.

I know that this is not the final answer to every discussion about football, but it is what I have come to know as my final answer. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but it would be interesting to hear what someone else thinks. I'm always more than happy to talk about this topic, so please, let it begin.

Until that discussion is started, I would just like to thank every person who cares about this sport. It has made my life richer. With that said, I don't want anyone to think that I look at football as a matter of life and death.

It's much more important than that.

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