Maradona vs Messi - The Best GOAT Comparison [EXTREME]

Lionel Messi vs. Diego Maradona. Who is the GOAT??? In this video, we compare the two legends to determine -- once and for all -- who is football's Greatest Of All Time!
00:00 - Opening Montage
01:20 - Introduction
03:55 - GOAT Criteria
05:20 - Titles
07:30 - Achievements
07:47 - Messi Maradona stats
12:36 - The Spectator Eye
17:11 - Dribbling
19:40 - Speed
20:38 - Control
22:53 - Assist
24:51 - Goal
26:06 - Creativity
27:37 - Free Kick
28:13 - Penalty
28:56 - The "Emotion Factor"
36:42 - Recap - Final Statement
37:36 - Closing Montage

[@johnpacino007]

Dribbling Maradona? You're not seeing the game right Messi play's in an era were there's far more pressing on the man on the ball He's sometimes surrounded by up to 4/5 players all pressing him & skins them all on a shoestring He's got the best close control off any player I've seen Maradona needed more space & lost the ball more times when pressed by multiple players He'd never score a goal like Messi's 2015 Copa Del Rey Final goal against Atletico Bilbao When three players locked him in on the touchline & he skinned them all with bewitching close control

[@Luka-pe9gf]

Messi has better dribbling and Better assist

[@terlalumanis9999]

IM a Messi fan,but i cant compare them,..enjoying the greatness of both ofthem is really happy.... Thanks for this awesome video... Messi like Maradona like Messi

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for commenting!!!’ 😍😍😍

[@user-dl9yo3jd9b]

You went through so much trouble trying to minimize what Messi has done. Unfortunately for you my eyes never mislead me. Messi is the greatest player my eyes have seen

[@mrt445]

Messi is apparently the fastest player ever with the ball at his feet.

[@mccracker7381]

Maradona is a more artistic messi Messi is a more efficient maradona

[@footballfornerds]

I agree 100% percent

[@goonerland8195]

THIS!! is the best summation by far. Kudos to you.

[@agusmolfino]

This is super well done. All the context and background information really makes it. As an Argentine and lover of the game, I got emotional Bravo! I agree with nearly everything. One element that you may have overlooked is the increased athleticism of opponents (especially goal keepers). I'd say it's harder to beat both defenders and goalkeepers in Messi's era than in Maradona's. This has to do with advances in training and and nutrition science, plus a larger pool of players to pull from (since the game is open to more people). This is why I would give dribbling, assist, and maybe even creativity to Messi. All that said, Maradona would still edges out Messi in the "spectator's eye" category.

[@footballfornerds]

Hi Agustin, thank you very much. I try to be as detailed as possible and also as objective haha. I agree with your point of view, and also keep in mind that Maradona was tackle much more than Messi. But yes, those categories are too even and the truth is that they end up being defined by taste. Thank you very much for commenting! Hopefully after tonight, I have to make another video updating the information hehehe, abrazo!

[@Rubrasileiro]

Messi is also super clear in terms of goalscoring abilities.

[@johnpacino007]

You need to update this dude Now that Messi's won the World Cup Scored in playoff's And scored a brace in the final Maradona scored zero in both his World Cup's Final's

[@dekkimahroza2656]

in 86 when Argentina won the WC, I'm only 5 years, never watch Maradona play, but people always talk about Maradona...old, young, children they spoke Maradona2 everyday, it can say children in that era knows football because of Maradona..WC 90 is my first WC, I'm so emotional when Argentina won the penalty kick against Yugoslavia & Italy... and cried when Argentina lost in the final, the moment when Maradona cried it's like the saddest thing in my memory about football..

[@minasmina9866]

MESSI IS BEST

[@sk_jay]

comparing an ended career with and ongoing one feels really off. There are so many things that have change after this video

[@footballfornerds]

YEP!

[@axelcv8694]

Amazing video, very detail and well done. 10/10

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks, was a lot of work, but now I have to update it, because Messi win the Copa America hahaha. I'm glad you enjoy the video!

[@mrt445]

You need to redo this. After Messi won the World Cup everything changes.

[@footballfornerds]

TOTALLY!!!

[@salimbelamiri5858]

Hi, Great video ! I really appreciate the critical approach and the methodology that you propose here. Since, they belong to different eras, there's nothing obvious when it comes to compare them. Obviously, the content would need to be updated with Messi's recent achievements (Copa America + Worldcup) that probably places him above Diego (even though in my opinion, Maradonna will remain unique until the end of times). Btw, the links towards the musics played in this video don't seem to work : i've just tried and the musics proposed are completely different. If it's not too much, would it be possible please to fix this issue ? Thanks again !

[@footballfornerds]

Thank you for taking the time and commenting! I really appreciate you! Have a nice week! 😍🙌

[@alfatangoninja]

Amazing comparison video. The world cup and Napoli factor makes Maradona the GOAT

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for the comment!!!!

[@Krato65]

First of all great video, If you had concluded any one of them to be superior than the other at the end I would've convinced with your explanation. But I do realize this was made before Messi winning the World cup himself in 2022 and equaling Maradona's legacy with Argentina. Here's my take : If you consider statistics, numbers, ratings, data for goals, assists, dribbles and titles, awards, achievements, records - forget Maradona.... nobody in the history of the game even comes close to Messi. Because he's a statistical anomaly and a serial winner. But if you consider leadership, mentality, personality, aura to inspire a team, inspire a nation against all odds and adversity - Maradona is in his own league. Only thing against Messi is that he doesn't have these particularly non-footballing attributes to rely on...and only thing against Maradona is that he didn't have the longevity like Messi did to have these numbers and records. Apart from these, both of them have a very similar playstyle and god given footballing ability! So it's really upto the test of time and preference of different people to decide whose the better one!

[@Cruithneach]

The appellation of "greatest of all time" is a bit futile, as we have no idea who will arrive on the scene in 20, 30, 50 or 100 years. What is true, however, is that in Messi, Maradona and Di Stefano, Argentina has had three genuine claimants to the throne; a country blessed with heavenly footballing talent

[@footballfornerds]

Thank you for commenting!!! Hope you have a great day! Sequel has no release date yet but it is in my mind to do it! 🙌🏻🤗

[@christiancharles837]

I want you to remake this title after Leo won the 2022 WC....if its changed your result ?❤😂

[@amjadsiddig3384]

What a beautiful video, I went looking for this on youtube and didn't come across it by chance and it's exactly what I wanted. Well done, your channel deserves millions of views especially this one. Do you plan on revisiting this topic after Messi won a WC?

[@footballfornerds]

Thank you so much for your words, it take a month and a half to make it, I did it before Copa America 2021, so now it’s useless 😂. But I’m happy about that, because I’m a major Messi fan, so yeah, probably I’ll do a new one when Messi retire, hope it’s gonna be in a long time!

[@terlalumanis9999]

@@footballfornerds its the great video....thank you very much... And i love both (M&M)

[@tushnikdas8307]

Nice video detailed analysed

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks!

[@goonerland8195]

Messi is far more efficient....doing less to achieve same result.

[@general_a7]

Let us all agree that modern football is more advanced than before in terms of training, nutrition and medical treatment, as the players’ march has become long-lasting, as well as the stadiums have been developed, the shoes and the quality of the ball are better than they were in the past, all these factors help the current player to continue for a long time In the stadiums and to provide a better performance, in addition to the fact that the offensive and defensive tactics are more effective than before, every time has its difficulty in playing, if the current football difficulty lies in the tactic, then in the past it has other factors that make it more difficult.👍🏽

[@beststarsign]

The flimsy excuse of Nt winni world cup is long gone. I grew up with Maadna and loved him but Messi is in a different league. There is no comparison with anyone and he is still evolving like a true champion.

[@ktneo5814]

Amazing spot on wide analyses, so emotionally and well put together . Thank you. Maradona brought highest level of magic to football ever. As we know , he single handedly lead/inspire/raised teams' performances at Serie A /UEFA with Napoli and Argentina at 86 World cup were incomparable stuff of legend . Messi ableit have much better support & surrounded by world class team mates , seems the most effective/ruthless goal scorer ever at top pro level by a lot bar Pele ( probably better than Pele's achievement ie. was protected as national treasure & restricted to less developed Brazilian domestic football of 1958-1970 ) . Messi however , with latest World Cup achievement, can finally & confidently be on par as Pele and Maradona as the 3 best ever footballers ! We are so blessed to have three of them in our life time !!

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for commenting my friend!!!

[@darkbroseph]

Messi is Better than Maradona objectively. Taking all the sentiments out of it. Far more successful, As magical, A far more ruthless competitor. There is no argument.

[@samuelkoomson6017]

Maradona had Careca,Alemao and a lot of quality Italian players in Napoli

[@user-io2qb7ks5q]

Update your video. Also include that Maradona was on drugs on some games. Messi is the GOAT 1,000%. Messi gave/gives good assist the downfall is the player receiving the ball does not score.

[@footballfornerds]

Thank you for your comment !!

[@HugoTaboada-vh8us]

Personality Goes for Maradona,but dribbling and all the rest goes for Messi, hands down

[@sushantminz8212]

no player come close to leo messi .

[@Rubrasileiro]

Messi is clear

[@michaeltrumph121]

Only for kids.

[@mannyacolatse]

Wish you could revisit the same statistics now.

[@rexclamation9649]

dribbling maradona? ignoring everything else, messi is by far the best dribbler to ever play

[@SharlotWest1]

Messi es el mejor de todos los tiempos, pero Maradona es Dios . Maradona es Amor . Y es el más argentino de todos

[@jephethking3650]

I want to know why when he shows Maradona video it is slowed down to make him look better, and what about off the field leadership?

[@tonchokostov2692]

Great video and I can agree about the Spectators facotr at that time when you mad the video but look at now - we are not speaking about GOAT, we are speaking bout God... and thats Messi. You should make an update because the last 2 years were God mode, not GOAT mode for Messi

[@fredrikdahl1230]

Maradona also played deeper on the pitch than Messi which along with the more physical and tougher era of play explains why Diego Maradona had less impressive goal and assists stats maybe, for example, than messi. But we need to remember that Messi plays in a more protected era of play and he also plays in a more advanced position than what Maradona ever did if we are going to be honest. Not saying Messi isnt close to Maradona, but imo, relative to their eras, they are both the best. Personally Messi is my favorite player, of all time aswell, but Diego Maradona is in that discussion with Messi aswell, along with Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo aswell. Although as a sidenote i think Ronaldo "9" the phenomenon is in the conversation peak wise and needs a mention imo. But back to the Maradona Messi discussion, Maradona played for a mid table team basically, in Napoli, and Messi played for one of the best club sides of all time although Messi was a important key player in this side. This is why, like the stats argument, context is important. Maradona didnt play in bad teams, but he didnt play with teams like Messi played on. All in all, it will always be a discussion imo, because of the different eras that players play in. Great video by the way! I bought a Maradona 1986 Argentina kit yesterday by the way. Cant wait to wear it!😊🔟🇦🇷

[@footballfornerds]

Thank you for your comment!!! Hope you have a great week!! 🙌🏻☺️

[@zxtsf]

Messi is not an attack correct your ideas

[@bismillahbiryani8174]

It is to watch nice vedio really the great job has done. I started watching football due to maradona. He is the first man to move the ball like magician even though great player has been playing the football So as per my opinion Maradona is the best we have to respect his talent and dedication

[@dlm195804]

Messi outclass’ Maradona

[@tomlarnie2581]

how does a relatively small nation have the two greatest football players of all time? Is it the grass fed Argentian beef? I love you guys from Canada

[@criticooriental1668]

Maradona, rebeldia, debil contra poderoso, talento e improvisacion de un genio, desconoce la presion, rodeado de jugadores mediocres, carisma y liderazgo... Messi, nada de eso. Todo dicho...

[@ayanavakar]

you're saying maradona is better in freekick based on video but not based on conversion ratio !

[@fredrikdahl1230]

By the way i actually got to watch Messi at the camp nou in 2019 against real Valladolid In a 5-1 win. I got firsthand experience in other words😂. All i can say is it feels like an aura watching Messi at a stadium and especially at the camp nou which is where i saw him, with my dad. That is the best way i can describe it. I am too young to have lived through Maradona, but Messi is imo, in my lifetime the most magical player i have seen and the closest player to Maradona imo, that much i think, but i dont think Messi is the best, because noone knows 🤔. Definitely in my lifetime Messi is my favourite player🇦🇷🔟🙌. In the match Messi scored two goals and got two assists. But with all this said, i think Maradona was a better and natural leader than Messi , although i have to say that Messi was a great leader in the last world cup. I still think Maradona in 1986 world cup was more impressive but Messi in 2022 world cup was also great, but Maradona had a better wc performance imo, considering Maradona ' s impact on Argentina and the bad pitches Maradona played on and still being able to score the goal of the century. Either way i think Messi definitely is in the discussion with Maradona, Pele etc. And i also think its going to be a long time before we see a player of that type again. Mbappe could become great but we have to wait and see🤔😊

[@glasgowgrad6277]

Should the quotation not be: 'Football is the only religion that does have atheists'?

[@laskon82]

Thanks for the video. My first memory of football was watching Maradona play in the 1990 World Cup. I cried all night after seeing him lose to Germany. The emotion that he brought to the game is unmatched. Another factor is the physicality of the game. Messi is protected by refs today. Maradona was targeted by many fouls and sustained long term injuries. The character? This one unquestionably goes to Maradona. He put his heart into the game and did it for the people. Messi did it for himself and without any character. He always seemed to be unhappy with other players. Messi while obviously amazing, never had this much impact on me as Maradona. The human side of Maradona with all struggles makes him a true hero, not just a football genius.

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for watching the video and taking the time to share your thoughts! I love how you feel about Maradona, in my opinion is the best player ever lived, even though my hero is Messi. Thank you and I hope you have a nice day!

[@mahmoudhoussini550]

Do you know Mathaus ? The king of 1990 world cup.

[@mrt445]

Well all of that just changed. Messi has likely surpassed Maradona at this point.

[@DrPranabesh]

What means protection????

[@Gayoade]

​@@DrPranabeshreferees calling potential fouls against him

[@muszamucha]

Maradona was better

[@cironapoli6149]

Bravissimo messi spettacolare ma Diego è Diego

[@gonzalo20000]

Argentino nostálgico, le has regalado varios puntos a Maradona. Aún así esto está bastante desactualizado.

[@michaeltrumph121]

Some observations are necessary: 1. Both had over 10 seasons at the highest level, that's more than enough to say that a player has had longevity. So it's a tie. Messi playing more games does not give him the edge in terms of longevity, there are simply more games now and Maradona was injured for a longer period than Messi, and far more severe. 2. Napoli was not a mid table team, they were a shit team when Maradona arrived there, they barely escaped relegation the season before. 3. Messi simply has better stats cause he played for an uber dominant team. Put him in a team like Elche and he'd be nowhere near the numbers Maradona had with Napoli. 4. Messi is a forward that was assisted by some of the best midfielders of all time, so it's only logical Messi's goal stats are gonna be better. Maradona is the greater player.

[@mccracker7381]

In the dribbling, assist and freekick part for me it would be a draw both of them are 10/10 in these areas Apart from that i agree with everything else

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for commenting!!! And yeah I think they are so close in a lot areas so I totally understand your opinion!!! Hope you have a great week!!

[@mccracker7381]

@@footballfornerds good luck with your channel

[@footballfornerds]

thanks!!

[@master-py6od]

As we know Maradona is the most Crafted human touch the ball !? Vision 100% Tricky skills 100% Control 100% Dribbling 100% Power & speed 100% Achievement 86 WC. Till now replaced to maradona mondial . No need to mention why ...grannies and babies know that . Napoli team .....before maradona and after maradona,, ..was and became behind the scenes. Even small company can.t accept to keep Napoli their own representative. Finally, way of score the Goal .in miracle way ....refer to Maradona...not to any one else .. Base in what ...you gave it to Messi and jumping totally from ...goal of the Century....goal of the hand .... Which is consider a success factor...as it hit the opponent ( Rival ) War is trick.. No one won ..the war in trick way ... generally...like Maradona.. This is the way how to tell who is the best player in history....!? Not prizes or cups or Richer...!! No Future will stamp in 10 fingers fir my classification.. Ataallah Jordan.

[@footballfornerds]

Thanks for commenting!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@rosarioporalmasdelpurgatorio]

Messi #1

[@benjapercurosario]

jajaja, ahora: queda añguna duda de quien es el mejor de todo los tiempos...the G.O.A.T is Messi!

[@ayanavakar]

goal,assist and freekick ...messi is way ahead of maradona .

[@HeavenFace]

Watching the comments to this video in 2023 after Messi won his 8 ballon d'or a few minutes ago lol winning his first World Cup and Copa America in 2021 for his Country hehehe this videos didn't age well there is no comparison to Messi 100 and something goals for country as well.

[@jorgesolitario1825]

30000??

[@user-pj5bj5nx5q]

Argentina managers & players say Pele is the GOAT Hello everybody, N.B. My apology, you may have seen this message in other blogs In recent times there have been many articles and debates on Maradona vs Messi, who is the greatest? Video underneath (in Spanish but we can translate it) Copy and paste it if necessary, also as it is at the bottom of this message, (duration: around 18 min) More comments are below it  PELÉ el MEJOR de la HISTORIA 🥇 🏆 ⚽ 🇧... Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi may be more similar that we think The difference is that One won the World Cup / became a national hero / became more outspoken in his career nearly 10 years before the other one Maradona & Messi are two wonderful players that we want in our team but remember football is a team sport Without Messi: * Barcelona won the 2006 Champions League final - injured * Barcelona & PSG have been doing well - since leaving the clubs Without Maradona, Argentina won: * The 1978 World Cup - left out of the squad * 2 Copa America (1991 & 1993) - during his international break Something Diego couldn't do (1987 & 1989) Without Pele: * Brazil won the major part of the 1962 World Cup - injured * Santos won 2 games of the 1963 Intercontinental Cup final - injured Without C. Ronaldo: * Portugal won the Euro 2016 final - injured * Man Utd won the 2023 League Cup - after leaving the club Great players have very good teammates around them The same applies in the World Cup * In Qatar 2022, Messi won the trophy alongside top players (Alvarez, Di Maria, Martinez, etc ...) but it seems that * In Mexico 1986, Maradona's teammates (Burruchaga, Ruggeri, Valdano, etc ...) were a bit better Then it can be argued that the difference between Maradona & Messi wining the World Cup 'single handedly' is that Maradona did it with a better squad, better players around him and in the most important match, The World Cup final, Diego had a quieter game because of the marking by West Germans, notably Matthaus. This is when Maradona's teammates stepped in & helped him achieve his dream of winning the World Cup. Perhaps, people who have seen all the great players can have a good opinion on who is the best. In the same video above and underneath, Argentinese debate N.B.: Let's remember that Argentina have had many world class players (Kempes, Passarella, ... Batistuta, ..., Aguero, etc ...) and 3 great players (Di Stefano, Maradona, Messi) & maybe more to come The people in the video include: * The three managers of Argentina when Maradona was playing - Menotti, Bilardo, & Basile (who also coached Messi) * Journalists * Former Argentine players Rem.: They may rank Messi higher now since leading his country to Copa America & World Cup glory However, for them the greatest footballer of all time is Pele N.B.: video link is below Regards, Chris PELÉ el MEJOR de la HISTORIA 🥇 🏆 ⚽ 🇧🇷 . Qué dicen los argentinos❓  🇦🇷 - KZbin PELÉ el MEJOR de la HISTORIA 🥇 🏆 ⚽ 🇧🇷 . Qué dicen los argentinos❓  🇦🇷

[@ayanavakar]

messi freekick video and assist video you should watch before making such content .

[@nighthunter1621]

there is no battle messi is a great player but to equal Diego he must live a thousand years to reach a quarter of his career

[@Joker-xd5dk]

MARADONA THE BEST OF ALL TIMES D10S!

[@sarahbenewaa105]

Now I have believed that Maradona was better than Messi 100 times

[@footballfornerds]

😂☠️

[@kazstoilov6194]

This has to be the most biased video ever. 😂

[@sarahbenewaa105]

This video tells me Messi does not come near Maradona

[@udififkfkfck]

Both had nasty charachters & personalities! Messi has family but Maradona was big on drugs so both equal!

[@footballfornerds]

🤣🤣🤣 thanks for commenting 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@hattaranmd]

impossible to quantify /measure objectively things that are inherently subjective. Infinite other contributing factors. I think this came as close to it as possible. Really well done. All with understanding of the game love or at least admire both. Metaphorically, two almost perfect flowers among many in an endless field, that visibly stand out from a distance. One was tended to from its early days, the other a wildflower that grew out of rocky soils without help. It's said that Maradona was first spotted by a neighborhood coach in his early teens barefooted-had borrow another boys shoes to play. You could wonder how the young Maradona would have turned out if he had access to cleats, a proper pitch, coach, nutrition, etc. Undoubtedly a very different footballer. Healthier but not necessarily better. I have watched nearly all games Messi has played since Rijkaard days, but Maradona-only 86, and 90 WC games.