Cybereagles

David Beckham wrote:Paris Saint-Germain star David Beckham said that while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both better than the rest, Ronaldo "doesn't reach the level of Messi," according to a report.

"They can have similarities in their technical skills and talent, and it is hallucinating for football to have them both present, but Messi is simply the best player in the world," Beckham told Telam.

"He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him," the 37-year-old midfielder told Telam. "He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest."

The former England captain won Champions League in 1999 with Manchester United. He joined PSG at the end of January after five years with the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS.

"We were leading before Messi came in, and once he came in, Barcelona scored," Beckham said.

Messi came off the bench to help Barcelona fight back for a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semifinals for a sixth year in a row. Barcelona will face Bayern Munich in the semifinals.

"Although I enjoy playing at this level at my age, I do not like to lose," Beckham told Telam. "Our team played well. In both matches we did things we should be proud of. We didn't lose against Barcelona, and that is something that should motivate us for the next season."

Barcelona advanced on the away-goals rule after its 2-2 draw in Paris last week meant the contest finished 3-3 on aggregate, but not without showing just how much it depends on Messi against major opponents.

Messi, who had injured his hamstring a week earlier, was cleared to play only an hour before kickoff. He went on in the 62nd minute with his team losing 1-0 after Javier Pastore's opener.

It took him nine minutes to start the decisive move that Pedro Rodriguez finished off to keep Barcelona in the hunt for its fourth Champions League title in eight seasons.

cic old boy wrote:

felarey wrote: What can Messi achieve with world class Argentina players? He's only that great when he's playing with the best players in the world not just world class players. I'm talking top 4 players in the whole wide world. Players he's been with for almost 15 yrs. Let him carry Fletcher and Carrick to 3 back to back league titles and back to back CL finals then we're talking. Even a decent showing with Argentina would be nice. They even had the tourney right there in his backyard at home and the result was a huge mess!

Many things wrong here.

1. Messi is just 25, arguably arriving at his peak. Diego and Zizou won WCs at 26. You sound like you expect Messi to carry a team when he hadn't reached his peak. He has only recently been made captain of his national team. He has grown in the role and it has reflected in performances.

Catalyst wrote:

cic old boy wrote:

felarey wrote: What can Messi achieve with world class Argentina players? He's only that great when he's playing with the best players in the world not just world class players. I'm talking top 4 players in the whole wide world. Players he's been with for almost 15 yrs. Let him carry Fletcher and Carrick to 3 back to back league titles and back to back CL finals then we're talking. Even a decent showing with Argentina would be nice. They even had the tourney right there in his backyard at home and the result was a huge mess!

Many things wrong here.

1. Messi is just 25, arguably arriving at his peak. Diego and Zizou won WCs at 26. You sound like you expect Messi to carry a team when he hadn't reached his peak. He has only recently been made captain of his national team. He has grown in the role and it has reflected in performances.

It sounds like you are saying we should give messi time to make his make at the national team level.

That is fair.

So what if he does not make any mark there? I mean take his Argentine teams to the summit?

Catalyst wrote: It sounds like you are saying we should give messi time to make his make at the national team level.

That is fair.

So what if he does not make any mark there? I mean take his Argentine teams to the summit?

spastic wrote:Perhaps the greatest player of all time has done the unthinkable again :

tfco wrote:

cic old boy wrote:Fact: He will be 26 in WC 2014. 26 = when El Diego and Zizou won their WCs.

see you next year.

tfco wrote:

spastic wrote:Perhaps the greatest player of all time has done the unthinkable again :

tfco wrote:

cic old boy wrote:Fact: He will be 26 in WC 2014. 26 = when El Diego and Zizou won their WCs.

see you next year.

tfco wrote:

cic old boy wrote:Fact: He will be 26 in WC 2014. 26 = when El Diego and Zizou won their WCs.

see you next year.

cic old boy wrote:2006

tfco wrote:
What I saw in the Barca/Chelsea game re Lionel Messi has made me a believer.

The guy has so much game it's a delight towatch.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=56235&start=69

2009



2011



What he saw Messi do against Manure made him stop believing and start hating.

cic old boy wrote:Fact: He will be 26 in WC 2014. 26 = when El Diego and Zizou won their WCs.

cic old boy wrote: Fact: An awful amount of football is played b/w WCs. So believers should be delighted to watch Messi from now to next year.

YemiBrazil wrote:This TFCO is someone to avoid

tfco wrote:
What I saw in the Barca/Chelsea game re Lionel Messi has made me a believer.

The guy has so much game it's a delight towatch.

anointed wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:This TFCO is someone to avoid

I tell you. If there's Messi yabbis on the Net, he'll find it.The guy can just be on you like those midgets in professional wrestling. Of course, it's not shocking cos he's a midget himself. I will be surprised if Messi hasn't heard of him by now. When next you see tfco with a facial bump, you can be sure it's headbutt from you know who.

tfco wrote:
What I saw in the Barca/Chelsea game re Lionel Messi has made me a believer.

The guy has so much game it's a delight towatch.

tfco wrote:

tfco wrote:

cic old boy wrote:Fact: He will be 26 in WC 2014. 26 = when El Diego and Zizou won their WCs.

see you next year.