Mauricio Pochettino says Diego Maradona would want to give Lionel Messi a hug and a kiss after 2022 FIFA World Cup win

Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that Diego Maradona would have been proud of Lionel Messi after Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup win against France.

La Albiceleste won their third World Cup title after beating Les Bleus in a thrilling final which ended 3-3 after extra-time. The PSG playmaker scored twice while Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in what will go down as arguably the greatest final in the competition's history.

This win, for many, meant that Lionel Messi emerged out of the shadows of Diego Maradona. The duo are regarded as two of the very best players in the history of Argentina and the world.

Lionel Andrés Messi ⭐️🇦🇷 #Messi

10 La Liga
1 Ligue 1
7 Copa del Rey
7 Supercopa de España
4 Champions League
3 UEFA Super Cup
3 Club World Cup
7 Ballon d’Or

1 Copa America

…and 1 World Cup! 🏆

LEGEND ✨ https://t.co/BBtRUFYZcD

Before 18 December, the former Barcelona forward had won every trophy under the sun except for the World Cup title - a trophy Maradona lifted in 1986. Sadly, the latter passed away in November 2020.

The Argentina captain's status as a legend for his country was never in doubt. But winning the World Cup in Qatar has immortalized him to an extent where no one can question his greatness.

Rather than being envious of Messi arguably overtaking his legacy, Maradona would be proud of him, according to Pochettino, who traveled with Argentina to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea.

Speaking after the iconic final at the Lusail Stadium, the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach said (h/t the Athletic):

"Diego would want to give Messi a big hug and a kiss."

Mauricio Pochettino 🗣

"Diego would want to give Messi a big hug and a kiss."

#ARG | #FIFAWorldCup https://t.co/kB44bSDB5d

Maradona and Messi, of course, never played together, but they did travel to a World Cup on the same plane back in 2010. Back then, the Napoli legend was Argentina's head coach and saw his team lose 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals.

Lionel Messi will not retire from Argentina national team after 2022 FIFA World Cup

Lionel Messi 'retired' from international football in the summer of 2016 after a devastating Copa America final loss on penalties against Chile.

He returned in due time to wear Argentina's white and blue shirt again, but the time that he will officially bid farewell to international football isn't far off. At the age of 35, La Pulga won the Golden Ball at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar after registering seven goals and three assists.

It is evident that he still has at least a couple of years of football still left in him. Much to the relief of his fans, he will not retire from international football after his team's triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Messi: “No, I’m NOT gonna retire from the national team. I want to keep playing as World Cup champions with Argentina shirt”, tells TyC Sports. ⭐️🇦🇷 #Qatar2022 https://t.co/Nd9KGboZgG

Speaking after the game, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner told TyC Sport (h/t Fabrizio Romano):

"No, I’m NOT gonna retire from the national team. I want to keep playing as World Cup champions with Argentina shirt."