Mario Balotelli has named the one player he believes is "maybe" better than Argentina's World Cup hero Lionel Messi.
Messi continues to roll back the years with sensational performances for his country in the United States, Mexico and Canada. At the age of 39, he continues to carry his nation on his back, firing them into the last 16 with seven goals in just four games.
The footballing world recognises Messi as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players to ever grace the pitch. The Barcelona icon has won a record-breaking eight Ballons d'Or and made history throughout his illustrious career.
While the Inter Miami forward is heading towards the end of his story, he continues to make an impact on the biggest stage. There's every chance he becomes a two-time World Cup winner and further cements his legacy as the very best player of all-time.
Mario Balotelli Makes Huge Lionel Messi Claim
Lionel MessiPeter Hansson/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Former Manchester City striker Balotelli is a huge admirer of Messi, whom he's met as an opponent four times. He said the Argentine operates at a level of unpredictability and speed that "is not normal."
That said, the former Italy frontman believes another Albiceleste great does rival Messi as the greatest player in history. He told The Late Run:
"I think the only one that may be better than him, but not too much, was Maradona."
Diego Maradona is celebrated as a footballing genius who made the beautiful game look easy every time he had the ball at his feet. A charismatic personality, blended with naturally gifted ability, wowed fans throughout his career.
Everything the Argentine icon touched seemed to turn to gold, including his infamous Hand of god goal scored against England at the 1986 World Cup. He captained his country to glory at the tournament, putting in inspired performances and registering five goals and as many assists.
There are similarities between Messi and Maradona, not least their rise to footballing superstardom and their status as heroes in their homeland. They left the opposition dumbfounded by their quick feet and dribbling abilities, something Balotelli touched on when describing the current Argentina skipper:
"His speed with the ball is crazy. If I want to do something with the ball that Messi does, I'll probably do it after thinking for two seconds: Messi is like this (clicks fingers), then like this (clicks fingers), and then do something different. Then you think he will probably come from the right; he already moved the ball, it's not normal."
Maradona thrived as an attacking midfielder for club and country, earning 90 caps for the South Americans, posting 32 goals and 27 assists. His best moments at club level came with Napoli, which named its stadium the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Messi is statistically superior, having broken goalscoring records throughout his career. He is the defending world champions' all-time top scorer, but Balotelli's opinion is more focused on the incredible duo's playing style.
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Messi Told He'll 'Never be Better than Maradona'
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The GOAT debate is often contested between Messi and longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The younger generation weren't fortunate enough to watch Maradona and the late great Pele.
Maradona has many supporters who argue that he remains the best player the sport has ever seen. That verdict was given by Argentina's 1978 World Cup hero Mario Kempes, who claimed back in 2021 that Messi couldn't displace 'El Pibe de Oro':
"If [Messi] wants to be better than Maradona, he is not going to achieve it even if he wins four World Cups in a row... No matter how many titles he wins or what he wins, it can never be compared to what Diego did."
Diego Maradona
Stat / Category Diego Maradona Lionel Messi
Active Years 1977–1994 2005–Present
Total International Caps 91 203
Total International Goals 34 124
Goals Per Game Ratio ~0.37 ~0.61
World Cup Appearances 4 6
World Cup Matches Played 21 29
World Cup Goals 8 20
Copa América Goals 4 14
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Lionel Messi is indisputably the GOAT when it comes to football, winning titles and breaking records wherever he goes, but how does he do it?
That is a strong statement given no player in history has won two World Cups in a row, let alone four. Messi is bidding to become the first to deliver back-to-back glory for their nation.