- The debate between Messi and Maradona as the greatest footballer ever continues, with fans having differing opinions, especially among Argentinians.
- While Messi’s stats at the national level, including goals and assists, make him the clear winner, some fans still believe Maradona is the superior player due to his innate talent and influence on Argentina’s success in the 1986 World Cup.
- Maradona’s appeal as a player extends beyond his footballing skills, as his personality and flaws resonated with fans in a way that Messi’s more reserved demeanour does not. Picking between the two is a tough question for any Argentina fan.
In a video posted on X, Argentinian fans were faced with a tough question when they were asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.
The video showed a result of a 5-2 victory in favour of Maradona, but it is unlikely that there will ever be a consensus among fans, particularly among Argentinian supporters.
Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona
For some, the debate was over in 2022 as Messi’s success at the World Cup cemented him as the best player in the world. Gary Lineker said that the Qatar World Cup, which saw Messi finally lift the trophy that had evaded him his whole career, was the moment where he surpassed Maradona as the greatest footballer ever. Maradona had always had the World Cup, winning in 1986, and Messi had failed to taste the same victory until 2022.
Now both players have World Cups to their names, but when looking at their stats at the national level, Messi proves to be the clear winner. The Inter Miami man’s 106 international goals to Maradona’s 32 may end the debate at national level, especially when considering Messi also led Argentina to victory in the Copa América back in 2021.
However, while some numbers may dictate a clear answer, there are clearly fans, as demonstrated in the video, who believe Maradona remains the superior player. His footballing abilities were second to none at the time as he was blessed with such innate talent. Some have even single-handedly attributed Argentina’s success at the 1986 World Cup to Maradona’s influence. He also shone at club level, where he led Napoli to two Serie A titles in 1987 and then again in 1990, and he is still adored by Napoli fans all over the world.
| Messi vs Maradona Argentina stats (as of 24/11/2023) | ||
| Lionel Messi | Diego Maradona | |
| Appearances | 180 | 84 |
| Goals | 106 | 32 |
| Assists | 56 | 20 |
| Minutes Played | 14,938 | 7,528 |
| All statistics from Transfermarkt | ||
But part of Maradona’s appeal as a player was his attitude both on and off the pitch. He drew fans in with his brutish personality, he was always known for more than just his incredible footballing skills. For many Argentines, Maradona is a cultural legend whose legacy extends far beyond the pitch.
Video: Argentina fans choose between Messi & Maradona
In comparison, Messi has no doubt captured the hearts of his country, but his more muted expressions and restrained emotion mean that fans perhaps don’t resonate with him in the same way that they could with Diego. Maradona’s flaws and setbacks were on display for the whole world to see — his humanity shone through.
Messi, on more than one occasion, has been likened to a god or alien, because it is unfathomable at times to think that a human is capable of what he does on the football pitch. In that sense, maybe fans could relate to Maradona in a way that they can’t with Messi.
Certainly, both men are adored by their country and picking between them is a tough question for any Argentina fan, or football fan in general, to answer. They both experienced phenomenal levels of success in their careers, and you could go in circles trying to answer who is better.
One fan at the end of the video might have the right idea as he was asked to choose between Messi or Maradona, and he simply replied with: “Juan Roman Riquelme.”
