UKC

Apparently that’s how much it would cost to trigger the release clause on Lionel Messi’s contract with Barcelona...

having just watched the highlights of him dismantling Chelsea, scoring his 100th champions league goal in the process... that’s still ridiculous

but ludicrous valuations aside, we are lucky to see him in action. Watching him dance pass defenders and score from improbable angles is like watching the brilliant kid in the playground making a fool of his classmates- except the opponents are international defenders playing in the later stages of the champions league... 

along with ronaldo, the best ever...?

I don't know if he's the best ever, but he's so much better than Ronaldo!

Let's not compare to closely. I prefer to watch Messi perform his magic but my guess is that the record books will favour Ronaldo in a sport where success is counted in goals. They are both magnificent and it is only the failure to perform at their best in a successful World Cup campaign that keeps them below Pele and Maradona in the pantheon.

No - George Best.

He did the same as Messi but with a heavy leather (laced) ball, muddy pitches, and defenders who were able to (within the rules of the time) chop him down.

And probably hung over. 

Did Best score 600+ goals at a rate of nearly 1 per game, or win 4 European cup medals, or the ballon d’or 5 times (and counting...)?

Best was a great player, no doubt, perhaps the best these isles have ever produced (though as a Scot, bias would lead me to rate Kenny Dalglish slightly ahead of him... ); but the staggering volume of goal scoring combined with sustained quality Messi has shown over a decade is unparalleled in club football.

other than perhaps by his rival in Madrid- more than a goal a game since ronaldo moved there. Shame about the petulance and egotism though... 

Which Ronaldo are we on about?

The sulky Portuguese one, not the chubby Brazilian... 

In a similar vein to the recent Brown/Whillans and what would they be climbing at today thread, where would George Best be, with today's advanced training methods etc?

The same place he was in the 60s, the pub...!

And what do you think Messi would feel about taking on the following defenders under yesterdays rules;

"Chopper" Harris, David Webb, Norman "bites-yer-legs" Hunter (and for that matter anyone from Leeds). There were many others, but I won't list them. European teams had their own "enforcers" as well.

Please note that, under the rules as they were, I once made a perfect slide tackle in a school-age match, which did not elicit even a hint of a suggestion that it was a foul (because it wasn't), that put my schools football AND rugby captain in the casualty department of the nearby hospital.

For now, but there is another on his way

They’d have to get near him first 

yes there was scope for more exotic defensive techniques then- but that didn’t necessarily negate the impact of skilful players- another South American of indifferent stature and physical presence seemed to do alright back then despite the attentions of the enforcers...