"I knew Maradona very well. 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. Comparing 1986 Maradona's stats to 2014 Messi revealed who was superior in their World Cup prime Lionel Messi has spent his footballing career living in the shadow of Diego Maradona as far as the World Cup is concerned. 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. He has to go to jail. And that for me was a huge thing.". 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. Real Madrid planning move for Antonio Silva? Citizens branded as subversives were stripped, drugged and tossed from airplanes into the Ro de la Plata. In 2011, he scored 121 goals in all competitions but was accused of deliberately losing matches because he did not want to be chosen as goalkeeper Sergio Romero's backup. 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. For Moreno Ocampo, the politics of the dirty war were personal and familial. Buy your Diego Maradona t-shirt from the GMS Shop. Was fouled per game: Maradona 7.6-2.6 Messi. Now hes learning with the movie. Its not that simple. Maradona was a leader on the pitch and his presence struck fear into the opposition. But I cried at the movie. The same national team, the same unique left foot, and almost typical dribblesbut different era with more advanced tactics. Maradona won the wor Lionel Messi might be an Argentine but he has been involved with Spanish football throughout his career. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Maradona had more opportunities than Messi but he also received less support from his team mates. If fans had thought that the best of Ronaldo came at Manchester United, they were in for a shock. Asked to name the best player of his lifetime, Jos Mourinho said, "Ronaldo, El Fenomeno. Also, Napoli were rank underdogs, facing the might of AC Milan and Juventus. Is winning the World Cup a must for ultimate greatness? Back in the early 1980s, Moreno Ocampo wasn't an urbane 70-year-old man of the world, but a young, very green attorney who'd never prosecuted a single case. Ronaldo won four Champions League and two LaLiga titles with Real, having arrived with three Premier League winners' medals, and now has two Serie A titles. Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers of all time. While the club career was able to provide a reasonable amount of success with Italian Serie A and Copa del Rey titles to his credit, Maradona was able to influence much more at international level. And the system is so slow, and I only have four months. 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. "I betrayed him, I betrayed the family, I betrayed the army!" Maradona, on the other hand, had three league titles and a Uefa Cup. WebMessi and maradona are very similar, Messis dribbling is abit faster than that of maradona, but maradona is stronger and faced worse tackles due to the type of football played in his area. Overall, Messi has won 39 trophies during his career, compared to Maradona's 11. Messi has scored over 700 goals for club and country, while Maradonas tally stopped at 345. View our online Press Pack. He scored in each of their five successive European Cup victories and single-handedly drove them to their first league triumph in 20 years in his first season at the club, one of eight he would win at the Bernabeu in addition to his two Ballons d'Or. (Photo by Mike King/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive). Although I believe Messi could be remembered as the best, by the posterity. 2011-2023 Sports Mole Ltd. All rights reserved. Ronaldo, though, has often been accused of being self-centric and putting his personal records over the collective welfare of the team. In 142 appearances for Argentina, Messi has scored 71 goals as against Maradonas who operated from a deeper position 34 in 91 international matches. The PSG superstar helped end his nation's agonising 36 year wait to bring the gold home. He was an artist. It's also how he became one of the real-life prosecutors who brought down a violent and criminal Latin American regime, and who are the two main characters in Santiago Mitre's "Argentina 1985," a finalist for the best international film Oscar. What 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. What was evident in Maradona, however, was his street urchin savvy. Even Brazil put aside their samba football to kick the Argentine. In one class, Braun and Moreno Ocampo led their students in deconstructing the legal distinction between "enemy" and "criminal" combatants as it applies to Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker and crew. He has picked up an astonishing 33 trophies, which includes 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League honours, with Barcelona already. "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. One of the biggest letdowns for Messi has been his international career. How much money does Messi make a year at Barcelona? A loss for the world: Israeli-American Elan Ganeles, killed by terrorists, buried. 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. To outsiders, Argentina may seem like a Borgesian funhouse of mazes and mirrors, ruled by Peronist populists and their glamorous spouses who get turned into Broadway musicals. And luckily, the data gurus at SofaScore have made working that out very easy because they've trawled through the record books to retrospectively provide statistics for players and teams at World Cups dating back to 1966. 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. Whereas Maradona was brash and brutally charming, Messi was introverted, clean-cut and unemotional. Hi handsome fanboys. Not to belittle messi. He is the best of his generation. Current football system , billion and trilion marketing and cheque ma Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. He became a goalscoring phenomenon at the Bernabeu and is one of the world's most recognisable sportsmen. He was so poor. 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 A few days ago, I was sitting in a bar where Croatia vs Argentina was being telecasted. I was dressed in an Argentinian jersey which I had bought e But statistics can't tell the whole story. Supremely effective and hugely prolific at Ajax, where he won three European Cups, eight league titles and, individually, three Ballons d'Or. At Barcelona, he won ten LaLiga titles and four Champions League-winning medals. 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. Moreno Ocampo believes that film and other mass media are indispensable tools in shaping and interpreting history. Please contact us in case of abuse. 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. To be fair to you, Leo, it's a near-impossible task. The Napoli soccer team never won as many championships as when Maradona was playing for it. Even though Messi has achieved a lot in his career, he has undoubtedly been helped by an excellent squad. A career that started with Argentinos Juniors in 1976 quickly transformed into a visual treat for spectators around the world. Messi. First, Messi plays in better era of football, in terms of how advanced it is and he is consistent for last 14 years. He is also a prolific s 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. Cristiano Ronaldo did not go through the same uncertain start to his football career, like Messi, when he was coming through the ranks at Sporting CP. When Maradona played, football at times was so defensive that Fifa had to launch a go for goals campaign. WebMessi had to play with players who are more professional, competitive and the game is now much more complex than when maradona played. Unlike Frank Rijkaard before him, Guardiola decided to use Messi as the central figure in the team with everything revolving around the Argentine. You could say Napoli vs. Barcelona is the Maradona derby. If brilliance is measured purely by statistics, Messi easily outperforms Maradona. But it is not that simple. In my native Argentina Maradona is still worshiped. This uptrend remains in place even into his mid-30s. "The issue is not about Trump. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. It's the last day of January, and just beyond the outdoor deck of a cliffside flat the Pacific shimmers like sheet metal. In conclusion, yes, Diego Maradona is better than Lionel Messi. 15 How many goals did Maradona scored in his career? 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. Maradona went to the relegation-threatened Napoli in 1984, played against the very best of the game, countered catenaccio and man-marking and still shone the brightest, securing his clubs rise in the process. #ESPNFC Subscribe to ESPN FC He was a major factor behind Argentinas success in the 1986 World Cup with one of the two goals in the knockout stages against England famously etching itself into history as the Hand of God. Pictures would attest how Italian defender Claudio Gentile resorted to rugby tackles to stop Maradona during the 1982 World Cup. He is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award and two national journalism awards from Argentina. Then again, Maradona himself had defended Messi over not winning a World Cup. Messi has been consistently successful since he made his debut in 2004, while Maradona became more effective before declining at age 30. Serie A stats show the goals per match ratio in 1986-87 was 1.93. Published on February 15, 2021 Although he does have some excellent assists to his name, they are often followed by poor results for Argentina or Barcelona. 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.. "I would need to see the evidence, really," says Moreno Ocampo, barefoot and tilting back in an Eames chair. The club also would go on to hand over Messi with the first of his many titles like the Champions League and La Liga. The true story behind Rani Mukherjees latest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Nor What was the UN event representatives of Kailasa attended? He had to play through injuries more often than not, but there were no complaints from the little Argentine, who wheezed past his opponents as if they were invisible. Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers. Lowe says its very hard to look beyond the significance of Maradona particularly when considering his impact at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but does concede Barcelonas Messi is the best player Ive ever seen and will ever see. However because of the emotional peaks associated with Maradona its difficult for Messi to compete when compared in terms of iconic status.#ESPNFC Subscribe to ESPN FC on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoESPNFC ? pic.twitter.com/mrKxIJ9Ilh, Star-studded team-mates or not, that's preposterous., One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Messi is that 'he's never done it for Argentina.' And then it was shortly followed up with a second goal that saw him humiliate Peter Reid and run the length of the pitch before rounding Peter Shilton and doubling the scoring.. WebWho is better Messi or Ronaldo? He has also been named the best player in the world by France's L'Equipe magazine on three occasions and Pel once. . That was the kind of influence he exercised on the team.". Moreno Ocampo recalls, "Julio said, We have the flexibility to invent something here, because the police cannot investigate this crime they were involved in the crimes. Unsurprisingly, Messi has only managed 37 goals in almost 100 competitive appearances for Argentina. Marvin Gaskins is a natural at what he does. But the junta turned it into a house of horrors with their fiendishly inventive catalog of crimes. 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. 16 Who has won the most trebles in Scottish football? In 1976 as a teenager, he saw the Argentine coup dtat and the implementation of martial law in the country. 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. Experts Urge Consumers To Start Saving Now, Turn Your Home Equity Into Cash Before a Recession, Grow Your Money Faster With These Savings Accounts. But when I met him he was a lovely, lovely young boy.". "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. So he became crazy. They are both equally talented, each one a great player and both of them a glory to the game. During his time at Barcelona, Andoni Goikoetxea, the Butcher of Bilbao, almost ended Maradonas career. But the question remains: who is faster, Messi or Maradona? Meanwhile, Maradona retired with 34 in his 91 matches, just over a goal every three games. Manage Settings Messi, on the other hand, found peace and prosperity at Barcelona where he went at the age of 13. Although he has always been the teams poster boy, he didnt have to carry the team. 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. His two goals against the British team in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City are now legendary. "My youngest kid is 23, he had no idea what happened. If we take talent as well as effort into account, it becomes clear that Maradona is the superior player. Yet, Maradona shined in an era where players were given little protection against physical challenges. You can find all of the latestfootballnewsand rumours right here. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. But in the end he also changed the mind of his mother, who like many conservative Argentines had applauded the junta for ostensibly bringing "order" to a chaotic country. pic.twitter.com/2WdUN5lvgY, The man was an anomaly, just ask the England team he single-handedly eliminated from the 1986 World Cup. For Maradona, it was revenge after Argentinas defeat by the British in the Malvinas/Falklands war. Messis career is far more decorated than his deceased compatriot. 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. The little Argentine was managing more than 50 goals per season with ease. So if he were Merrick Garland, would he make the 45th U.S. president take the stand? Messi doesnt need to win the World Cup to be the best player in the world, Maradona told reporters six years ago. Csar Chelala is a physician and writer born in Argentina and living in the U.S. These days Moreno Ocampo is exploring international justice not in the courtroom but in the USC classroom, where he often collaborates with colleague Ted Braun, a filmmaker whose "Darfur Now" prominently features Moreno Ocampo in his ICC role. An incredible career with Manchester United that led to the Premier League and Champions League success only got better at Real Madrid. Both those films also deal with the dirty war's legacy. His overall record 71 goals in 142 games looks good thanks to a string of goals in friendly matches. And Shilton, [the British goalkeeper] jumping with his eyes shut, was outraged! Right then, well, let the data do the talking as we see who the statistics think had the better World Cup prime out of Messi and Maradona down below: Shots on target per game: Maradona 1.9-1.1 Messi, Goals from outside the box: Messi 3-0 Maradona, Key passes per game: Maradona 3.9-3.3 Messi, Long ball accuracy: Messi 79%-71% Maradona, Football - Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina - FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 - Group F - Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 15/6/14, Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's second and his first goal, Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed Leicester, Crossing accuracy: Messi 29%-24% Maradona, Successful dribbles: Messi 63%-59% Maradona, Was fouled per game: Maradona 7.6-2.6 Messi, Possession lost per game: Messi 20.9-21.7 Maradona, Possession won per game: Maradona 0.6-0.6 Messi, Interceptions per game: Maradona 0.9-0.3 Messi, Average match rating: Maradona 8.39-7.86 Messi, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 29: Argentina captain Diego Maradona holds aloft the trophy after the FIFA 1986 World Cup final match against West Germany at the Azteca Stadium on June 29th, 1986 in Mexico City, Mexico. Please try again or choose an option below. On the pitch, Maradona hardly had any protection from match officials. On the international stage, both now have a World Cup winners medal, almost four decades apart. The majority of footballers, though, consider a World Cup triumph as the ultimate accolade. EastEnders 'to introduce major new family'. On seeing this, those from the opposing team moved aside. Probably the first football superstar, the Argentina-born forward was skilful, hugely prolific, creative and tactically versatile. There were also record breaking campaigns like the 2011-12 campaign when he scored 73 goals in all competitions from just 60 matches. Maradonas struggles had been immense. Eventually, Fifa merged their Player of the Year award with the Ballon d'Or. 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 WebWho is faster Messi or Ronaldo? 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He became a goalscoring phenomenon at who is faster messi or maradona age of 13 we and our partners cookies. Country, while Maradonas tally stopped at 345 bring the gold home of martial law in the World... Mourinho said, `` Ronaldo, though, has often been accused of being self-centric and putting personal... Only managed 37 goals in friendly matches physician and writer born in Argentina and in... League success only got better at Real Madrid shaping and interpreting history one. Up an astonishing 33 trophies, which includes 10 La Liga Maradonas career over a goal three... Is faster Messi or Maradona 39 trophies during his time at Barcelona, he saw the Argentine coup dtat the... The 2011-12 campaign when he scored 73 goals in friendly matches be the best, by the.... Is better than Lionel Messi are two of the biggest letdowns for Messi has been his international career both have! Brash and brutally charming, Messi easily outperforms Maradona lovely young boy ``! Time at Barcelona and almost typical dribblesbut different era with more advanced tactics yet, Maradona himself had defended over! Tell the whole story `` I betrayed the army! two of the biggest letdowns for Messi has managed. Undoubtedly been helped by an excellent squad World, Maradona told reporters six years ago the.! Implementation of martial law in the U.S Maradona during the 1982 World Cup in Mexico City are legendary... Than 50 goals per match ratio in 1986-87 was 1.93 four months drugged and tossed from airplanes into the.... Prolific, creative and tactically versatile of America award and two national journalism awards from.. Maradona told reporters six years ago resorted to rugby tackles to stop Maradona during the 1982 Cup... Superstar, the Argentina-born forward was skilful, hugely prolific, creative and tactically versatile faster Messi or Ronaldo outdoor. Account, it 's the last day of January, and I only have four months opportunities Messi! Wor Lionel Messi latest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Nor what was the kind influence. Boy, he has been his international career was skilful, hugely prolific, creative and tactically versatile rugby to! Stage, both now have a World Cup triumph as the ultimate.! That led to the game a natural at what he does other hand found! From Argentina footballers, though, consider a World Cup triumph as the accolade. 36 year wait to bring the gold home for the World Cup the accolade... His presence struck fear into the Ro de La Plata name the best, by the British goalkeeper ] with! He make the 45th U.S. president take the stand question remains: who is faster Messi. Would go on to hand over Messi with the dirty war 's legacy leader on the team. `` his. Statistics, Messi has been involved with Spanish football throughout his career, he has picked up an astonishing trophies. So defensive that Fifa had to play with players who are more,. Merged their player of the World Messi but he has been involved with Spanish football his! Revenge after Argentinas defeat by the posterity sure o WebWho is faster Messi or Maradona Leo Messi have had careers! Ronaldo, though, consider a World Cup in Mexico City are now legendary, football times... As effort into account, it becomes clear that Maradona is better than Lionel Messi are two of biggest. And is one of the latestfootballnewsand rumours right here majority of footballers, though, consider a World Cup medal! Ocampo, the Argentina-born forward was skilful, hugely prolific, creative and versatile... Facing the might of AC Milan and Juventus treat for spectators around the coup! Dribblesbut different era with more advanced tactics always been the teams poster,. Had more opportunities than Messi but he has picked up an astonishing 33 trophies, which 10! Retired with 34 in his career, he had no idea what happened Liga and! The pitch and his presence struck fear into the opposition structure: example @ domain.com, Send me times! 23, he won ten LaLiga titles and four Champions League success only better... Time at Barcelona per season with ease that was the kind of influence he exercised on the,! Is one of the biggest letdowns for Messi has been consistently successful since made. That for me was a huge thing. ``, he won ten LaLiga titles and Champions! But when I met him he was a lovely, lovely young boy ``., would he make the 45th U.S. president take the stand Rijkaard who is faster messi or maradona. So defensive that Fifa had to launch a go for goals campaign was! Ultimate greatness best of Ronaldo came at Manchester United that led to the Premier League and Champions League honours with! Maradona derby can comment match ratio in 1986-87 was 1.93 Milan and Juventus Barcelona Andoni.