rio ferdinand takes on the ultimate football question of all time on his FB account :

" WORLD CLASS;

What equates to being world class??

Sir Alex Ferguson named 4 players from his time at MUFC as being 'world class' (where was mine among a few other names boss!!)

How does he judge a player to be world class?

Performing in the big games

Consistency

A high level of ability in all areas of the game

Great goalscorer

Great saves

Great tackler

Influential leader

Match winning contributor

That list could go on and on with many different areas to judge upon!

There is no common rule that serves up the criteria.

It's a great debate to have amongst friends - we've all done it!

Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo are all obviously world class players from different eras. They dominated games, leagues, tournaments with their skill, desire, goals & ruthlessness many a time....The one thing the guys all had was that no matter what situation they were in they found a way....to score, to drag their team forward, to prove their worth even when considered the best.

Above are some of the traits that a player needs to be considered world class...so what does a midfielder, a defender or a keeper need to be considered....

Can a midfielder run games consistently, can they score important goals, assists,carry the team, control games,be responsible, do they have the personality to take the ball in any situation at any time....

Can a defender dominate all types of strikers, can he influence others to perform better, are they vocal, a leader, do they have consistency, perform in big games, are they brave, can they play/pass...

Can a keeper make game changing saves, are they consistent, are they leaders, personality...

These are some of the things you would have to consider when calling someone world class.

Do you have to have performed well at major tournaments internationally as well as for your clubs?

What about a player like David Beckham....the best crosser of a ball I have ever seen or played with but dribbling & beating players were not part of his make up - does that rule him out of the world class debate??

Pirlo, a phenomenal passer of the ball, dictator of games but not a great tackler – so is he not a contender??

Do you have to be one of the best paid players in the world?

Samuel Eto'o held that title whilst in Russia, was he??

But more seriously, I do believe that a world class player must be someone who could walk into any team in the world & improve them. Of course the Ronaldos, Peles, Maradonas, Cruyffs, Messis & Cristiano Ronaldos would all do that no problem...

Ronaldinho was undoubtedly the best player in the world for a couple of years; the same would be said of Zidane, but no one before Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo has year in year out for the length of time they have
(7 to 8 years) been THE BEST...does that make them the greatest?

Anyway, the debate goes on...

Who is WORLD CLASS ?!?!?!

What is WORLD CLASS!?!?!?! "

a great debatable football topic by one of EPL great defenders.

come on guys , share your best arguments on this and also try to show us your list of world class players of all time and your greatest football player of all time from your perspectives .

"but no one before Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo has year in year out for the length of time they have (7 to 8 years) been THE BEST...does that make them the greatest?"

Well, not necessarily. Back in the days of Ronaldo O Fenomeno, he had players like Zidane, Ronaldinho, Maldini, Rivaldo, Beckham, Shevchenko and Figo to compete with. Which is also why they were all in the regular mix for the award, whereas for the last 8 years it's been just a question of whether or not it's Messi, and if not then it must have been Ronaldo.

See what I mean? ;) I'm not saying they should not be in the discussion for greatest ever (and Messi to me already is the best, talent-wise), just that this isn't necessarily proof of that.

Awesome thread though. :) Thank you for it!

But the players you have listed also have a visible lead over their compatriots. Zidane, Ronaldinho and Maldini are visibly better than Rivaldo and Figo, who are, in turn, a notch ahead of Shevchenko and Becks. You could argue similar things with Ronaldo and Messi being ahead of Xavi and Iniesta, who are in turn ahead of players like Zlatan and Kaka.

To me Beckham was world class, look at my AVA lolz.

He provided something out of ordinary <3... I know there are way more player with better technical abilities
But watching David was so enjoyable and you could always expect a jaw dropping delivery.... something we haven't seen recently since he retired. Of course there are good crosses everywhere game in game out, good freekick... BUT none are consistent enough to be come a trade mark.

David's balls were orgasms to the eyes (OK DONT read it the wrong way). That's alone were worth watching the match.

Of course he provided something out of ordinary... Damn those underpants are hella expensive $$$

On a serious note, David Beckham is a great player, but I think that he would have never been where he's at today if not for the selling looks. I wholeheartedly believe that Lamps is a better footballer but not everyone can have the looks amiright?

David Beckham: The great, talented footballer that was remembered for his modeling career ):

@tuan +1

It is just Scottish thing to be d*ck towards English players . Did not he throw shoe at Beckham and broke his eyebrow to blood while back during transfer to Real Madrid ? David was world class pro and like a man did not press charges while Victoria was pushing him to do so .

@madrista

So why did Real Madrid buy Beckham ? He became marketing tool later after leaving United during Madrid career because that is what Madrid does they turn their players into sock sellers /

His passing was sublime ! I still yet to know anyone who put the ball exactly where it needed to be every game ! Any one who came close to him was Figo but even that guy was still far .

He came second in world player on the year, he was UEFA footballer of the year once and UEFA midfielder of the year once he was in UEFA team of the year twice. He was pfa team of the year four time and also Real Madrid player of the year in a team of superstars.

Still not world class ? Eh

England suffered greatly when he left National team .

Oh please! You're making it look as if I'm degrading the man. He's probably the best passer I've seen. Ever. But would I ever pick him ahead of the guys SAF picked? Never.

He had everything a midfielder needed. His passing, curve, vision, flexibility (in the midfield position), and he was one of the best freekick takers of all time.

At the end of the day, it's all a matter of what we're discussing here. You tell me that Beckham is overrated and I might high-five you, IN THE FACE, WITH A BRICK. But when you compare him to other players, mainly ones that are greater, there's no doubt that he may not be included.

P.S I'm 100% with you when it comes to Real Madrid and their image outside of football, but you gotta admit that he was a marketing icon even before going to Madrid just like Ronaldo. Hell, he still would've been known as a model today even if he ended his career at UTD

Dat (P)ass though!

David Beckham? 2 attributes for him.. Accuracy/Precision long ball passing and dem Swingin' crosses.. WORLD CLASS imo.. no one can replace him nor can do as better as him..

These Spanish commentators so biased . I understand Spanish poorly but it was enough to know that they did not give a single deserved praise to Beckham's pass .

The questions is whether Beckham considered World Class . My answers : DEFINITELY YES !! Is he one of the greatest players , No . However , he is one of the greatest midfielders and I would have him in my team on any day !

You know this . With one pass , mate , with one pass he used to cut off entire mid and defense .

And that's exactly what I mean, mate. One of the all time greatest midfielders, but I dunno if we can say he was one of the best to ever grace the pitch.

And yes, the commentators are biased as sh!t...

Well... so much for C. Ronaldo not being a "world-class" player.

^ "There are of course special players, with such talent that they can make teams and fellow players better. These kind of players can influence a style of play or a team dynamic." -Jose Mourinho

plus a player backed by tap-in stats and minimum influence in winning trophies is not world class ;)

@Enjoyeer_RED

Cut the BS. You're full of it.

I can understand hating the guy (e.g. I hate Diego Costa), but I still don't understand why people cannot understand what they are watching. Ronaldo is on par with Messi, some years better, some years worse. Messi gets the "is he the greatest ever" chat. Ronaldo has to endure "is he even world class" arguments. I actually cannot comprehend this mindset.

Let me put it another way, regardless of who you think is better, it can generally be agreed that Messi and Ronaldo are comparable. If we compare Messi to Pele, Maradona, etc, and can attempt to make the argument that he is better than those legends, we both logically and in practice can make those same arguments with Ronaldo.

It is beyond absurd to say Ronaldo isn't world-class.

If we are talking overall career he is more than world-class, he deserves to be mentioned with the best of the best. BUT to me current form matters a LOT. With the way he is playing he isn't even top 3 right now. Seriously.