Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Extended Clip - Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona: Who Is The GOAT?
991 Plays3 years ago
If Lionel Messi wins the FIFA World Cup, does he overtake Diego Maradona as the GOAT?
Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey analyze every angle of what could become the new endless debate after Qatar 2022.
This is an extended clip from this weeks free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
To listen to ALL complete episodes of The Italian Football Podcast, go to Patreon.com/TIFP and become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Italian Football Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to
Messi's Impact on Argentina
00:00:10
Speaker
This has been so far, Messi has carried Argentina because the second game as well against Mexico, they were struggling and he scored the goal.
Would a World Cup Win Elevate Messi Above Maradona?
00:00:21
Speaker
If Messi was to win this World Cup, there's been this never ending Messi versus Maradona debate. If Messi was to win the World Cup, would this take him above Maradona? Would this make him the greatest player of all time, let's say?
00:00:32
Speaker
the Italian football podcast.
00:00:37
Speaker
It would certainly make those claims much more valid, in my opinion, because by that means he would have basically completed football. I mean, he would have won the Olympics, he would have won Copa America, he would have won the World Cup. He's won everything at European club level. He's missing what?
Messi's Career Achievements and Hypotheticals
00:00:58
Speaker
Copa Libertadores, which I'm sure he can sort out in the twilight of his career, if that's what he wants to do.
00:01:04
Speaker
But he he will have completed football, wouldn't he? I mean, he would have won everything there is to win. So there will definitely be a be a be in terms of career wise. I think, yes, I don't think anyone can can say anything against that in just terms of what he's accomplished in his career.
Comparing Messi and Maradona's Prime Performance
00:01:23
Speaker
But if you look at the level that he reached when at his best and compare that to Maradona, those years, 86 to 89,
00:01:33
Speaker
Just I was doing this because I was sick over the weekend and had lots of spare time. And what one does when one is sick is one naturally goes back and rewatches every single game that Argentina played in the 1986 World Cup. Why not? And, you know, seriously.
00:01:51
Speaker
Yes, the tempo is lower, but the defending is ruthless. If I did that to someone on a pitch, I'd be sent to prison. Did you see the pitches in 86 as well? Exactly. Did you see when you went on that run? Yeah, exactly. And if you want to talk about heat, if you want to talk about
00:02:10
Speaker
the level of protection or non-existent from the referees, and then you look at what that man does. Most of his impressive things that he does in those games are chances that his teammates can't even score, tap-ins they miss, that no one even remembers because they didn't turn into goals. The level that he played at in 1986 at the World Cup is the highest any player has ever played at in World Cup history.
Is Messi the Greatest Club Player?
00:02:39
Speaker
Yeah, there's no doubt about that. It's just that simple. I'm in agreement with you completely. I think that depends how you analyse this. I think if you're going to look at who is the greatest club player of all time, just put it at club.
00:03:02
Speaker
I think it's hard to look past Messi. Certainly if we're looking at the greatest one club player of all time, I think it has to be Messi. Like what he did, just all the records he broke and all the goals he scored, the assists, the numbers back it up.
00:03:15
Speaker
trophies he won, but the part that he played in all those trophies, the impact that he had, the influence that he had, absolutely incredible. Obviously, there's always the argument that Messi only really did it for one club.
Messi's Legacy and Future at PSG
00:03:28
Speaker
I know he's gone to PSG now, but he's playing in a poor league. Let's see if he can do it in the Champions League and take them to win the Champions League. If he does that, then you can add that as well. Some players have done it in more leagues.
00:03:42
Speaker
in different environments. But I do think that if you're looking at a club player, Messi probably is the greatest club player of all time.