Diego Maradona Comments on Lionel Messi's Leadership Skills

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona discussed his country's current top star, Lionel Messi, on Thursday, saying the former Ballon D'or winner lacks leadership skills. 

"He is a great person, but he has no personality," Maradona said, per ESPNFC.com. "He doesn't have the personality to be a leader."

Messi, 28, is one of the most prolific forwards in the sport's history. To some, he has already unseated Maradona as the greatest Argentine footballer ever. Messi has already broken Maradona's record for matches played and goals scored on the international level.

Argentina have also had success as a team with Messi as their top player. They reached the finals at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America with Messi serving as captain. Maradona, however, helped push Argentina to two World Cup titles; the country has not won one since his retirement.

In some ways, this merely continues a longstanding series of barbs thrown in Messi's direction from Maradona. The 55-year-old said in 2015 interview that he had a unique style of play that Messi was lacking when asked to compare the two.

"The thing is, my goals were more beautiful," Maradona said, per CNN's Becky Anderson and Motez Bishara.

Maradona has, however, been much more complimentary of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. To most, Messi's biggest rival for the best player of this generation, Maradona heaped the Portugal national with praise.

"Cristiano without a doubt, is the star," Maradona said. "He's one of those players who can single-handedly put his team in the final. He is football culture. Anyone who likes football, likes Cristiano."

"I don't think a player of his experience is under pressure in a tournament," Maradona continued. "The ones who should feel pressure are the defences that have to mark him in the game."

In a macro sense, this feels like yet another aging former great trying to pump up his place in history by downplaying former stars. We've seen it consistently throughout this NBA season, especially when teams are asked to discuss the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

Maradona and Messi are the two greatest Argentine players ever. It's easier for him to praise Ronaldo because there are not endless debates between the greatness of the two. But as Messi's resume grows and becomes even more impenetrable, it's going to be hard for anyone to deny his place in history.