Is Beckham the most overrated soccer player - even athlere - of all time?

[DAF86]

Beckham has never been a top ten player in the world.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I don't know if he's the most overrated ever, but he's damn near close.

Like other people have said already, the only thing Beckham was very good at was set pieces. Other than that he was average to good.

Now, that's fine. It makes for a very effective weapon, but nowhere near elite or Top Ten. The fact some here even consider the possibility of him being a top ten player of the world shows how wildly overrated he is.

Part of this comes from him being the captain of a remarkable Man U team no doubt. Much like the some of the hype Barca players get just for being part of the success the team is enjoying.

[ogait]

Beckham has never been a top ten player in the world.

So the 2 times he was runner up in the FIFA world player of the year there were always 9 players who deserved it more than him?

[ElNono]

So the 2 times he was runner up in the FIFA world player

He never had a shot...

[ElNono]

Beckham has never been a top ten player in the world.

[ogait]

He never had a shot...

To be number 1 yeah.
In fact even those second places were better than what he deserved imo.
But he definitely was a top 10 player back then.

[ElNono]

To be number 1 yeah.
In fact even those second places were better than what he deserved imo.
But he definitely was a top 10 player back then.

He had those nominations because he was the #1 marketable player in the world at the time. Skills or talent had nothing to do with it. I can list you 10 players better than him then, EASILY.

Just off the top of my head in no particular order:
1) Ronaldo
2) Rivaldo
3) Zidane
4) Del Piero
5) Figo
6) Bergkamp
7) Baggio
8) Edgar Davids
9) Thuram
10) Maldini

[FkLA]

Beckham being a top ten player at any point in his career

Juninho Pernambucano was just as good if not better than Beckham at set pieces during his prime and he never got close to as much attention or praise. His off-field celebrity and his looks contributed alot to his hype. As well as being English, those s love to hype up their players...Lampard has a couple of Top 3 FIFA player of the yr finishes under his resume and he was never even the best player on his own Chelsea team during those years tbh.

[FkLA]

[ElNono]

Roberto Carlos was amazing at the time taking freekicks, and he could also play a lot better than Beckham...

[DAF86]

So the 2 times he was runner up in the FIFA world player of the year there were always 9 players who deserved it more than him?

I don't know if they deserve it more, but I know for damn sure that there were at the very least 10 better players than him in the world. From the Man U alone I can think of Scholes and Giggs. FIFA World player is kinda like the MVP award, not always it goes to the best layer in the league. To me the MVP award for Rose was fair, but no in no way I think he's the best player in the World, not even in the top 5, maybe not even in the top ten.

[ElNono]

I mean, it wasn't just Beckham that was severely overrated with a nomination to that award. The second time he was runner up, the top 3 were: Figo, Beckham and... Raul(!!!!!!!!!!)

I can probably find 20 players better than Raul at that time.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I mean, it wasn't just Beckham that was severely overrated with a nomination to that award. The second time he was runner up, the top 3 were: Figo, Beckham and... Raul(!!!!!!!!!!)

I can probably find 20 players better than Raul at that time.

this guy is even more overrated then beckham

[ogait]

It's like people haven't seen him play when he cared about being a football player more than his career off the court.

And yes he had a lot more to his game than just free kicks. He was probably the best passer/crosser in the world, he could put the ball wherever he wanted, he was also one of the best long distance shooters not just in free kicks. Just because he wasn't your traditional winger who does flashy dribbles doesn't make him less of a player, if anything makes him more valuable because there are a lot of those and very few like Beckham.

Anyway, he then became e boy, cared more about modelling and publicity then the sport and went to the US to play retirement football. It's kind of easy to forget his young days after that.

[Muser]

Beckham was overrated by dumbass Americans when he went to LA Galaxy, gots thinking he would make the game as popular as it is in the rest of the world. All for his of a wife.

[MannyIsGod]

Beckham was overrated by dumbass Americans when he went to LA Galaxy, gots thinking he would make the game as popular as it is in the rest of the world. All for his of a wife.

He's actually done really well to build up the MLS. He was the start of the DP and has been a huge draw from the MLS in every city the Galaxy go to. He probably was overrated but the signing has been great for the Galaxy and the MLS.

[cheguevara]

Beckham was never even at any point the best player in England. I blame the movie Bend it like Beckham. Great movie, ty player

[Muser]

He's actually done really well to build up the MLS. He was the start of the DP and has been a huge draw from the MLS in every city the Galaxy go to. He probably was overrated but the signing has been great for the Galaxy and the MLS.

Really? Didn't the US public fall out of favor with him when he started ing about wanting to go back to Europe?

Beckham was never even at any point the best player in England. I blame the movie Bend it like Beckham. Great movie, ty player

Just before and during the 2002 world cup Beckham was at his peak and easily the best player in the England team.

[ElNono]

It's like people haven't seen him play when he cared about being a football player more than his career off the court.

And yes he had a lot more to his game than just free kicks. He was probably the best passer/crosser in the world, he could put the ball wherever he wanted, he was also one of the best long distance shooters not just in free kicks. Just because he wasn't your traditional winger who does flashy dribbles doesn't make him less of a player, if anything makes him more valuable because there are a lot of those and very few like Beckham.

Anyway, he then became e boy, cared more about modelling and publicity then the sport and went to the US to play retirement football. It's kind of easy to forget his young days after that.

Meh... I gave him credit for that. As I said, he probably was the best long ball shooter out there, maybe ever. The way soccer is played in England (header heavy), it's no surprise he was was king, and vastly overrated there.

He just didn't do anything else on the pitch that was noteworthy. Average defense, couldn't dribble past anybody, not really a leader...

His way to market himself outside the pitch is certainly remarkable too though.

[lefty]

Roberto Carlos was amazing at the time taking freekicks, and he could also play a lot better than Beckham...

Sinisa Mihailovich is also a free kicks legend

[MannyIsGod]

Really? Didn't the US public fall out of favor with him when he started ing about wanting to go back to Europe?

There's always people who have been annoyed but people are far more annoyed now when the LA Galaxy come to town and he's not suited up. There was a big fuss because they sat him a few weeks ago and the ticket holders for the home team (I can't remember who it was at this point) felt robbed by not being able to see him play.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

He was a good player but he was also overrated, there are many better players that didn't get a quarter of Beckham's hype and attention. The only thing at which Beckham was elite was at set-pieces, then he was good/average at everything else.

Read somewhere that over 60 percent of goals are scores off corner kicks and free kicks. We shouldnt downplay someone that can give you an opportunity to score at these opportune times.

[sefant77]

Lets say every single british soccer player is overrated...

[dunkman]

England had great chances in Corea-Japan '02, but Beckham lost the ball in the mid-field and Ronaldinho dribbled it all the way down to help put Brazil ahead.

I was surprised to see Beckham lose the ball like that, first because he looked limited in talent and then no player is ever afraid of injury playing in World Cup. If if he didn't want to enter firmly to fight for the ball, he should have later at lest tackled the Brazilian or pulled his shirt, I never saw something like that at World Cups in knock out phase.

That being said, I think that Beckham was really good but not quite elite and he was overrated. He was signed by Real Madrid to sell merchandise and popularize the team in Asia (which they did). Madrid actually needed an defensive midfielder.

Man-U didn't want to let him go at the start of the negotiations, so Madrid had to offer an mountain of money and that's how he became a legend. Should have Ferguson believed him to be irreplaceable, Manchester definitely had resources to keep him.

After his departure Manchester United continued winning and Real Madrid not any-more.

[Muser]

After his departure Manchester United continued winning and Real Madrid not any-more.

That has less to do with Beckham leaving and more to do with the fact that United are the Lakers of the EPL.