I know but he was a phenom, Iniesta is a special player, but Ronaldo at 20 was already the best player in the world, at his peak i cant say Iniesta was better however short lived it was.
Iniesta - Is there another? | Announces retirement
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I know but he was a phenom, Iniesta is a special player, but Ronaldo at 20 was already the best player in the world, at his peak i cant say Iniesta was better however short lived it was.
More like they underrate him, most talented player of the last 20 years.
No they don't. Compared to his peers, his stats, trophies and time at the top do not particularly stand out. Excellent for 3 years, was never the same after the injury. Plus Klose will take the record in Brazil this year (knock on wood)
Compared to who?
Sorry but excellent for 3 years is wrong, to put it into perspective, in 96 he was arguably the best around, by 2004 he was still up there with the best. He was never the same after injury, but still better than every other footballer alive, that shows how good he was, will be a long time before we see a player who can combine his technical skills with his physical attributes, long time.
And is Klose even going to Brazil this year?
stats are so overrated. saying that his stats and trophies of his time don't stand out, i'd completely disagree with that anyways. Cristiano recently matched Ronaldo's goals total, but ronaldo did it in 30 or so less games then cristiano, this is even considering how short Ronaldo's prime was and how injury riddled he was for a good 6 or so years.
ronaldo at his height was unstoppable, he was iniesta in terms of dribbling but more powerful then aguero, and faster then robben, and a genius shooter. there's almost no comparision to that. It's unstoppable in full motion.
wondering about the thread title, iniesta, is there another... i think there is one geniunely. Mateo Kovacic can become as good if not better then iniesta imo, though he might lack that signature grace that iniesta has, his tempo is different, and arguably more effective.
See hyperbole isn't helping you here.
I believe he (Klose) is going. He's been decent for Lazio.
Well it's a bit like when Zidane was at his peak. He was so gorgeous to watch that his elegance on the ball, in many people's eyes, trumped the match-winning efficiency of Ronaldo and Rivaldo.
Without a doubt.
He was pretty good in 2003 tbh, the year he scored the hat trick against United at Old Trafford and won the Pichichi. There might have been a handful of players better at best, but he was still up there, even after all the injuries he had.
I bet you he won't.
Malva is obsessed with Kovacic.
Genius! 
Ronaldo was something special. His level was that that players like iniesta can only dream of.
Ronaldo lost his speed because of the injuries. Although he was fast, he wasn't electric anymore. It was an instant and clear decline. It didn't take years of partying or anything like that. Even in the world cup he won for brazil it was clear that the phenomenon was no more and all we had was a cheap imitation.
He's a genius of a footballer but he's no dinho, zizou, rivaldo, baggio, henry and romario. Let's not get carried away.
i'm utterly convinced in his talent. i don't obsess over him, but i bring him up whenever i find him relevant.
It's not so much that I'm saying Iniesta is better than Ronaldo, more that if my life depended on a player performing on a big occasion then I'd go with Iniesta every time. Similarly I'd want Roy Keane on my team too, despite other players actually being better than him. Some people are just born winners who get the best from everyone around them.
Iniesta is better than Ronaldinho, Rivaldo or Henry imo. Zidane is a closer comparison but I prefer Iniesta style-wise. I haven't ever really seen enough of Baggio or Romario to make a proper comparison but unless they're above Zizou's level...
Take it you haven't seen much of Daehli.
They aren't above Zizou's level! I tend to agree about Iniesta, he is very near Zizou in every aspect except that Iniesta has way more success in club-football.
Most of those players are forwards...
How can you compare a midfielder to a striker? Obviously he'll never match their goals records or stats.
But what I will say is that Iniesta has had more of an impact in big games and massive world and european finals than all those players except Zidane.
Okay now I'm thinking you're just a troll account.
He's currently a million miles away from Iniesta. He's pretty irrelevant until he even gets near to being one of the top midfielders around. I personally don't think he'll ever be recognised as even a top young talent unless he leaves Inter.
I'm sure some would argue that Iniesta was in a better side than Zidane though. That said, the fact that Iniesta pretty much embodies everything that's great about that Barca team makes me think it's more a case of others benefiting from his presence rather than him benefiting from theirs.
Agreed
The Zidane of his generation
Zidane could do everything Iniesta does but without the pace or acceleration. He was a genius. His game was based on technique he rarely had to use his physicality or power. He was also badass. None of the rolling on the floor or moaning to the ref you see from La Liga players when you breathe down their necks. He made Ronaldinho, Kaka, Fat Ronaldo look like pub players in that quarter final.
The guy retired at the right time. When he realised he couldn't do it week in week out. He didn't want to have a good 90 minutes every 2 months like certain legends.
The guy retired at the right time. When he realised he couldn't do it week in week out. He didn't want to have a good 90 minutes every 2 months like certain legends.
And then some.
More consistent, hard-working and more successful.
a million miles? i'll completely disagree with you. He's close to being one of the top midfielders in the world right now. He just needs to be in a team that will use him as he deserves to be used. Mazzarri is a talent killer.
I agree, a friend who doesn't watch football asked me to give him a player who sums up the game, the essence of football and I chose Iniesta. Messi is so efficient it almost loses it's fun with him. But Iniesta......
Yep, before injuries he was the best about, we will never know what happened in '98 completely, but he carried that Brazil team. After the injuries he had to change his game but I would say only Henry was on his level (and he still shaded it for me) as a striker. He had EVERYTHING, really a shame that we never got to see the best of him for his whole career. The injures he came back from and still managing to have a great career say a lot about him.
Mentioned nothing about stats. Simply saying they were better players. If you disagree, then fair enough.
Mats moller is an extreme talent. Ask anyone who saw him when he was here and they'll tell you. He's exactly like him. The calmness in tight spaces, the twists and turns and the technical skill. He has it all to be as good as him one day.
Still waiting for that white text B20 was talking about...
That physcality helped him standout, he definitely had to use it. That combination of technique and size/power is extremely rare. He was able to make the game easier for those who played with him because he could use his technique and close control to keep the ball longer and his big body to take the bumps and give it to teammates in more space. He was able to ride tackles and challenges in a way Iniesta could only dream of.
That being said, in terms of just watching a player go about their craft nobody does it for me like Zidane, Iniesta comes close and that finish yesterday was Zidane-esque a left foot piledriver. The elegance, skill, character Zidane played with. He coasted at Madrid, but when he wanted to step up and take over a game he could, testament to his ability.
The fact Iniesta has never had to be the standout best player on his team and lead them to success is the reason I wouldn't put him over Zidane. There isn't much in it between the two, Inesta has been more consistent than Zizou ever was. But Zidane has lit up the biggest games/tournaments in a way Iniesta hasn't.
Do you even know who I'm talking about?
At the moment, the one player that I regularly watch that comes closest to Iniesta's skillset and "style" is our good chap Thiago. He's not as enthralling (yet), but his passing accuracy and range as well as the way he often effortlessly dances around players after beating them with a body faint and nimble feet does resemble his former teammate.
All in all, Iniesta isn't quite on the same level as Zidane in my book, simply because nobody I've ever seen play is. In my eyes, Zidane is the embodiment of technical mastery and athletic elegance. The Roger Federer of football. Before the WC 2006, France without Zizou could barely string 3 passes together, but he carried them all the way to the final.
All in all, Iniesta isn't quite on the same level as Zidane in my book, simply because nobody I've ever seen play is. In my eyes, Zidane is the embodiment of technical mastery and athletic elegance. The Roger Federer of football. Before the WC 2006, France without Zizou could barely string 3 passes together, but he carried them all the way to the final.
Iniesta reminds me Michael Laudrup without the goals.
And without the assists, really. Don't think Iniesta's passing or vision is on the same level; it's his close control and dribbling in tight spaces where he exceeds Laudrup and many others.
He has more success in international football as well, Iniesta's Spain have won more big titles than Zizou's France. Thing is, he still has time to win more big tropheys.
Tbh, I don't think there is a single aspect of football in which Iniesta is better than Laudrup. I can understand everyone not agreeing with this but for me Laudrup was easily a better player than him.