Despite Messi, Zidane's still modern football's greatest

Wonder strike: Hampden Park

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Lionel Messi is beyond realistic criticism. He’s a great player. Period.

He was the first to score 5 in a single Champions League game, breached the Brazil defence for a hat-trick - in Brazil, broke Gerd Muller's 40-year record scoring 91 in a single calendar year and claimed a fourth FIFA ballon d'or in the process.

I've had the good fortune of watching him play live. He scored in both games; from the spot in a routine home league win over Almeria and that mesmerising strike thumped into Manchester United's net at Wembley in the Champions League Final.

Show me the medals. Zizou's got the lot.

Messi's magnificent, with speed, strength, intelligence, quick feet, pace and power - but still I remember Zinedine Zidane as the greatest player I've ever seen.

Because for all Messi's brilliance and I grant you, he still has most of his career ahead of him, he's got a way to go to match the majesty and drama of football's most decorated Frenchman.

I saw Zidane play five games: twice for Real Madrid and three times for his country. In three of those games and without any recourse to superlatives or exaggeration, Zizou produced iconic moments to be remembered for decades as the fans in the stadia held their collective breaths.

Not even Giggs could stop it.

Take Lisbon's Stadium of Light for starters; England's opening game of EURO 2004. Boosted by 75% of the crowd in the best atmosphere I've yet experienced, England were in control as Lampard's first half header should've sufficed for victory.

The crowd had bayed Thierry Henry out of contention and Boy Wonder Rooney was up for it. Then he got subbed and the energy changed in the cauldron.

Step upto the plate, Zinedine Zidane who's superficial calm masked a volcanic temperament. He flashed the ball into the net from a brilliant free-kick, then struck a penalty to turn the game on its head in injury time. I watched the silvery ball's trajectory flash into the net - trouble was, so did hapless David James.

Then there's That Hampden Strike. Roberto Carlos hooked the ball high into the sky in a final attempt to keep possession amid a high challenge from a Bayer defender. Watching it speed downwards like a squash player ready with his racket, Zizou struck it left footed with expert precision, curling, speeding into the top corner. Keeper no chance. It'll never be forgotten.

Then there's the World Cup Final in Berlin. What he did as the curtain fell on his brilliant career is viewed as such a stain. But there was more to his performance in that 90 minutes than that.

His nonchalant penalty with almost demob happy laissez-faire, struck the crossbar and over the line to give France the lead. Let's not forget, he joined Sir Geoff Hurst in scoring three goals in the World Cup Final.

Messi's ecstatic celebration at Wembley

No one could predict what happened later - and when it did, most in the Olympic Stadium wouldn't see it.

Startling. Off the ball. An exchange of words. In cricket, sledging. The headbutt into the chest of Marco Materazzi. I admit the first I saw of it was when Italy keeper Gigi Buffon remonstrated with the French strikers near to him seconds later.

As he traipsed off, round shouldered down into the dressing rooms sweeping past the Trophy, with it France's edge in the impending penalty shootout was lost too.

Shameful end; but not altogether incongruous with his whole career. And still, it makes not a jot to how I perceive him. In fact, it adds dimension and context to his greatest moments. And while Messi's brilliance lights up a match in milliseconds, Zidane's range of personalities makes him modern football's greatest. My best since Maradona.

Messi is a product of a generation of team players. The best of the bunch for sure.

So would I change my view? Not now. Messi couldn't produce a World Cup like Maradona's blistering one-man show in 1986 (and to a lesser extent in 1990), couldn't marry it with his stratospheric club career. He's not surpassed Zidane or Maradona.

But Zidane the loner, Zidane the volcano, Zidane, decorated from top to bottom for both club and country trumps the Argentine for greatness - so far.

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Hodgson's choice is good for EURO 2012

England's opening match in the Championship, a one-all draw with France shows us the pragmatism that Roy will deploy against quality opposition.

France will be around later in the tournament, but the England boss knows we'll have to play to our strengths if we want to be there with them.

City Slicker beats City Slacker: 1-nil England!

The draw extended France's unbeaten run to 22 against an England boss with just three matches and ten training sessions under his belt.

Sure we surrendered territory at the end of each half. They're practiced, experienced, continuous, confident and very, very good.

But England's hard workers didn't flinch, and when French relentlessness opened us up, there was Joe Hart to quell danger wholeheartedly.

This is going to be a recurrent pattern for Roy the realist, who's track record of producing difficult to beat sides must be how it is until we grow to his ultimate gameplan.

And it's not all pie and mash football: Roy's willing to pull a few rabbits out of the hat too. He's sprung surprises with his selections and has the unknown quantity in the back of his mind: Oxlade-Chamberlain and Welbeck showed that.

Hodgson's right; we will get better, but while we're not, this England fan would rather us win then go home with the tabloids screaming down his neck.

It's Sweden and Ukraine next - neither of them strike fear into our hearts. Come on England and well done Roy's boys.

France, the new Netherlands!

What other conclusion can seasoned football watchers come to? - explusions, resignations and treachery! say au revoir mondial, France!

It used to be the preserve of Holland. Edgar Davids was sent home from Euro 96 and Johann Cruyff refused to play in 1978. The Dutch regularly descended from Total Football to Total Disintegration.

Before kick-off, South Africa's biggest contribution was the vuvuzela, but they raised their game against a disillusioned, dysfunctional French, finalists only four years ago and World and European Champions at the turn of the century.

Jonny Hart's report also includes a rallying cry from Frank Lampard as England face a do or die final group game with Slovenia.

World Cup 2010 Day 12 Evening Update

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Thierry Le Cunt Henry, the handball cheat!

Ah, Wikipedia: the democratic doyenne of world enlightenment and knowledge. An Open Source tool giving everyone the ability to update encyclopedia entries immediately. But sometimes, accurate information gives way to emotional outrage.

Thierry Henry's not popular after twice handballing France to victory over the Republic of Ireland to secure a place in the World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Here's his Wikipedia entry. His mum won't be proud of him  :(

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Irish and French football fallout!

The Republic of Ireland play France tomorrow evening. A huge match to decide which one will go forward to next summer's World Cup in South Africa.

If you read any big game preview ahead of this international weekend, it's gotta be this one!

It involves Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President.

Sometimes the anticipation of a game is better than the 90 minutes itself. Whatever happens tomorrow night, this is an example of it!

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