MLS legend Diego Valeri has given his verdict on who he thinks is better between Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi or Argentina icon Diego Maradona.
The reigning Ballon d’Or holder has often been dubbed the successor to Maradona in Argentina, with Messi winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and last year becoming the most decorated soccer player in history with Inter Miami.
With CF Monterrey’s manager this week claiming Messi is the greatest player of all time, there’s a real case to be made that the Inter Miami star is untouchable, except in Argentina, where the legend of Maradona still holds a lot of weight.
And for former Portland Timbers star and MLS MVP Valeri, there isn’t much to separate the two when it comes to who is the best.
Diego Valeri details who is better between Messi or Maradona
Speaking on Offside with Taylor Twellman, the former Argentina international revealed that the two players cannot be separated or compared given how brilliant Messi and Maradona both were in their respective generations.
Whilst Messi could be considered the best given all the Inter Miami star has done, Maradona wouldn’t have looked out of place in the 21st century, with the Napoli legend playing in an era where player protection was nonexistent.
Valeri said when asked who is the best between Messi or Maradona: “They’re different, it’s a matter of who you like better instead of who is the best. Maradona was like a dancer with the ball, whereas Messi is a machine.
“The generational difference also makes it hard to compare, but saying that, Messi has sustained a level that nobody has managed, it’s part of being the best. For me, they’re the same level.”
Comparing two of soccer’s greatest is an impossible task
Soccer is one of the most subjective sports on the planet, with one fan thinking Messi is the greatest of all time whilst another will argue that Maradona is the undisputed best to ever play the game.
With ‘who is better’ conversations now taking up a lot of the soccer media airwaves, it’s important to realise that comparing two players as legendary as Messi or Maradona is an almost impossible task.
And for us as fans, the best thing to do is just appreciate what we see before our eyes, and to treasure the moments and the quality that we see with the likes of Messi, something that might not be seen again.