If you watch youtube videos of Ney and Ronaldinho you’ll see they provided magic on the pitch.
Their heads
Brazilian tax (partying tax + injury tax)
https://youtu.be/Syov96KJUZU?si=CJ2o1Vpv-YkipcfW
Alfie made a Video about Brazilians burning out faster
criteria to consider GOAT level changes over time, for example people nowadays shout “consistency” is a key factor but they still dont know how to measure it
ronaldinho got to GOAT levels and was/is in the GOAT conversation, its just there have been better players before so he will never be top 1 - arguably there have only been one better player than him after he retired
under this “consistency” label, people will say he lacked commitment or whatever, but forget that the guy won literally everything, so there was no need for him to keep pushing it after 10 years of amazing career
imagine: you are an outstanding young player, that even maradona invite you to play with him and says that you are truly great, you win copa america, you win world cup, you win national leagues, you win continental cups, you win ballon d’or, you are recognised as the best footballer in the world, as the face of football and SOME RANDOM LOSER THAT NEVER EVER KICKED A BALL PROPERLY WITH A COMPUTER IN REDDIT COMES AND SAYS THAT YOU LACKED DRIVE AND COMMITMENT because you didnt keep playing for another 10 years with the same intensity after achieving everything there is to achieve
its laughable
neymar got unlucky with injuries and not winning WC2014
in my book: quality >>>>>> consistency
Commitment and consistency. Both awesome is bursts, but both could go missing for whole games. Neither of them bosses it got a whole season, never mind consecutive seasons. They just aren’t the complete package needed to be considered the GOAT
Longevity
Lack of discipline.
I feel like in Ronaldinho’s case the problem is longevity. Watching Ronnie in his prime was like watching a master magician at work - his unrivalled ball control, dribbling and tricks were awe inspiring and left people dumbfounded wondering how the hell he could have pulled off some of the outrageous stuff he did with the ball at his feet. I think the thing I really enjoyed most about watching him play was the fact that he never seemed to take it too seriously and just seemed to have fun - almost like a kid playing in the garden with their buddies. He was essentially the epitome of what Brazilian football is, or at least was, about.
At the time of his prime he was actually considered by some to be the best player of all time. After 2006 though he just kinda started to drop off.
Neymar I feel had a similar talent but since leaving Barca for PSG his career has just been plagued by inconsistency and I just feel like he never really fully realised that potential he once had. No doubt he’s a fantastic player but he could’ve been so much more.
Messi is just literally everything you could possibly want in an attacking football player. Playmaker, goalscorer he’s got it all. The full package. Even at 36 and after doing it for as long as he has he’s still doing his thing and doesn’t even look like he’s lost a beat in all of them years.
All of them are talented players in their own way but Messi’s longevity and consistency over an extremely long and decorated career is what sets him above the others imo.
longevity and stats