It’s the one thing that undermines Lionel Messi’s claim on a legendary status. The Argentine great’s inability to win silverware for the national side will forever weigh on his shoulder.
It was a hurdle that once stood in front of Cristiano Ronaldo, until the Real Madrid superstar lifted the European Championship with Portugal last summer. Meanwhile, Leo has three runners-up medals in his cabinet.
However, fellow Argentine great Diego Maradona has come to the 29-year-old’s defense. In the eyes of the Albiceleste legend, Messi’s failure to guide Argentina to a third World Cup title holds no weight on Leo’s legendary status.
"I am not going to tolerate that people say Messi is not the phenomenon that he is because he did not win a World Cup,” Maradona told TyC Sports (as per ESPN FC).
"Messi is a great player, regardless of whether he won the World Cup or not. At the age of 56, I can say that I have never seen anyone like Messi. I thank God that Messi is an Argentine. We have Messi, the Pope and me...
"Why would we burden him with claims that he is not a phenomenon if he does not win the World Cup? I won it because I got to play with guys like [Ricardo] Giusti, [Jorge] Burruchaga, [Nery] Pumpido, [Oscar] Ruggeri and many more..."
Maradona coached Lionel Messi and Argentina during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It was a disappointing tournament for La Pulga, as he exited without scoring once.
The 2014 World Cup was a more successful tournament for the Barca star, but it ended in utter heartbreak. Messi saw his side lose 1-0 to Germany in the final in extra-time after an impressive campaign.
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