Messi just scored a hat trick for Argentina while people are debating whether Portugal might do better in the tournament without Ronaldo.

6M - indeed re Best and Moore. I used to watch Fulham a lot from about 1972 to 1977, so I saw them with Best, Moore and Rodney Marsh all in the same team just after the Alan Mullery era. Even at the time it was quite something to see these guys on the pitch together, and it seems even more amazing with passing years…

True - Zidane is also one of the best ever players and rightly should be up there. This obsession in recent times on scoring goals as being all there is ends up with someone like Haaland, who isn’t a world class footballer as such, getting more media attention than players like Zidane who was genuinely world class as a player

Then there's Zidane as well, but everyone seems to forget about him

I think one thing I’d throw in is that Pele and Maradonna (and I believe the likes of Moore, Cruyf and Beckenbauer) would happily talk about who they rated themselves. Maradona often said Best was his inspiration. It feels like you rarely get that kind of discussion these days among the top level.

I’d rather have Messi in my team than Ronaldo so that makes him the better player for me.

If it was framed as 'tell us which player you most like' it would be much better. I'd go for Cruyff having seem him in real life a couple of times but I wouldn't claim him as best of all time.

The GOAT question is both futile as in nobody can know and fun as it is totally subjective anyway (teams played for and against, quality of pitches played on, amount they were on television to be seen, age of person forming opinion, etc). If you only saw Best and Moore play for Fulham you wouldn't think much of them as both were totally past it by then. I'm too young to remember Best and Pele in their prime and only have the odd television clip to go on. Often people confuse best player at present with GOAT. Maradona in 1986 was the best I've seen because I saw him a lot on television, especially at the 1986 world cup, but I've no idea if he was better or worse than those in years gone by or today.

Said to the missus last night when they were raving about Mbappe passing Giroud's record and going within two of Klose that Messi was still around...

Morgan Williams gone to Harrogate

Totally agree. There is no single GOAT in any sport. Every generation throws up a few freaks that stand out. And yeah the obsession with positions is a pain in the butt. Players like Neuer and Buffon have been every bit as instrumental in their teams’ successes. And Neuer was a massive part in the change in goalkeeping expectations and approach in the last 20 years.

Lurker - it is just the stupidity of the question that gets me. There is no way to decide on the best footballer of all time. Apparently they have to be an attacker or attacking midfielder though.

Nick/Bert - Marcus Gayle?

OI but could Messi perform like that on lumpy, dirt/sand/is that actually grass? pitches while still drunk and shagged out from the night before like George Best could. And in an age where defenders could literally kick players up in the air just because and refs were “play on” about it?

I thought Iraq looked decent in the first half and the world’s slowest back pass was effectively an own goal. Not really created by Norway.

Wasn’t Gunter specifically there as cover and an extra coach - seem to remember he moved straight into coaching when he left us

Chris Gunter went with Wales in 2022, but didn't play in any of their three matches.

Sullivan was at the 98 World Cup with Scotland but didn’t actually play.

Shane Smeltz the only (ex) AFC Wimbledon player (before yesterday) to play in the World Cup?

OI-indeed, the basic answer is there wasn’t so much TV coverage in those days, why Hereford v Newcastle is always on and Burnley v Wimbledon isn’t when giantkilling is discussed

I can sense it being a frustrating game tonight. Be interesting to see if Tuchel needs to change things up at some point similar to how Deschamps did for France last night. Slow, pedestrian passing is all fine and well for a while to tire opposition players and get settled into a game, but I don’t want to see that on 86 minutes at 0-0.

OI - yes, just far, far too many to list

Apparently 80% of people in a BBC poll consider Messi to be the greatest footballer of all time. I'd be interested in their detailed comparisons as to why he is better than Puskas or Di Stefano for instance.

Don’t know how good Croatia are these days, but I’m guessing it’ll be a close game…

You could always link your moral to football SB, to avoid accusations of politicisation.