Lionel Messi and Argentina won the 2022 World Cup on Sunday, seeing off France via penalties.
Messi netted twice on the day and scored in the shootout.
The 35-year-old has now won every major trophy available to him, with many accepting that the World Cup win cemented Messi as the GOAT.
However, at least one former player does not agree.
Former Argentina captain Javier Zanetti, who played alongside Messi at international level between 2005 and 2011, told Stats Perform when asked if the Paris Saint-Germain star has overtaken Maradona: “No, not for me. I don’t like [the] comparison. We have to be grateful that the two greatest [players] in history are Argentines. I don’t think [Messi] has changed. I think he is more mature now and he was able to transmit his leadership to the rest of the group this time.”
Zanetti added on Argentina landing their first global crown in 36 years: “It’s a great emotion that the lads gave us because we have been waiting for it for a long time. I think they made it happen, the dream of millions of Argentinian fans around the world. It was a great final for us Argentines because it seemed it was all going in our way but then France had a great reaction.”
