Lionel Messi doesn't need a World Cup win for validation, says Maradona
Lionel Messi may be one of the greatest players of all time, but his lack of success on the international level has left him open to a share of criticism.
One of those critics has been Maradona, who is the other half (along with Messi) in the debate over who is the greatest Argentine player of all time. Maradona has criticized Messi as not being a leader, along with bringing up Messi’s lack of international trophies. Maradona won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina.
But the 56-year-old former player is softening his stance on Messi, now saying that a lack of international silverware shouldn’t count against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
"I am not going to tolerate that people say Messi is not the phenomenon that he is because he did not win a World Cup,” Maradona told TyC Sports in Argentina on Thursday.
"Messi is a great player, regardless of whether he won the World Cup or not,” he added. "At the age of 56, I can say that I have never seen anyone like Messi. I thank God that Messi is an Argentine. We have Messi, the Pope and me.”
For some, Messi’s lack of an international trophy is a deal-breaker that puts the likes of Maradona ahead of him in their assessment of the best ever. But Maradona is not among those critics now, it seems.
It is interesting that Maradona mentioned Pope Francis, another famous Argentine. The Pope thinks the best player ever is Messi.
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