Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers. Messi scored twice in the 3-3 final draw with France and netted in the With all his off-field controversies, it's easy for the modern football fan to overlook just how much of an inspiration Maradona was to everyone he played with, but he was no stranger toquite literally dragging his team-mates along; something Messi has never had to do.. So it's by no means a whitewash, don't get it twisted, but Maradona holding his own in the stats just about seals the deal considering that his winners' medal and 'Goal of the Century' probably gave him the edge to start with. After moving to Barcelona as a teenager with little hope of making it big due to a growth deficiency syndrome, Messi has been able to turn around his negative traits into positive attributes. Watch: First trailer for new series of Race Across The World, EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal: 'There's no love between Suki and Nish', Sky Sports launches dedicated UHD channel for Formula 1. It was no wonder that Juventus decided to pay more than 100 million for a player approaching the end of his career. 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? 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. There's more to his game, but 626 goals in 715 games for Barcelona is Depends on who is answering it ! How a Better player is defined To an old-timer, there has never been anyone a better playmaker or a Goalscorer What is Messi known for? Its probably near-impossible to come to a conclusion as regards to who is better, Maradona or Messi. Maradona was a leader on the pitch and his presence struck fear into the opposition. In 1976 as a teenager, he saw the Argentine coup dtat and the implementation of martial law in the country. If Argentina wins for the third time, he says, it'll be as good as Maradona or Messi scoring three goals in a game. If Messi was able to dothat to the same extent, he'd surely have a World Cup -or even a Copa America -to show for it., There is very, very little in this, but for that fact alone, it's Maradona who comes out as the true GOAT.. The midfield maestro - who died in June - won the Argentine league in 1981 with Boca Juniors before moving to Barcelona. Ronaldo has been praised on numerous occasions by his peers for his incredible dedication and devotion to the cause. Maradonawas never eligible for the prize, because at the time it was only available to European players playing in Europe. He was a more creative forward who knew how to find the back of the net with accuracy and inspiration. "Spielberg is Shakespeare for me," he says. He is also known for his skill with a ball, his elegance on the field, and his charity work off it. Maradona, on the other hand, had three league titles and a Uefa Cup. When it comes to the competition for the title of being the greatest footballer ever, this trait comes as a major blow. #ESPNFC Subscribe to ESPN FC Especially in the 80s, after Italy won the 1982 World Cup, playing ultra-defensive and reactive football but still subduing Brazils on-pitch poetry, catenaccio (door-bolt, a defensive system) or its variants became en vogue. Real Madrid is often the stuff of dreams for a footballer partly because of the glamour associated with playing at Santiago Bernabeu along with several other stars. Not the architect but the orchestrator of Total Football, developed at Ajax and transferred to the national team. Messi is known for his speed and agility, while He is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award and two national journalism awards from Argentina. Who is a better player, Messi now or Maradona then? Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. "A hat trick," he says. He was so poor. The club also would go on to hand over Messi with the first of his many titles like the Champions League and La Liga. He thinks no ruler is above the law, of course. The tension is rising and the spotlight is blinding as Messi feels the pressure to nail his fifth and surely last World Cup campaign in the way that Maradona achieved back in 1986. For more from Robbie Copeland, follow him on Twitter! He is a goal scorer first and a playmaker later. What was evident in Maradona, however, was his street urchin savvy. The true story behind Rani Mukherjees latest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Nor What was the UN event representatives of Kailasa attended? Yet, Maradona was able to weave his magic from the number 10 position with ease. WebThe other Ronaldo and Messi were brilliant teenagers but had nothing like the same impact at that age. ", "All the scenes in the court are absolutely verbatim," Moreno Ocampo says. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. If fans had thought that the best of Ronaldo came at Manchester United, they were in for a shock. 18 Who is the most capped Scottish footballer of all time? He was able to create history after making moves which broke the world transfer record fee twice the first was a move to Barcelona in 1982 while he again broke the record in 1984 following the move to Napoli. Whereas Maradona was brash and brutally charming, Messi was introverted, clean-cut and unemotional. Was fouled per game: Maradona 7.6-2.6 Messi. In truth it is an impossible task to judge footballers from different eras, playing in different times, with different rules, but the PA news agency's Carl Markham gives his assessment on those who purport to be 'the greatest'. There was no room for debateuntil Lionel Messi came along., Now, however, there is a new diminutive, generational Argentine in town. While Messi is quiet, Maradona was boastful. 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. In just six seasons at Old Trafford, Ronaldo transformed himself from an unpolished diamond into a global star, but his transformation was not yet complete. WebMessi had to play with players who are more professional, competitive and the game is now much more complex than when maradona played. Buy your Diego Maradona t-shirt from the GMS Shop. His two goals against the British team in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City are now legendary. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a better pure goalscorer than Lionel Messi. This is quite different from the days of Maradona and Pele, as South American greats were competing in different eras. After 12 years playing in his homeland and Colombia, his move to Real transformed them into a European super power. His first two seasons with Barcelona in 2004 and 2005 were largely an introduction for the defenders to sit up and take notice. The youngest player to ever appear for Barca Jugones (the club's under-19 squad), he made his first team debut at the age of 17 years and 311 days. Now, we are in a situation where players can pick up yellow cards for a single bad tackle and receive straight red cards for tackles which were commonly inflicted on Maradona. As individuals, Messi has a record SEVEN Ballon d'Or wins to his name. In my native Argentina Maradona is still worshiped. While Messi is currently playing in Spain, many people still remember him as one of the best players of all time. WebLionel Messi will never be able to better Diego Maradona "even if he wins four World Cups in a row", according to Argentina legend Mario Kempes. That, and the fact that SofaScore considered his two-goal masterclass against Belgium in the semi-finals to be so freakish as to earn itself a statistically perfect 10/10 rating. The Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, who has put the screws to genocidal strongmen and placed dictators behind bars, isn't sure whether Donald Trump should be tried for the Jan. 6 riot. Messi has ten league titles and four Champions League trophies to his name. During Messis first season under Pep Guardiola as Barcelona manager in 2008-09, the goals per match ratio in La Liga was 2.90. 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. But when I met him he was a lovely, lovely young boy.". The vibe is upscale Malibu casual, but the talk is of crimes against humanity, an Argentine "dirty war" that left thousands dead and tens of thousands more "disappeared," and a trial 38 years ago that set an example for the world of how to make despots pay for their crimes. The physical characteristics of both players are similar; they are both short, sturdy, and have a demoniacal speed which allows them to easily overcome their opponents. Maradonas persona was shaped by his countrys socio-economic conditions in the late 1970s and early 80s. I saw awful things I never cried. Afterwards, he recreated the famous shot of his idol Maradona lofting the trophy in the air. In other words, we can indeed find out the winner of 2014 Messi vs 1986 Maradona as far as the data is concerned, taking what we consider to be some of the most important metrics that they've analysed and comparing the numbers to see what happens. Diego worked hard to be the best.. He did come close to winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2014 when the team finished as the runner-up. Yes, yes, yes, we know that Messi didn't actually win, but let's park the trophy to the side for a second and see who actually played better from an individual perspective in what - as things stand - proves their respective, finest World Cups ever. "I would need to see the evidence, really," says Moreno Ocampo, barefoot and tilting back in an Eames chair. Yet, the Portuguese has been able to achieve international stardom and some incredible records. He has to go to jail. And that for me was a huge thing.". One argument in case of Messis poor performances for Argentina would be the lack of raiding fullbacks, as the best of Messi came when Dani Alves was at his peak. Italy was the worlds football capital then, with Serie A boasting of a big chunk of world stars Michel Platini, Zico, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard et al. He became a goalscoring phenomenon at the Bernabeu and is one of the world's most recognisable sportsmen. . 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 Both Messi and Maradona share similar styles of playing: great speed, a wonderful dribbling, and the capacity to send the ball to the best placed teammate. Footballing greatness is not judged purely on the number of goals scored and trophies won. And then he became the most famous person in the world from a person full of limits, to no limits. But it is not that simple. At club level, Messi established himself with Barcelona, before infamously leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He has set In his 15 full seasons, he's won ten La Liga titles, six Copa del Reyand four Champions Leagues. Maradona won the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament at the 1986 World Cup. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 17 Is Celtic Irish or Scottish? 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. ", For his part, Moreno Ocampo credits the film's courtroom verisimilitude to Mitre and Argentine producer Victoria Alonso, who "understand very well these John Ford movies on justice. Maradonas struggles had been immense. 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. But despite his penchant for passionate outbursts "It's crazy, it's insane!" I felt I was pick pocketing the English.. "I betrayed him, I betrayed the family, I betrayed the army!" The majority of footballers, though, consider a World Cup triumph as the ultimate accolade. Standing at just 5 ft 5 in, it would have been easy to forgive Maradona if he had not been successful in his playing days. IND vs AUS: Why did the Indore pitch offer wicked turn and variable bounce on the morning of Day 1? Messi beats Maradona hands down if greatness is judged solely on numbers. Who are the highest paid soccer players in the world. Moreno Ocampo believes that film and other mass media are indispensable tools in shaping and interpreting history. There were also record breaking campaigns like the 2011-12 campaign when he scored 73 goals in all competitions from just 60 matches. I lost a great friend: Pele leads tributes as the world mourns Diego Maradonas death, The sainthood and fall from grace of Napolis Argentine deity. A winner of three World Cups the first in 1958 when he scored six goals in four games aged just 17 his individual skill and eye for goal was unrivalled but he also benefited from playing in some of the best international sides in history. UCLA Law School professor Kal Raustiala, who has known Moreno Ocampo since they both taught at Harvard Law School, says the qualities his friend displayed in devising the case against the Argentine junta served him well while helping set up the prosecutor's office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands when it was established in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 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. His childhood was a spent in extreme poverty at Villa Fiorito, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Portugal are a relatively mediocre team in comparison with giants like France, Germany, and Spain, but that did not prevent Ronaldo from leading the national team to Euro glory in 2016. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. If Argentina wins for the third time, he says, it'll be as good as Maradona or Messi scoring three goals in a game. "I knew Maradona very well. Messi's great contemporary rival, their comparison is probably the easiest as for nine seasons they played in the same league at comparable clubs. This is debatable. Oo that is a topic indeed. I guess first you need to unify the measurement points, for a fair and structured referencing. We must first make sure o Even Brazil put aside their samba football to kick the Argentine. Experts Urge Consumers To Start Saving Now, Turn Your Home Equity Into Cash Before a Recession, Grow Your Money Faster With These Savings Accounts. Maradona did not have the incredible goals-to-game ratio which many modern players boast. Unsurprisingly, Messi has only managed 37 goals in almost 100 competitive appearances for Argentina. They are both equally talented, each one a great player and both of them a glory to the game. The pain that Maradona had to endure is remarkable, but he still managed to push his teams to glory. He is a product of the famous La Masia youth system at FC Barcelona. In case of abuse. 2023 Minute Media - All rights reserved. Moreno Ocampo saw it while working on the trial depicted in "Argentina 1985. WebHowever because of the emotional peaks associated with Maradona its difficult for Messi to compete when compared in terms of iconic status. Supremely effective and hugely prolific at Ajax, where he won three European Cups, eight league titles and, individually, three Ballons d'Or. WebLionel Messi is Argentina's second great superstar after Diego Maradona (Owen Humphreys/PA) Maradona's heir-apparent, Messi has yet to hit the levels of adulation in The attacking midfielder also had an eye for goal. A career that started with Argentinos Juniors in 1976 quickly transformed into a visual treat for spectators around the world. 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). His magic from the number of goals scored and trophies won goalscorer than Lionel Messi 37 in... Go on to hand over Messi with the first of his many like... 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Registered office: 1 London Bridge street, London, SE1 9GF, the who is faster messi or maradona! The British team in the late 1970s and early 80s, though, consider a World Cup the. Seasons, he recreated the famous La Masia youth system at FC Barcelona above the law, of course who... In his 15 full seasons, he recreated the famous shot of his idol Maradona lofting trophy! Creative forward who knew how to find the back of the net with accuracy and inspiration Scottish footballer all... English.. `` I betrayed the army! leader on the morning of Day 1 the!