Although many people regard Messi as the greatest, there remains one individual whom he has yet to surpass.
The numbers and trophies suggest that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, but in terms of immeasurable value as an influence, Diego Maradona resides on another level.
The ongoing debate over who is the greatest player of all time (GOAT – Greatest Of All Time) has not reached a conclusive end, even though Messi has won the World Cup and completed his trophy collection.
However, has Messi truly surpassed the legacy of Diego Maradona? Zing recommends readers Felipe Cardenas’ article on Athletic discussing this never-ending controversial topic.
Messi is number one
Ultimately, Lionel Messi has achieved the long-awaited victory in the World Cup. Many believed that the World Cup was the final piece for Messi to officially become the greatest player in football history, and now that debate has also come to a close.
With the championship alongside the Argentina team, “El Pulga” has elevated his career accomplishments to unprecedented levels.
Immediately after the Finals concluded on Sunday, the question of whether Messi is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time – the greatest player of all time) has sparked intense discussion.
The legends, in turn, share words of admiration for Messi on social networks: Garry Lineker believes Messi is “an exceptional talent,” and according to Alan Shearer, Messi is “the greatest player ever born.” Tennis player Andy Murray also agrees that Messi is not only the best in the sport of kings but also the greatest sports player of all time.
The legacy of Maradona
Messi has elevated Argentine football to new heights. He is adored by millions of fans worldwide and is now widely recognized as an Argentine legend after years of tension, skepticism, and criticism from fans and the media alike.
As Hugo ‘El Loco’ Gatti shared on the El Chiringuito show in Spain, “Yes, for comparison, Messi is also very talented. But as I’ve said, Kylian Mbappe is the best player in the world with tremendous potential right now. They say I don’t like Argentina just because I speak my mind.”
According to the Argentine daily La Nacion, Gatti’s comments about Messi’s performance in the final were deemed “unreasonable.” Gatti is a goalkeeper who represented the Argentina national team in the 1960s and 70s, making 18 appearances.
He also played for rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate, and was named Argentina’s player of the year in 1982. He was the man standing in the Boca Juniors wooden frame on November 9, 1980 – the match that Boca lost 3-5 to Maradona’s Argentinos Juniors, and the “Golden Boy” scored 4 goals.
When asked if Messi has surpassed Maradona after winning the World Cup, Gatti probably spoke for the feelings of many Maradona fans around the world: “First, no one can surpass Pelé, and in Argentina, no one can beat Diego (Maradona). I don’t know if I’m speaking the objective truth, but this is my truth and it represents my football life.”
However, El Chiringuito is a popular show for Real Madrid fans. Hosts and guests often criticize Messi and Argentina during the 2022 World Cup journey.
Before the final between Argentina and France, they even forgave Mbappé after the transfer scandal with Real Madrid this past summer, and begged the French star to stop Messi from winning the World Cup.
Favors will probably always exist between those who have seen Maradona play at the top and those who see Messi as a “gold standard”.
After the 3-0 victory over Croatia in the semi-finals, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni did not hesitate to put Messi above Maradona: “Messi is the greatest player of all time. Sometimes this is said just because we are Argentinians, but I really believe it. I have no doubts at all.”
Coach Scaloni’s words to the press received strong objections from Angel Cappa – a domestic coach who has led many clubs in Argentina, a former assistant at Barcelona for Argentine legend César Luis Menotti in 1983. In an interview with Marca, Cappa pointed out that Scaloni’s comments were “exaggerated” and “lack of vision”.
Cappa said: “After (Alfredo) Di Stefano, Pelé, (Johan) Cruyff, and Maradona, now Messi fully deserves the 5th place in the world of football. I’m sure Scaloni wasn’t looking at Cruyff, Di Stefano or other players when he spoke. Messi is the greatest player in contemporary football, I agree, but of all time? Impossible, because the history of this sport is too great.”
If only based on the trophies, Messi certainly beats Maradona. And if we want to compare Messi and Maradona in terms of technical indicators: who touches the ball better, who is faster or who has a more accurate left foot, we will fall into subjective and emotional debates.
Telemundo columnist Andrés Cantor made an interesting point: “I think there should be no debate here because the comparison between these two eras and these two worlds of football is completely lame… Diego Maradona played on muddy pitches. He was cut in the knee, below the knee, hit the ball countless times and got up on his own. With the quality of the players playing today, Diego will become the best player in the world without a doubt.”
Cantor said that he was excited to watch Messi play and also called him the greatest player of the moment. However, he asserted: “For me, Diego is the greatest because of the elements in football at that time that I have just presented. Before that, there was also Pelé. If you want to argue about who is the greatest, you should also consider the different playing circumstances of each player.”
Maradona represents Argentina more than Messi.
Maradona is an icon for many Argentines, and now two years after Diego’s death, he is still the
More than 3 million people gathered in the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate Argentina’s World Cup victory. This might be what Messi desires, rather than the title of the greatest of all time. Photo: Reuters.
Maradona has spoken out against crimes and manipulations in Argentina throughout his life. For many years, he also exposed the corruption of FIFA and CONMEBOL, bringing joy to millions of football fans in Argentina and around the world.
In 2015, when the US Federal Prosecutor’s Office unveiled a large-scale corruption case involving FIFA officials, Maradona couldn’t hide his happiness. “They call me crazy, but I’m so glad that today the truth has come out and I’m enjoying it,” he said. When it comes to FIFA, there are still authorities that deserve support, but I will do my best to expose the wrongdoers here.
Maradona’s battle with drug addiction made him an imperfect individual but earned him more respect in the eyes of the Argentine people.
The undeniable facts and superior football skills have made Maradona a revered figure in Argentina, which is still heavily impacted by economic loss.
Maradona holds a sacred place symbolized by hope. Regardless of the enemies he had or the darkest moments of his life, he always had the support of his homeland’s people.
In Argentina, there is even a church named after Maradona where he is truly honored as a saint. This church has its own set of ten commandments and has over 500,000 followers worldwide.
After retiring from his career in 1997, Maradona never left the spotlight. He became a global presence during World Cups in South America, appeared on talk shows in Argentina and Italy, and later coached Messi and Albiceleste during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Maradona was a beloved pioneer to 45 million Argentines for decades. The debate “Messi or Maradona?” in Argentina often concludes with the phrase “Diego es Diego” (“Diego is still Diego”) and nothing more.
The question arising in the current circumstances is whether Messi will have a lasting and powerful influence on Argentine culture like Maradona after he retires and no longer scores goals or wins trophies. What Messi represents is mostly on the pitch. He has always been considered a gentle and quiet man.
However, in Qatar, Messi also had rebellious moments like Maradona. He provoked Dutch coach Louis van Gaal in the heat of the quarter-final and celebrated a goal right in front of the opponent’s bench.
Messi said after the game, “Van Gaal thinks he plays football beautifully, but what he does is put tall players on the field and play football.” Messi’s words went even further when he told Wout Weghorst, “What are you looking at, you idiot? Go away.”
Messi’s crude remarks quickly became famous. They were printed on t-shirts in Buenos Aires and Qatar. They represent Argentina’s direct attitude during this World Cup, which Argentine Vice President Cristina Kirchner called “very Maradona” in one of her Twitter posts.
Jorge Valdano, Maradona’s teammate in Mexico 1986, one of the scorers to help Argentina win the title after the victory over West Germany, also said before the 2022 World Cup Final: “Messi is doing ‘very Maradona’ things in this World Cup. He is trying to show the world the core values of football.
Messi has an abundance of energy, and he is squeezing the last drops of his talent. If you don’t like Messi, it means you don’t like football.”
That has always accompanied Messi’s career: the comparison with the great Maradona in terms of the sporting and cultural values.
