The comparisons between Lionel Messi and Argentine legend Diego Maradona are inevitable, and growing all the time…but are also misplaced. And that’s according to the Barcelona star himself.
The ever-modest Messi continues to live up to his iconic status with goals galore – 11 in five games, including two Primera Liga hat-tricks – but he refuses to get carried away by the hype. He’s the current world player of the year, and the game’s biggest earner, but nothing changes or fazes this level-headed 22-year-old superstar.
“Even when millions of years pass, I will not be even close to Maradona. And I do not want to approach him. He is the greatest of all time,” he says. “I don’t compare myself to Maradona, I want to make my own history for something I have done.” He added: “To become a legend, to be great, you also have to win a World Cup. I have only just turned 22. It’s all happening very quickly and you have to stay calm.”
Primera Liga and Champions League success with Barcelona are top of his list of priorities, but he’s also keen to put Argentina back on top of the world this summer in South Africa. “I’ve been asked many times and the answer is that is totally different to play for Barcelona then the national team. It doesn’t mean that the national team doesn’t have good players, they are the best in the world, but we don’t have time to work, everything is very fast: two days and a game,” he commented.
“When we’re all together, in groups, and with time, things can change things. We all dream of lifting the World Cup in South Africa. There can’t be anything more beautiful than that. We arrived at the World Cup a good way, quietly, not as favorites. That’s good because we can give everyone a big surprise.”
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