Q: Who is better Messi or Maradona A: Maradona. Yet, the Portuguese has been able to achieve international stardom and some incredible records. After Messis exceptional performance in the World Cup an old controversy continues. To answer that question, it might be useful to seek help from a Greek oracle, since both are, or were, in Maradonas case, exquisite players. He was a more creative forward who knew how to find the back of the net with accuracy and inspiration. Moreno Ocampo saw it while working on the trial depicted in "Argentina 1985. That's not quite true, to be fair; if 70 goals in 138 caps isn't 'doing it' then what is?, The criticisms aren't entirely without merit, however. If Argentina wins for the third time, he says, it'll be as good as Maradona or Messi scoring three goals in a game. 90min have done the work so you don't have to, and come up with the absolute, definitive guide on which left-footed magician should be considered the better player., We'll ease you in with the most obvious, most quantifiable factor before things go wildly off the rails. It seems almost every factor we consider has a caveat; Maradona might have been superior on the ball, but was less decorated;Messi scored more goals and won more trophies, but that could be down to his superior team-mates. "The Official Story" is about a middle-class Buenos Aires couple who realize that their illegally adopted child may have been born to one of the desaparecidas. Who is the only soccer player in the same league as Messi? Football has been around for more than a century but only a handful of players have been able to achieve legendary status while transcending through different generations of fans. "No one knew what this tribune would end up being like, whether it would be a total failure or a roaring success," says Raustiala. FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS. 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"But also because unconsciously we knew that if it was the case that we lost then Maradona would shoulder more of the burden, would be blamed more, than the rest of us. Maradona managed Messi with Argentina between 2008 and 2010 and never shied from speaking about Messi's status as a world-beater. Messi beats Maradona hands down if greatness is judged solely on numbers. Maradona won the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament at the 1986 World Cup. Diego Maradona's death at the age of 60 has reignited the debate. If VAR was available, it might have ruled out his 'header' to open the scoring in Argentina's 2-1 win, but that came only after he'd laid waste to the entire England midfield with his signature close control and low centre of gravity. No other footballer has earned so much during their career. MX23RW : Wednesday, March 1 21:25:10| >> :120:5639:5639: ID:423852:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:14064: Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox. In terms of pure skill Maradona was even more magical than Messi. His ball control, the precision of his shots and the things he did in training ar Messi has nearly 700 goals for club and country, whereas Maradona's total is 345. The pain that Maradona had to endure is remarkable, but he still managed to push his teams to glory. "Argentina 1985" recounts the actual testimony of a terrified pregnant woman who spontaneously gave birth after being tossed in the back of a police car. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a better pure goalscorer than Lionel Messi. WebThe other Ronaldo and Messi were brilliant teenagers but had nothing like the same impact at that age. The midfield maestro - who died in June - won the Argentine league in 1981 with Boca Juniors before moving to Barcelona. That's one reason why he was chosen to help create the International Criminal Court at The Hague and spent nine years as its chief prosecutor, then went on to teach at Stanford, Harvard and for the past three years at at USC. Despite having the pressure of the entire Real Madrid political setup and a huge transfer fee on his shoulders, Ronaldo was able to deliver admirable results at the Santiago Bernabeu. Football - Germany v Argentina - FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 - Final - Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 13/7/14, Argentina's Lionel Messi (L) in action with Germany's Toni Kroos, Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine. It is difficult to put a price on this contribution from Maradona, who is truly the greatest the world has seen. If Argentina wins for the third time, he says, it'll be as good as Maradona or Messi scoring three goals in a game. However, barring a dramatic turnaround to bounce back from opening day humiliation that Spain in 2010 have demonstrated is indeed possible, we might just have to find solace in the fact that 2014 will forever endure as Messi's finest ever World Cup. ESPN FCs Sid Lowe and Alejandro Moreno are charged with the age-old question of picking between two Argentinian greats Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. While Maradona was addicted to drugs, Messi is a clean player, with a normal family life. "Hes an icon. Messi is the first Argentine to captain the side to glory since Maradona Credit: AFP. They are both equally talented, each one a great player and both of them a glory to the game. You could say Napoli vs. Barcelona is the Maradona derby. What was the UN event representatives of Nithyanandas Kailasa attended? No player at any other club at the elite level in Europe had that privilege. On seeing this, those from the opposing team moved aside. This uptrend remains in place even into his mid-30s. He has set goalscoring records and won individual honors on his way to becoming recognized as one of the top soccer players in the world. If there's one non-negotiable differential, however, it's thatMaradona was capable not only of delivering himself, but of dragging his team-mates up a level (or ten). Please try again or choose an option below. "If you take the qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, put them together, then you'd have a player to compare to Pele!" View our online Press Pack. "A hat trick," he says. In Napoli, Maradona is still as revered as he is in Argentina, and portraits of him are placed throughout the city as if he were a saint, with candles under his picture. This story originally appeared And the system is so slow, and I only have four months. He was an unlikely choice as co-counsel to Julio Csar Strassera, the esteemed veteran barrister who mustered the gruesome evidence against Lt. Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla, Adm. Emilio Eduardo Massera, Brig.-Gen. Orlando Ramn Agosti and other henchmen of the Argentine military junta that overthrew President Isabel Pern in a 1976 coup then imposed a seven-year reign of terror on their nation. So if he were Merrick Garland, would he make the 45th U.S. president take the stand? WebHowever because of the emotional peaks associated with Maradona its difficult for Messi to compete when compared in terms of iconic status. Among the grief and adulation expressed after Diego Maradona's death, an age-old debate of who was the game's greatest player has been reignited. He did come close to winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2014 when the team finished as the runner-up. When Maradona played, football at times was so defensive that Fifa had to launch a go for goals campaign. As I said before: Maradona was a phenomenon in his own time but I doubt he'd have the mentality to play in the current era and make the lifestyle s Lionel Messi is an Argentina national team and FC Barcelona soccer player. For standing goals that he has scored throughout his career, Messi has been a disappointment at international level. How many records does Ronaldo have? That remains the last time they won the famous trophy, despite Messi having a few cracks at the whip since. How much money does Messi make a year at Barcelona? WebLong before it was 'Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?' The achievements set by Messi might never be equalled on several fronts. There is a huge drop in Messis goal tally for Argentina even when the team has been built to suit his personality. While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (37.9 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22. Who is the best player in Copa America history? Yet, this was not the case in the 1970s and 1980s when Maradona had to rely less on numbers from the lab. Messi's achievements are without parallel in world football and it is not even his debut season: he became the first player to score 100 or more goals in a single campaign when Barca beat Real Madrid 4-1 last month. Pictures would attest how Italian defender Claudio Gentile resorted to rugby tackles to stop Maradona during the 1982 World Cup. Footballing greatness is not judged purely on the number of goals scored and trophies won. But its a debate worth delving into. Csar Luis Menotti, who managed the Argentine team that won the 1978 World Cup defined Maradonas talent this way, I am always cautious about using the word geniusThe beauty of Diegos game has a hereditary element his natural ease with the ball- but it also owes a lot to his ability to learn: a lot of those brushstrokes, those strokes of genius, are in fact a product of his hard work. Incorrect password. One of the biggest letdowns for Messi has been his international career. Manage Settings Maradonas struggles had been immense. 17 Is Celtic Irish or Scottish? The PSG superstar helped end his nation's agonising 36 year wait to bring the gold home. I felt I was pick pocketing the English.. Diego Maradona claims that he was humiliated by Italian It's the last day of January, and just beyond the outdoor deck of a cliffside flat the Pacific shimmers like sheet metal. The 26-year-old already has five Ballons d'Or (World Player of the Year awards) and one FIFA World Cup winner's medal to his name.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3-0'); He is also the most expensive player in history when including transfer fees: 200 million ($272 million). Messi was coming through the ranks at Barcelona when the club was going through the highs of Ronaldinho. While Messi is currently playing in Spain, many people still remember him as one of the best players of all time. Alfredo Di Stefano and George Best never played at a World Cup. A true porteo (port-city person), the nickname given to Buenos Aires denizens, Moreno Ocampo is zealous about soccer and literature. He scored five goals and registered five assists as he inspired an otherwise unremarkable Argentina team to that 1986 win. 18 Who is the most capped Scottish footballer of all time? If just statistics are used to determine greatness, Messi comfortably outperforms Maradona. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining listicles. For Maradona, it was revenge after Argentinas defeat by the British in the Malvinas/Falklands war. First of all, the game was different in the 1980s and early 90s. Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona: Who had better World Cup stats in their prime? Apart from the Olympic success in 2008, Messi has had little joy while wearing the national team colours. The name Diego Armando Maradona is up there in the top few positions when it comes to a competition for the title of being the greatest footballer. And Luis has very strong opinions [about] where he thought I should go. Its not that simple. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Even the Ballon dOr awards were initially not focused on the Argentine, who was delivering the goods with the likes of Boca Juniors and Argentinos Juniors. 13 Who is faster Messi or Ronaldo? And it's clear from his remarks on the Oath Keepers and their ilk that he's been watching the damning facts pile up against Trump. Most of the success achieved by Maradona with his club or national teams was made possible even when they lacked a string of great players. I like this goal. https://t.co/6Qj2NKU7hN pic.twitter.com/Ku3s9FNJ63, Real Madrid C.F. The period from 2010 to 2018 belonged to Messi in terms of numbers. Messi has played all his club football for Barcelona, Spanish footballs royalty. His grandfather was a general and his mother's two brothers were colonels, one of whom visited Gen. Videla in prison during the trial to apologize for his nephew's behavior and promised that he would never speak with Moreno Ocampo again. He won a league title with Barcelona, where his lasting legacy was to come in the brand of football they played with him going on to manage the club and become one of the most influential people in football. It would be almost impossible to think that the Ronaldo and Messi would have been able to achieve those incredible goal tallies without the help of these strict rules. Lionel Messi "only has one skill", according to Brazil legend Pele, with fellow Argentine Diego Maradona "much better" than the Barcelona talisman. A statement from The International Football Association Board said: A tackle from behind which endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play. Fifa added: Acts of serious foul play are punishable by a red card. Life became a lot easier for attacking players. She called me and she said, I still love Gen. Videla, but you are right. The Diego Maradona versus Lionel Messi debate is volatile, and also subjective. Football was Argentinas only mode of redemption in 1986, and Maradona almost singlehandedly took them to glory. He is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award and two national journalism awards from Argentina. He is still famous all over the world thanks to his talents and charisma. With seven Ballon d'Or titles and a world record for the most goals scored in a calendar year, there's good reason to think that Messi has surpassed Maradona overall, but the little genius seems destined to forever be negatively compared to his compatriot at the World Cup. (Photo: AP), The case for open, verifiable forest cover data, Why Haryana sarpanches are protesting against e-tenders for infra works, Rupert Murdoch testifies Fox anchors endorsed claims of Biden stealing 2020 polls: What he said, significance, ExplainSpeaking | How to read Q3 growth data, Manish Sisodia case: how right against self-incrimination works. The second goal in that match was a single-handed effort, as Maradona went past five England players in a mazy run to score a goal, which would be crowned as the Goal of the Century on FIFA.com. As such, it's only a natural leap to have seen people tapping their watches in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and now 2022 in anticipation of Messi surely one day replicating his forebear by winning the biggest trophy of all single-handedly. Meanwhile, Maradona retired with 34 in his 91 matches, just over a goal every three games. Ronaldos influence does not extend just on the pitch. Maradona, on the other hand, had three league championships and a Uefa Cup to his credit. A poster of "Argentina 1985" leans against his stylish bachelor pad's white walls. Because of his discipline and consistency, Messi has stayed at the top for close to a decade-and-a-half, compared to Maradonas just six to seven prime years in top-flight football. Messi has won six Ballon dOr laurels to Maradonas none, for Fifa launched the award in 1991. Total duels won: Maradona 63%-53% Messi. He kept his word. Yet, Maradona was able to weave his magic from the number 10 position with ease. WebIn conclusion, yes, Diego Maradona is better than Lionel Messi. They are both strategists and team players, and they are both highly technical with the ball, which seems attached with Velcro to their feet, only to be shot with devastating force when circumstances are favorable. But it is not that simple. Maradona retaliated and got a red card. Such was the brutal physicality back in the days that a player with small physical stature would simply have no chance against the physically dominating opposition. From the mid-90s and especially since the turn of the century, football started to open its heart and hearth to attackers. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Maradona's heir-apparent, Messi has yet to hit the levels of adulation in his homeland due to the fact he has yet to significantly influence Argentina's fortunes on the world stage and impose his will on the team the way his predecessor did. Messi, on the other hand, found peace and prosperity at Barcelona where he went at the age of 13. Unlike Frank Rijkaard before him, Guardiola decided to use Messi as the central figure in the team with everything revolving around the Argentine. 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