Using technology, an attempt was made to determine which of these footballers would have been considered the best if they had been contemporaries.
Determining the best footballers in history is already a challenging task due to the subjectivity that some may apply to the answer. If the stakes are raised to decipher who was the best of all time, the situation becomes even more complex. However, a simulation attempted to settle the debate.
The YouTuber Ramman, who has more than 34,000 subscribers on the video platform, used the Career mode of the famous video game EA SPORTS FC24 and simulated entire seasons over 10 years with Diego Maradona and Pelé at Barcelona and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. In this way, he observed who stood out in each season and who was the best.
Between 2024 and 2033, both teams competed in local and international leagues, and also participated in competitions with their respective national teams. Both squads won a large number of trophies, and during this period, Maradona was clearly the most outstanding of the four participants, obtaining seven Ballon d’Or awards.
“After 10 years of simulation, Diego Maradona is the best player in the world. Alongside Pelé, they won this challenge, although they could not win the Champions League,” Ramman said once the simulation concluded. The most curious fact is that Cristiano Ronaldo managed to win the 2030 World Cup and eliminated Argentina in the round of 16.
The results of the simulation between Messi, Cristiano, Maradona, and Pelé
The first Spanish league in EA SPORTS FC24 was won by Real Madrid, with Messi as the top scorer with 26 goals, although Cristiano won the Ballon d’Or. From there, Maradona’s dominant run began, scoring 47 goals and leading Barcelona to the title, while Real Madrid lost the Champions League final.
After winning another two consecutive Ballon d’Or awards, Pelé took the title in 2028, despite Real Madrid winning the Champions League with Messi and Cristiano as stars. Between 2029 and 2032, Maradona regained the crown, and in the last season, he lost in the Champions League final against PSG by 3-2. Maradona’s unfulfilled dream.
