The Guardian's best 100 footballers in the world

[Reg]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/dec/21/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2020

(If your Boxing Day is lacking suspense and you want to read from the 100th ranked player, shut your eyes and scroll down for a few seconds.)

The votes are meant to be based on 2020. Here's a full list of the judges: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/18/how-the-guardian-ranked-the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2020

Thoughts on the rankings?

Who would be in your top 5/10/whatever?

[Lewis]

They do a top five and then just throw names in randomly.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Judge 28 definitely has the Horst Wessel song as their ringtone. Their votes:

1 Lewandowski
2 Haaland
3 Gnabry
4 Müller
5 Davies
6 Benzema
7 Neuer
8 Kimmich

They didn't have Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe, De Bruyne or Van Dijk in their top 40.

[Lewis]

1. Messi/Ronaldo
2. Virgil van Dijk

And then nobody cares after that. They should have a points system like the Golden Boot to account for the German and French leagues being shit.

[Spikey M]

Lukaku above Kane. :happycry:

[mugbull]

1. Lewandowski
2. Van Dijk
3. Kane

That’s the truth

[Shindig]

Should've sneaked Javier Saviola in there for laughs. Also, I completely forget he made it to World Cup 2006.

[Mike]

They've somehow hit the 3 key twice when putting in Hendo's ranking.

[randomlegend]

They've somehow hit the 3 key twice when putting in Hendo's ranking.

Instead of 3 times, yeah.

[Baz]

Have we done a Ronaldo vs Messi poll on here?

[Dquincy]

Have we done a Ronaldo vs Messi poll on here?

As in which one's gay?

[Gray Fox]

As in which one's gay?

Finally someone asking the important questions this Christmas.

[Luca]

Mane ahead of Salah :D

[Manc]

A 35 year old Jesus Navas chilling in 86th.

[Giggles]

Ronaldo, Messi, and based on what I’ve seen in the other thread, Bruno Fernandez.

[Yevrah]

Loving the title:


The 100 best male footballers in the world 2020

Patronising cunts.

[Baz]

Taylor Hinds is my number 1.

[Luca]

Loving the title:


Patronising cunts.

Identity Politics Twitter would work itself into a fit otherwise, unfortunately.

[Shindig]

Now they're just asking to do a female counterpart. And if it's less than 100 names, they'll be raked over the coals.

[-james-]

Now they're just asking to do a female counterpart. And if it's less than 100 names, they'll be raked over the coals.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/dec/08/the-100-best-female-footballers-in-the-world-2020?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[Spikey M]

We should all demand they do a combined one for maximum lols.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've heard of 15 of the women's 100, and 99 of the men's 100 (sorry Luis Alberto). Given I spent about 74% of my life poring over sports media, whoever is promoting the women's game hasn't done a great job with that.

[Giggles]

We should all demand they do a combined one for maximum lols.

Wouldn’t they have to fill in 101-9999 of the men’s first?

[-james-]

They did a combined one last year didn't they? This seems a good compromise.

[Baz]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/dec/08/the-100-best-female-footballers-in-the-world-2020?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

68 :alan:

[randomlegend]

Legitimately thought number 1 was called Penile Harder at first glance.

[Bernanke]

Zlatan :cool:

[phonics]

Loving the title:



Patronising cunts.


Identity Politics Twitter would work itself into a fit otherwise, unfortunately.


Now they're just asking to do a female counterpart. And if it's less than 100 names, they'll be raked over the coals.

Fucking weirdos you three.

[Lewis]

If anything, the women are probably better than the men.

[Giggles]

They must be.

[Spikey M]

Definitely better at driving in for training.

[phonics]

I thought sexism was largely minor (Outside of some low level get back in the kitchen make me a sandwich jibes) but the amount of people who get flustered by other people just acknowledging that women’s football exists has made me think otherwise.

[Giggles]

I thought sexism was largely nonsense (Outside of some low level get back in the kitchen make me a sandwich jibes) but the amount of people who get flustered by other people just acknowledging that women’s football exists has made me think otherwise.

Nobody minds it existing, but because of it’s massively inferior quality it needs to know its place.

It’s all just pandering from journalists to a market they believe is there, but most women don’t give a shit about womens soccer either.

[phonics]

It’s not sexism they just need to know their place and realise nobody likes them :D.

Someone’s going to bring up the goalkeepers in a minute and I’m just going to post the ongoing compilation of 300 grand a week David De Gea cock ups.

[Giggles]

Yes that’s what I said. You really are some cunting sap, it’s like every bad element of woke twitter rolled into one.

[randomlegend]

I've never come across anyone who slags off women's football more than one of the girl's (female) teaching mates who is an ex-semiprofessional.

She is also a lesbian to complete the stereotype.

[-james-]

Everyone knows that Messi is strictly better at kicking a ball than Maroszán. It's top tier fragility to be getting riled at the latter receiving recognition. They even made it a separate list so you can ignore it entirely.

If the purpose of sport in society is to inspire young people, I don't know why you'd be against giving girls something to aspire to.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There is a balance to be struck - you want to promote it (and women's sport in general) so that more girls take up the game, but those who pretend it's a direct equivalent to men's football and try to present it as that do more harm than good. Cricket (and probably rugby) do a good job of selling it as a related, but somewhat different sport. So of course does tennis and to a lesser extent, golf.

There are those who prefer respective women's versions for aesthetic reasons (not those ones) - i.e. often it's more a game of precision and skill due to the lack of physical power.

[-james-]

That's fair. For starters they need to make the goals smaller.

[randomlegend]

What actually is people's argument against making the goals smaller for women?

I suppose you can argue that although the keepers are shorter the power of the shots they face is equivalently less so it balances out? But then you could make that same argument for kids football and nobody is expecting 11 year olds to play in full size goals.

[Lewis]

If you make the goals/pitches smaller then it's a different game, and if it's a different game then it can't hitch itself to men's football coverage, money, institutional weight... Cricket, rugby etc. don't have this to worry about because they barely get any coverage (relatively speaking) to begin with, and what coverage they do get can easily accommodate slightly different lady versions.

[randomlegend]

I don't see how it's a 'different game'. Making the pitch and goals proportionally smaller makes it closer to being the same game in my mind.

[Lewis]

Possibly if you get your measuring tape out, but it would look ridiculous in any stadium not set up for it (I hereby trademark 'dog track' for any measures used to take five yards off each edge of the pitch).

[Jimmy Floyd]

Cricket brings the boundaries in, golf moves the tees up, on the same grounds/courses, no one minds.

[phonics]

I don’t know but I’m going to presume that women in 2020 are bigger than men in the 1890s.

[Shindig]

Yeah, goalkeeping is a skill you can learn. It's all positioning and reflexes. Size of the goals shouldn't matter. It's the person between the sticks.

[Lewis]

Cricket has a load of different versions, so they're selling it anyway (as for hobbies...). Imagine building up some big ladies' football game and then when you turn it on they're playing on a kiddies' pitch with tiny pink goals.

[Shindig]

Don't be crazy. Garden Soccer can't exist in this socially distanced climate.

[Lewis]

Mike and 'The Reid' have probably been playing whilst Baz cowers inside.

[-james-]

Yeah, goalkeeping is a skill you can learn. It's all positioning and reflexes. Size of the goals shouldn't matter. It's the person between the sticks.

Positioning and reflexes aren't worth much if you're smaller and have a less powerful leap. Goalkeeping is the position in women's football that is furthest behind men's. It's just too easy to lob, or put it in the top corner that's basically unreachable.

[phonics]

The game being semi-pro resulting in not having goalkeeping coaches was more of an issue than their size.

Edit: Average height of a man when the size of goals was introduced was 5ft5...

There’s more of an argument to make men’s goals bigger, not women’s smaller.

[Lewis]

Shots probably went at about forty miles an hour in 1890, and you could assault people before they got into a position to take them.

[Yevrah]

Fucking weirdos you three.

To try and put them on a par is patronising in the extreme and I don't like that.

[phonics]

Unlikeably patronising is my brand. Can’t stop now.

[Luca]

Fucking weirdos you three.

I don’t think you’ve understood the point of what I’m saying. I think the women’s game should absolutely be recognized - besides, as a Canadian, our Women’s team is probably our closest chance at footballing glory. The general poor standard of goalkeeping aside, it’s an enjoyable game.

My point is that the identity politics and outrage surrounding calling something “football” instead of “male football” is a distraction. Continuing the battle is also a way to ensure that you’ll never get simple-minded chauvinists on your side.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, it feels like all top level 'keepers are massive by default these days, and one of the last bastions of the semi-midget, Mat Ryan, has been binned by Brighton with his shortness (and thus susceptibility to be lobbed/looped by flicked headers towards the back post) being a major contributing factor.

Shortness and shitness, natch.

edit - this was evidently a reply to a post which wasn't the last one in the thread. :cab:

[Spoonsky]

The best keeper in the history of MLS, Nick Rimando, was 1.75 m. I met him once and towered over him. The man had reflexes like a cat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDVb7GkqTyU

[niko_cee]

And hence why he plied his trade in a dogshit league.

Gone are the days of Barthez and Bosnich, where being just about 6 foot could get you by. I suppose Casillas and Valdez stand out as the last incongruously short 'keepers to have excelled at the highest level (and the latter was mostly pretty shit save for that final he trolled Arsenal senseless in). I'm sure there are others, and more recent examples of why I'm wrong but my knowledge isn't what it once was and cursory googling tells me most of the goalkeepers I could think of were either over 1.9m tall or pretty close to it.

[John Arne]

#8 :D

I like Rimando, but that was literally him catching the ball.

[Luca]

The best keeper in the history of MLS, Nick Rimando, was 1.75 m. I met him once and towered over him. The man had reflexes like a cat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDVb7GkqTyU

Put some respect on Stefan Frei's name.

[Spoonsky]

Might not be the best keeper but he definitely had the best save of all time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igBBNMzsiYA

:drool:

[Lewis]

Shit header, routine save.

[Spoonsky]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bdpAJvqxTM

Which one's your favorite? I like #10 myself.

[Lewis]

I don't think I've ever been donned like this before.

[Waffdon]

Might not be the best keeper but he definitely had the best save of all time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igBBNMzsiYA

:drool:

I honestly think I could save that

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Quick, post some famous Dundee United goalkeeper mistakes Spoon.

[Luca]

I was there for that save. He was caught flat footed and out of position. Would have been a simple grab otherwise.

Still, he’s great.

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTBkWRs7r-c

That's what comes to mind when I think of great saves. I liked Pickford's tip over the bar against Colombia as well.

[Smjffy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTBkWRs7r-c

That's what comes to mind when I think of great saves. I liked Pickford's tip over the bar against Colombia as well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIjN-oCakEQ

:nodd:

[Giggles]

Knowing about it probably needs to be a prerequisite.

[Mellberg]

That Seaman one's the best I've ever seen and I include Banks' in that. Think Schmeichel did something similar in the late nineties in the Champions League. Possibly against Brondby. Not sure where I've got them from and that could be completely made up.

Edit: Signed from Brondby, so probably not them.

[Lewis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXRoXkXvT0

That is amazing, but why didn't he just use his feet?

[Giggles]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXRoXkXvT0

That is amazing, but why didn't he just use his feet?

You’ve been subjected to too much De Gea.

[Giggles]

After a quick Google, the Coupet double is the best.

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCTSxgJSzdY

He needs to clout whoever dinked that back-pass.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's incredible.

[niko_cee]

Why the fuck didn't Coupet just tip that over the bar with his hands? Is a back pass all about the mens rea?

That Dudek save was incredible, particularly in the circumstances, but probably more for how Shevchenko managed miss the follow-up.

[Shindig]

The problem is that pass had definite intent written all over it.

[SincereTheRebel]

Two of my favourites from recent times


https://youtu.be/5N7Kia0syy4


https://youtu.be/6fHrYzn47Nk

[randomlegend]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXRoXkXvT0

That is amazing, but why didn't he just use his feet?

I believe keepers were coached not to back in the day.

[Baz]

Nobody told van der Sar.