Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona Comparisons Doubted by Javier Zanetti
Lionel Messi doesn't need to win a World Cup in order to live up to the standards of Diego Maradona, according to compatriot Javier Zanetti, who has insisted the two legends are unique in their own right.
Messi has been subjected to constant comparisons with Maradona throughout his career, but Zanetti cannot wrap his head around the temptation to do so and hailed the Barcelona star's achievements, per Goal.com:
"I do not understand the comparisons between the two. I think Diego was unique and Messi is doing unique things. What can you say about Messi? A guy who has won five Ballon d'Ors, four Champions Leagues and has scored 97 goals in a year.
There is no need to win a World Cup to certify that talent. Messi is an ambassador of Argentina, and I am also proud of him as an Argentine.
"
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Maradona is an exalted figure in his native Argentina, thanks largely to the fact he cemented his superstar status by winning the 1986 World Cup with La Albiceleste.
In a 21-year professional career, Maradona also won league titles with Boca Juniors in Argentina (1981) and Serie A giants Napoli (1987, 1990), the club with whom he enjoyed his greatest European success.
Messi and Maradona are also compared due to the fact they each have short, diminutive statures, boast similar playing styles and represented the Blaugrana in their careers, although the former's Barcelona tenure has been far more fruitful.
But the greatest difference between the two has been Messi's failure to win a World Cup title, and KICCA's Ian Stafford doesn't believe he'll ever match up to Maradona until he does so:
The 2018 World Cup in Russia, should Argentina qualify, could well be Messi's last chance to finally end that drought and prove his critics wrong, but Zanetti doesn't feel the Barca talisman has anything to prove.
Broadcaster Juan Arango recently proclaimed it was an even greater shock that Maradona failed to claim even a single Ballon d'Or award during his career, although the award was open only to European players before 1995:
Zanetti's opinion carries some weight in Argentina considering he sits as the nation's most capped player ever, with 143 appearances to his name before ending his international career in 2011.
To this date, a gold-medal finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics remains Messi's greatest accomplishment in international colours, having also led his team to runner-up finishes at the 2014 World Cup and two Copa Americas (2007, 2015).
Winning a World Cup would undoubtedly go a long way toward vindicating his position as one of the best players of all time. But with a trophy cabinet already boasting seven La Liga crowns, four Champions League titles and three FIFA Club World Cups, Messi isn't likely to be seeking validation.
Many might disagree with Zanetti and feel Messi's inability to bring football's biggest prize back to Argentina speaks poorly of his quality, but his former international team-mate needs no convincing.
