What's your take on being 'World class'?

I've just read Stuart Broad calling himself World class for the last 8 years and someone described Diego Jota as World class this week.

Now for me, you have to be the best in the world in your position. To get in a World 11 as your craft.

The term is bandied about far too easy.

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:35 am

What's your take on being 'World class'?

I've just read Stuart Broad calling himself World class for the last 8 years and someone described Diego Jota as World class this week.

Now for me, you have to be the best in the world in your position. To get in a World 11 as your craft.

The term is bandied about far too easy.

For me world class has always been about, would this player get into the best teams in the world. If they do they are world class.

For example would Salah get into city’s team, if so then yes he is world class

For me it means if there was a ‘world team’ then the player in question could belong to that team. I think it is a phrase over used and part of sports tendency to over exaggerate.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:39 am

For me world class has always been about, would this player get into the best teams in the world. If they do they are world class.

For example would Salah get into city’s team, if so then yes he is world class

It's hard to find a team Salah wouldn't get into. Salah is World class in my eyes.

For me it's consistency.
Anyone can have a great game occasionally, but the true greats do it all the time.

Someone can be world class as stated above with Salah but I also believe it’s used when someone’s actions are world class.

A goal could be up there, or a performance of skill etc.

Doesn’t mean the person is world class but perhaps the thing being described would be something you normally see by the very best of the game.

It then comes back to the consistency of these actions to make the player world class.

Roger Eli

It is a talksport favourite along with “big club”. No two people have the same definition so we can argue all day.

Just give you my slightly different spin. I think they need to be influential on the biggest stages for a longtime.

The world team is 11 players but there may be 5 world class strikers at the moment and no world class goalkeeper. It shouldn’t depend on what other players play your position.

Also the bar moves depending on context. At the World Cup any players who have a good tournament can claim to be world class.

Like I said a word for Talksport loves cos we will all argue. Back to the OP Broad has had a world class career as has Anderson. However they are probably well past their very best.

Broad is world class. Not sure about that interview though, I sort of like it but at the same time I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do when you still want to play

This is the last FIFA XI as picked by 19k professional players for the 20/21 season

Ignoring the very disjointed formation so they could shoehorn certain players in, then you'd struggle to replace many of them with someone else.

If it means being in a world team, then what competition would that team play in? The inter-planetary cup for the James T Kirk Trophy? Obvious nonsense. Each nation already choose who they think are world class and they are the people who are picked for the national teams.
Simple really.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:39 am

For me world class has always been about, would this player get into the best teams in the world. If they do they are world class.

For example would Salah get into city’s team, if so then yes he is world class

I’m sort of with this. My own take is squad though not team. If you were to put together a squad of players, would the player make it. If yes, then he’s world class.

For example of why I go with a squad, if messi and ronaldo played in the same position only one would be world class, and that wouldn’t be correct.

There will be other (better) examples but I’m sure you get my meaning.

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:05 am

I’m sort of with this. My own take is squad though not team. If you were to put together a squad of players, would the player make it. If yes, then he’s world class.

For example of why I go with a squad, if messi and ronaldo played in the same position only one would be world class, and that wouldn’t be correct.

There will be other (better) examples but I’m sure you get my meaning.

He said teams not team

Chobulous wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:53 am

If it means being in a world team, then what competition would that team play in? The inter-planetary cup for the James T Kirk Trophy? Obvious nonsense. Each nation already choose who they think are world class and they are the people who are picked for the national teams.
Simple really.

For me, doesn’t matter who the “opposition” would be. They don’t need to be in a competition. Put together a team or a squad consisting of the best players in the world, then that’s world class.

Each nation choose the best in their own nation not who they think is world class. They can only choose their own nationality. That’s national class for international competition. Would england choose Sterling over Messi? Clearly not. They couldn’t and they wouldn’t.

taio wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:06 am

He said teams not team

He did, but that’s why I said I was “sort of” with it.

Man City are one of the best teams in the world, but clearly john stones isn’t world class. Clearly Raheem Sterling isn’t world class. You can pick a few more from city who aren’t world class, like you can with Barca and RM but they still play for one of the worlds best teams.

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:51 am

fifpro_starting-xi_men-s_new_3.jpg

This is the last FIFA XI as picked by 19k professional players for the 20/21 season

Ignoring the very disjointed formation so they could shoehorn certain players in, then you'd struggle to replace many of them with someone else.

Don’t think Messi and Ronaldo can be considered world class any more.

I usually think of a player (in any sport) being in the top 10 in their position/ranking as being world class.

If you're the 10th ranked tennis player or boxer in the world, then you're clearly world class.

So for football, I think of the top 10 keepers, top 10 left backs, top 10 right backs and so on, as being world class.

In the Premierleague this is who I think is WORLD CLASS

Goalkeepers: De Gea, Ederson.

Defenders: Dias, Varane, Van Dijk, Cancelo.

Midfield: KDB, Fernandes, Kante, Jorginho, Bernardo Silva

Forward : Ronaldo , Kane, Salah , Mane , Jota

Top 2/3 players at any position on the pitch

For me footballers before 2007 were world class. Only a handful since. Could list players in most top half teams as being world class. Hard pressed now