Argentine GOAT

Messi vs Maradona — Who Is the Greater Argentine?

Maradona's 1986 World Cup is the most iconic individual tournament ever. Messi's 2022 finally answered him — plus 8 Ballons d'Or.

Short answer

Messi

Messi's longevity, awards and 2022 win complete the argument; many Argentines still pick Maradona for emotional reasons.

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By the numbers

Metric

Messi

Ronaldo

World Cup

1 (2022)

1 (1986, Maradona)

Ballon d'Or

0 (Maradona, ineligible)

1986 vs 2022

Maradona carried Argentina almost single-handedly in 1986. Messi led a more balanced 2022 squad but was equally decisive.

Frequently asked

+Who is greater, Messi or Maradona?

On career evidence, Messi. On a single tournament (1986), Maradona is unrivalled.

+How does this compare with the Messi vs Ronaldo debate overall?

Messi's longevity, awards and 2022 win complete the argument; many Argentines still pick Maradona for emotional reasons. For the full side-by-side across goals, trophies, Ballons d'Or and the World Cup, see our main Messi vs Ronaldo comparison.

Keep reading

The eternal question

Who Is Better — Messi or Ronaldo?

Career stats compared

Messi vs Ronaldo — Full Career Stats (2026)

The GOAT question

Who Is the GOAT — Messi or Ronaldo?

All topics

Every Messi vs Ronaldo comparison on the site — fully indexable.