RGM GOAT Debate Thread (Part 2)

[Tracymcgoaty]

Is one World Cup truly that big of a deal to separate what were pretty equal careers up to that stage?

Or was the gap between Messi and Ronaldo already enormous before 2022?

It's subjective but you ask me it was never close. But it isn't even because of stats. Me personally i dont even have Cristiano #2 or #3

There are maybe 3 players who've made me laugh hysterically in disbelief whenever i watched them play.

1. R9 pre knee injury. I was a toddler back then but i remember first time watching him play was in WC finals 2002 when he scored 2 against germany coming off an injury where doctors said he had next to zero chance of ever playing again. It's what made me start playing football. I started watching R9 full games archives when he played in Barcelona and Inter pre knee injury. Absolute disbelief in watching this dude play football. We are talking a player who would embarass GOAT level defenders as if they were scrubs. For example Alessandro Nesta who faced both Cristiano and Messi when he was 38 and half dead more than held his own against them. But when he was 22 with Lazio facing R9 in the uefa cup finals he's more or less said he didn't have the skill level to top him. THATS HOW GOOD R9 WAS! **** Paolo Maldini who i consider the GOAT defender along with Baresi...Do you know what he used to say every time he faced R9? He went to his centerback teammate Desailly who himself is on that level when it comes to GOAT defender...He told Desailly dude im gonna need you to help me with this guy (R9)

Watch on YouTube

2. Zidane - If there ever was poetry in motion Zinedine Zidane is it. Watching this dude play you'd think he was painting a masterpiece all over the field. An absolute artist on the field. 1-2 steps ahead of everyone else. The bigger the game got the better he got. Touch-Technique-IQ-Madman all in one. What he did in 06 WC was the stuff of legends. Such a shame it ended with him headbutting Materazzi but thats Zidane the mad man. But what an absolute master at his craft.

3. Messi - I consider Messi the GOAT..But ONLY because R9 ruined his knees. What Messi has done in his career...I have no words the **** stuff this dude has done. AGAIN it's not about the stats for me. It's the way you play the game. Messi along with the other 2 is the only one that makes me laugh in disbelief whenever i watch him play. The stuff this dude does on the field is something that cant be explain with words but truly has to be felt. This is not to say Messi doesn't have stats. Messis stats are ridiculous video game numbers.

So yes whilst the people who love stats will bring up stats i had messi as the GOAT long before WC. The World cup win was just the tip of the iceberg used to finally shut people who had Cristiano over Messi up for good. It was never close. It wont ever be close.

It really says it all when people try to use Cristiano scoring in the saudi farmer league as some boost in his legacy. Funny considering the man himself said the league was a joke and then joins the same league.

[Prince187]

I don’t follow soccer much but wasn’t there a point in time where Ronaldo was considered better than Messi? When and why did that change ?

[Raps in 4]

This is a top-tier troll thread lol.

[Tracymcgoaty]

This is a top-tier troll thread lol.

Yes having cristiano being mentioned in the same breath as messi is trollish.

[Handlez]

Yes, LeBron is better than Jordan, so there is gap between them, but I don't follow soccer closely enough to answer in the Poll.

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

And Bron knew that was an impossibility the moment he started forming super teams in the weakest era of the eastern conference.

Nearly every year was a cakewalk to the finals in the east. Look what happened when he moved west.

[badpotato]

Yes, LeBron is better than Jordan, so there is gap between them, but I don't follow soccer closely enough to answer in the Poll.

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

And Bron knew that was an impossibility the moment he started forming super teams in the weakest era of the eastern conference.

Nearly every year was a cakewalk to the finals in the east. Look what happened when he moved west.

If you wanted to talk about cakewalks put on any Bulls finals from 90s. Jordan dominated expansion league that was watered down talent wise, having the benefit of having superteam behind him and a coach that was way ahead of his time in a league where half of the teams basically employed caveman tactics.

But I'm not going to die on this hill, you're free to pick your goat, I just got irked with the way op presented this topic

[Handlez]

Yes, LeBron is better than Jordan, so there is gap between them, but I don't follow soccer closely enough to answer in the Poll.

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

And Bron knew that was an impossibility the moment he started forming super teams in the weakest era of the eastern conference.

Nearly every year was a cakewalk to the finals in the east. Look what happened when he moved west.

If you wanted to talk about cakewalks put on any Bulls finals from 90s. Jordan dominated expansion league that was watered down talent wise, having the benefit of having superteam behind him and a coach that was way ahed of his time in a league where half of the leage basically employed caveman tactics.

But I'm not going to die on this hill, you're free to pick your goat, I just got irked with the way op presented this topic

Lol it's all good.

Both sides have their arguments.

In the end, it doesn't even matter. (RIP Chester Bennington)

[Gregoire]

Yes, LeBron is better than Jordan, so there is gap between them, but I don't follow soccer closely enough to answer in the Poll.

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

And Bron knew that was an impossibility the moment he started forming super teams in the weakest era of the eastern conference.

Nearly every year was a cakewalk to the finals in the east. Look what happened when he moved west.

Even with playing with superteams and superstars 20 years in a row, being last 5 years only 2nd option, chasing legacy like posessed, LeBron cant match MJ... Its so funny.

[Ainosterhaspie]

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

Nostalgia is a powerful drug, but plenty of people have proven resistant to its effects and see LeBron as the better player after having watched both careers closely.

[Rust_Cohle]

MJ over LeBron, but the gap isn't nearly as big as Messi over Ronaldo. Messi was beyond sublime. More impressed with Messi far more than LeBron. Messi was that good.

[Rust_Cohle]

Yes, LeBron is better than Jordan, so there is gap between them, but I don't follow soccer closely enough to answer in the Poll.

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

And Bron knew that was an impossibility the moment he started forming super teams in the weakest era of the eastern conference.

Nearly every year was a cakewalk to the finals in the east. Look what happened when he moved west.

If you wanted to talk about cakewalks put on any Bulls finals from 90s. Jordan dominated expansion league that was watered down talent wise, having the benefit of having superteam behind him and a coach that was way ahead of his time in a league where half of the teams basically employed caveman tactics.

But I'm not going to die on this hill, you're free to pick your goat, I just got irked with the way op presented this topic

Nope, average wins of eastern teams Jordan faced nearly 50, LeBron's was just 46. LeBron also played in what is historically the worst Eastern Conference of the last 40 years in 2007. Jordan also never played a team as bad as the 8th seed Heat in the finals.

[CS707]

Both.

[dWadeOwnzYou]

Messi over Cristiano is the bigger gap no doubt.

[wegotthabeet]

Is one World Cup truly that big of a deal to separate what were pretty equal careers up to that stage?

Or was the gap between Messi and Ronaldo already enormous before 2022?

No. Winning the WC with Argentina is like winning the NBA championship with the Heat.

It's impressive, but much easier than winning as the Pelicans. Portugal has never had a viable chance at winning the World Cup.

Messi is better, but not because of this. It's a lame argument.

[Petergrifindor]

Jordan vs Lebron.

CR7 obliterated Messi in Europe.

[art_tatum]

looking at achievements jordan over lebron

[MavsDirk41]

No one that watched both of their careers closely would ever say Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

Nostalgia is a powerful drug, but plenty of people have proven resistant to its effects and see LeBron as the better player after having watched both careers closely.

Other than passing what is he better at? Jordan had better handles, better post moves, better mid range game, better free throw shooter, better defensively throughout his career, and if i needed a basket to win or tie a game with a few seconds left i know who im giving the ball to between the two players. I watched both careers.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Is one World Cup truly that big of a deal to separate what were pretty equal careers up to that stage?

Or was the gap between Messi and Ronaldo already enormous before 2022?

No. Winning the WC with Argentina is like winning the NBA championship with the Heat.

It's impressive, but much easier than winning as the Pelicans. Portugal has never had a viable chance at winning the World Cup.

Messi is better, but not because of this. It's a lame argument.

They were like top 8 in 2022. Thats not having no viable chance. Thats being a contender. That 2022 squad was amongst the most talented squads Portugal has had.

That 2022 team wasn't even amongst the most talented argentinian teams. A lot of those players were unproven in the biggest stage and Messi was older. The DIFFERENCE was our coach Scaloni. He completely changed the trajectory of the national team. Prior to him coming the national team was dysfunctional.

[Coach Carter]

When healthy, R9 was way better than both Messi and CR7.

[Tracymcgoaty]

When healthy, R9 was way better than both Messi and CR7.

PREACH!

but i cant have him as the goat because of longevity.