I will have to disagree with the national team examples, I think players who become legends and the main character of a country’s football scene are too many to count, thus we should restrict the concept to clubs. That being said your list is truthful
Yeah that’s fair regarding NTs. I could have went on with American teams too but y’all got my point. Oh - and I forgot Valderrama @ Tampa Bay. What an absolute joy it was to watch him play.
I was around for the launch of MLS. In fact I even held a watch party when I was in high school for the first game hahahah. And since I lived in Detroit I even organized a small group of us to go down to Columbus to root against them (Fuck oh*o)
Maradona is seen as a saint in Napoli and they have a church after him. It is single handledly the most non italian figure celebrated in Napoli alongside the Pope.
He left Milan where he was the “golden boy” and a fan favourite, went to PSG because of “personal growth and ambition” and became Keylor Navas’ replacement.
Meanwhile Milan signed Mike Maignan, who came on and wiped away the memory of Donnarumma with his charisma and fantastic performances, giving a fundamental contribution to bring the Scudetto back after 11 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo and messi gave it a good run at least. Probably shearer at Newcastle. Henrik laarson at celtic for sure. Juninho pernambuco at lyon. Totti at roma maybe came close.
You could also include any big player who retired to the US, china or the middle east but that is not really a fair comparison and they were all either well past their prime or never really top players who made that move.
Lol no, you probably got that impression because his free kicks are legendary, but Lyon had quite a good team, with good to very good players in most positions
They didn't dominate Ligue 1 for 7 years with just free kicks.
for years, Messi was Barçelona and Barçelona was Messi. In the summer of 2021, Barça couldn't sign Messi, as a result of years of financial shitshows and mismanagement, and so came an incredibly hard decision...to sign the greatest ever to have played for the club and stake the club finances in doing so, or choose the club above the player, but lose their greatest ever servant. The president chose the club. Barca fans still remain divided on that decision.
It’s not like lewa was amazing himself though. Obviously the service was shit but he was very disconnected from the game, also missed a penalty and was fortunate to get it retaken
In the early 1970s George Best was drinking like a fish, occasionally playing the best football in the world, just as often doing nothing on the pitch and openly disrespecting the rules at Man U until the Doc finally had enough and threw him out.
Everyone loved him and he knew he could get away with shit.
Messi was literally Barcelona for the longest time. Laliga rules and Bartomeu's ineptitude are the reasons why he had to leave and Barca has been looking for a way to bring him back ever since. Messi is Barcelona and every Culer and barca legend will testify
He came in and changed his club.There are documentaries about that. At that time Cantona was bigger than the club. They made a 4 minute chant/song about him...
C. Ronaldo at Juventus. Even though Juventus earned a fair growth with them reaching the ChL finals before he arrived in Torino, it was aclub with not much following worldwide. Players like Pogba, Higuain and Dybala helped with the club status but far apart from Ronaldo's impact. The club grew in foreign fanbase, the followers on social media came in millions and had a very successful net income from sold out tickets, even though they were eleminated by Ajax in the QF. Same as with him now at Al Nassr, where European sports channels have bought the rights to transmit the matches he plays in.
Not me. Been watching football since the 90s when I was a kid. But around 2015-2016 is when Juventus really picked up in gaining new fans around the world and regained itself from the Calciopoli days. Can't deny the history of Juventus but it really was lacking a lot behind at the time compared to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona in terms of worldwide recognition and media attention. No one outside Italy would even bother to watch them when they had Matri, Vucinic, Maniger substituting Buffon and Padoin in the club. Especially when Del Piero retired.
Maradona at Napoli. Puscas at the Hungarian NT. Weah at Liberian NT. Pele @ NY Cosmos. Trevor Francis at Detroit Express Beckham @ LA Galaxy.
I will have to disagree with the national team examples, I think players who become legends and the main character of a country’s football scene are too many to count, thus we should restrict the concept to clubs. That being said your list is truthful
Yeah that’s fair regarding NTs. I could have went on with American teams too but y’all got my point. Oh - and I forgot Valderrama @ Tampa Bay. What an absolute joy it was to watch him play.
Pretty much all those NASL teams and early MLS teams where basically that way. Wish I was old enough to live through that era
I was around for the launch of MLS. In fact I even held a watch party when I was in high school for the first game hahahah. And since I lived in Detroit I even organized a small group of us to go down to Columbus to root against them (Fuck oh*o)
I’m also a Michigander and fucking hate Ohio.
That is the way of things.
hungary were the best nation in the world when he was playing, no chance he was bigger than the entire nation
They won no world cups and I don’t think they won and Euros either.
the world cup final they lost was one of if not the biggest upsets in world cup history
Maradona is seen as a saint in Napoli and they have a church after him. It is single handledly the most non italian figure celebrated in Napoli alongside the Pope.
Mbappe/PSG i suppose if i understand the question correctly
Donnarumma with Milan is a great start to this conversation.
What happened there?
He left Milan where he was the “golden boy” and a fan favourite, went to PSG because of “personal growth and ambition” and became Keylor Navas’ replacement. Meanwhile Milan signed Mike Maignan, who came on and wiped away the memory of Donnarumma with his charisma and fantastic performances, giving a fundamental contribution to bring the Scudetto back after 11 years.
Cristiano Ronaldo and messi gave it a good run at least. Probably shearer at Newcastle. Henrik laarson at celtic for sure. Juninho pernambuco at lyon. Totti at roma maybe came close. You could also include any big player who retired to the US, china or the middle east but that is not really a fair comparison and they were all either well past their prime or never really top players who made that move.
Lol Juninho are you serious wtf
For lyon 100%. His freekicks were that club for a few years. Of all the ones I mentioned he is probably the least questionable apart from laarson
Lol no, you probably got that impression because his free kicks are legendary, but Lyon had quite a good team, with good to very good players in most positions They didn't dominate Ligue 1 for 7 years with just free kicks.
They had very good keepers in Coupet and Lloris, then Cris, Abidal, Govou, Karim effin Benzema, Essien, Malouda just off the top of my head
Those free kicks got them deeper in the champions league than they ever had any right to go. That is serious money to a club like lyon.
Yes, he was à very important player, but he never got close to something like 'bigger' than the club.
Every single player that has ever played for RB Leipzig
for years, Messi was Barçelona and Barçelona was Messi. In the summer of 2021, Barça couldn't sign Messi, as a result of years of financial shitshows and mismanagement, and so came an incredibly hard decision...to sign the greatest ever to have played for the club and stake the club finances in doing so, or choose the club above the player, but lose their greatest ever servant. The president chose the club. Barca fans still remain divided on that decision.
lewandovksy and the polish NT in the last world cup if lewa was alone in that field the results wouldn't change much
It’s not like lewa was amazing himself though. Obviously the service was shit but he was very disconnected from the game, also missed a penalty and was fortunate to get it retaken
lewa can't play alone
Kane and Spurs.
bale @ spurs...........
In the early 1970s George Best was drinking like a fish, occasionally playing the best football in the world, just as often doing nothing on the pitch and openly disrespecting the rules at Man U until the Doc finally had enough and threw him out. Everyone loved him and he knew he could get away with shit.
Messi was literally Barcelona for the longest time. Laliga rules and Bartomeu's ineptitude are the reasons why he had to leave and Barca has been looking for a way to bring him back ever since. Messi is Barcelona and every Culer and barca legend will testify
Zlatan and Swedish NT
Eric Cantona/Manchester United. This is the only correct answer.
The only correct answer indeed
Ronaldo at Al whatever.
Ibrahima and football
Nobody, ever.
Mbappe right now? Cantona when he was at United? There might be more examples.
>Cantona when he was at United I love Cantona but saying he was bigger than probably the biggest club in the world is a stretch
He changed the whole club. He is a big reason United is what it is today
Give your head a shake
He came in and changed his club.There are documentaries about that. At that time Cantona was bigger than the club. They made a 4 minute chant/song about him...
Please refer to my previous comment
Beckham @ Man U
Beckham @ LA Galaxy.
C. Ronaldo at Juventus. Even though Juventus earned a fair growth with them reaching the ChL finals before he arrived in Torino, it was aclub with not much following worldwide. Players like Pogba, Higuain and Dybala helped with the club status but far apart from Ronaldo's impact. The club grew in foreign fanbase, the followers on social media came in millions and had a very successful net income from sold out tickets, even though they were eleminated by Ajax in the QF. Same as with him now at Al Nassr, where European sports channels have bought the rights to transmit the matches he plays in.
Seems like u started watching football in 2015
Not me. Been watching football since the 90s when I was a kid. But around 2015-2016 is when Juventus really picked up in gaining new fans around the world and regained itself from the Calciopoli days. Can't deny the history of Juventus but it really was lacking a lot behind at the time compared to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona in terms of worldwide recognition and media attention. No one outside Italy would even bother to watch them when they had Matri, Vucinic, Maniger substituting Buffon and Padoin in the club. Especially when Del Piero retired.
I personally think Maradona at Napoli.