# Who is the best currently playing footballer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266 "2007-07-10T21:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/1 "2007-07-10T21:52:40Z")
Yeah, I know. Not specific enough. Apples and oranges. Different skills. Yada yada yada. Just suck it up and pick one. Up until he retired, I’d probably have said Zidane. Now? I’m not so sure. Whaddya think and why? ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/2 "2007-07-10T22:47:15Z")
Fabio Cannavaro I tend to think defense skills are harder to master. Reads the field better than anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/3 "2007-07-10T22:58:43Z")
Good choice. FIFA would [tend to agree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Player_of_the_Year)with you. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/4 "2007-07-11T01:18:51Z")
I just have to briefly hijack to say that the word “footballer” is one of the most elegant ways I’ve ever seen to immediately tell people you’re talking about soccer, rather than American football. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/5 "2007-07-11T17:04:34Z")
I’ve always thought so too! ---
**Author:** ![alreadymichigan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@alreadymichigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alreadymichigan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/6 "2007-07-11T17:19:10Z")
Peyton Manning ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/7 "2007-07-11T17:29:43Z")
[QUOTE=alreadymichigan] Peyton Manning [/QUOTE] That’s ridiculous. Of course he reads the field well, and his football IQ is unquestioned. But he’s had few goals in his career, is shite on defense, doesn’t beat anyone on the dribble and can’t cross to save his life. His passing skills are good, sure, but we’re looking for the complete package here. Heck, he can’t even crack the national starting XI. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/8 "2007-07-11T17:45:30Z")
How about Cristiano Ronaldo? ---
**Author:** ![Sebhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/9 "2007-07-12T15:59:21Z")
I can say this now that he’s no longer playing for Arsenal: Thierry Henry? > [@](#): > > Originally poster by Leaper: > I just have to briefly hijack to say that the word “footballer” is one of the most elegant ways I’ve ever seen to immediately tell people you’re talking about soccer, rather than American football. So what is an American football player called? A ball player? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/10 "2007-07-12T17:08:30Z")
“Football player”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/11 "2007-07-13T04:31:37Z")
That question just made me realize something: how few sports have participants people in the U.S. call “Xers” as opposed to “X players.” Golf, swimming, and diving are the only ones I can think of offhand. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/12 "2007-07-13T11:09:23Z")
I’d go with Cannavaro, too. Lionel Messi is the most exciting, though. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/13 "2007-07-13T13:01:06Z")
Messi is magic. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/14 "2007-07-13T13:13:44Z")
[QUOTE=Leaper] That question just made me realize something: how few sports have participants people in the U.S. call “Xers” as opposed to “X players.” Golf, swimming, and diving are the only ones I can think of offhand. Weird. [/QUOTE] Skiers, figure skaters, speed skaters, snowboarders, surfers, …hmm, but they’re all riding the thing they -er. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/15 "2007-07-13T13:17:10Z")
With Henry and Drogba off a bit last year due to injuries, I would say either Messi or Christiano Ronaldo as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/16 "2007-07-13T16:59:29Z")
Well any votes for Messi definitely go up after the recent Arg - Mex game. Cool! Is Ronaldinho out of favor these days? ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-currently-playing-footballer/411266/17 "2007-07-14T05:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] … and Drogba off a bit last year due to injuries … [/QUOTE] Huh? Drogba was the Premier League’s top goal scorer, and he won the African Footballer of the Year this past year. It was his best year ever.