# Beckham v Zidane **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794 "2001-10-06T16:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanakis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/7bcc69/32.png) [@xanakis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanakis)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/1 "2001-10-06T16:25:03Z")
I’ve been musing over this for a while now but I think I’ve finally reached the conclusion that Beckham is the better player. In fact probably the best player in the world. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![illuminati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@illuminati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/illuminati)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/2 "2001-10-06T16:39:39Z")
After the performance that ive just seen in the game against Greece, not only is Beckham a better player but also possibly the greatest man of all time in any field any where. Did you see that free kick!! ORGASMIC!! watch out (Footballing) world Englands back! With him and Owen up front the future looks bright Lets hope we do well in the world cup! Bring em on ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/3 "2001-10-06T17:08:01Z")
I just started a thread in MPSIMS about our qualification for the World Cup finals. I think David Beckham is absolutely bloody brilliant. He’s also a very good captain - which surprised me at first. I still reckon Zidane is better though. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/4 "2001-10-06T17:29:46Z")
Beckham all the way. He’s THE MAN and he makes a brilliant captain. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/5 "2001-10-06T17:43:21Z")
Beckham leads by example but I’m not sure about his strategy, he needs to read his team more and enable his managers plans by instructing his teammates better. He is often so busy showing how it should be done when he needs to devote more time to getting those around him to do it, that’s what the captain should really do. Couple more years and he’ll be perfect for the job but he is learning the ropes somewhat. Great player though. ---
**Author:** ![illuminati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@illuminati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/illuminati)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/6 "2001-10-06T17:47:09Z")
i cant think of any man i’d rather swap places with, the boys got everything, even a spicegirl! ---
**Author:** ![Lawmill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lawmill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawmill)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/7 "2001-10-06T20:32:59Z")
David Beckham is not even the world’s best right midfielder, that honor goes to Luis Figo. He can cross and take free kicks just as well as David; but is much faster, a better dribbler, and can play on the left side as well. Zinedine Zidane and Rivaldo are the two best midfielders in the world. Rivaldo is better at scoring goals and often carries Barca singlehandedly(eg vs Valencia), but he doesn’t have the distribution skills or international success of Zizou. > [@](#): > > After the performance that ive just seen in the game against Greece, not only is Beckham a better player but also possibly the greatest man of all time in any field any where. Please. Beckham is not even the best player on Manchester United. My ten best players in the world: 1.Rivaldo 2.Andrei Shevchenko 3.Zidane 4.Figo 5.Veron 6.Totti 7.Rui Costa 8.Owen 9.Nesta 10.Thuram ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/8 "2001-10-06T23:06:03Z")
Beckham does one thing better than any other current player: strike a dead ball from the right flank. That’s it. He doesn’t run particularly well, dribble particularly well, tackle particularly well or score from open play as well as other players. That said, he was the only England player (maybe Nigel Martyn excepting) who came out of today with any credit. Even the two free kicks we scored from weren’t free kicks. Beckham deserved a goal for running his heart out and playing better than anyone else in a white shirt. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beckham-v-zidane/85794/9 "2001-10-07T05:27:32Z")
I also thought Beckham was the best England player today, but come on. As Crusoe says, he’s a very limited player. Excels at the things he is good at, but you wouldn’t want to build your team around him. Roy Keane’s a better midfielder (accounting for the difference in his role, of course). And Gaizka Mendieta. And Lubo Moravcik.