Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona? Francesco Totti makes a clear decision between the two Argentina legends
Italy legend Francesco Totti has offered his verdict on the perpetual comparisons between Argentina captain Lionel Messi and 1986 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner Diego Armando Maradona.
Messi, 35, is set to lead his national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in their upcoming clash against defending champions France. He helped La Albiceleste register a confident 3-0 win against Croatia in the last-four stage in Lusail, Qatar, on Tuesday (December 13).
Appearing in his fifth and final FIFA World Cup, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently on a mission to end Argentina's 36-year wait for the prestigious trophy. So far, he has scored five goals and contributed three assists in six matches for Lionel Scaloni's side, the joint-best in the tournament.
Earlier, he guided his nation to a runners-up finish in the 2014 edition.
Lionel Messi keeps etching his name into the World Cup history books 📚 https://t.co/ebB5cU3oZ9
Speaking on Bepi TV, Totti stated that Maradona is still better than the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star despite his world-class exploits for both club and country. He said:
"Maradona is football for me. Messi is the best player in the world right now, but he's still beneath Diego."
Maradona, who passed away at the age of 60 in November 2020, is regarded as the best Argentine player ever for his contributions in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He led his nation to their second world triumph with five goals and five assists in seven appearances.
Totti, who guided Italy to their fourth FIFA World Cup triumph in 2006, shed light on the feeling of lifting the eminent trophy. He said:
"Winning the World Cup is something you carry with you for the rest of your life. I think the Italy side of 2006 would certainly have been at least in the top four at Qatar in 2022."
Argentina are set to lock horns with defending champions France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Lusail on Sunday (December 18).
Argentina and France are looking to add a third FIFA World Cup title to their trophy cabinet 💪 🏆 https://t.co/pEcz7RnlMf
Toni Kroos opines on Argentina's Lionel Messi ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup final
During an interview with Real Total, Real Madrid star Toni Kroos was asked for his opinion on the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup summit clash between Argentina and France. He responded:
"World Cup final? France for personal reasons: [Aurelien] Tchouameni and [Eduardo] Camavinga. On the other hand, with a career like Messi's, it wouldn't be wrong if his team won."
Overall, Messi has registered 791 goals and 387 assists in 1002 overall games for Argentina, Barcelona and PSG. So far, he has lifted a whopping 41 trophies during his 18-year-long illustrious career.