1982 World Cup winner Marco Tardelli had high praise for Lionel Messi following Argentina’s World Cup win but didn’t want to draw comparisons with Diego Maradona.

The Albiceleste took part in one of the most memorable World Cup finals in history against France on Sunday, going 2-0 up in the first half before allowing Les Bleus to net two on their own in the final 10 minutes of the match. 

Extra time followed and Argentina took the lead again before France found a late equaliser, pushing the final to penalties, where the Albiceleste showed their grit to win.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tardelli first discussed why he didn’t want to compare Messi and Maradona after Argentina’s World Cup win.

“Not today, for two reasons. And one does not exclude the other. One: the Maradona I saw and faced was unreachable, as was Pelé. 

“Two: each one is a champion of his time and Messi – if he needed to be – by winning the World Cup definitely proved that he is one, in his own right. He did a great thing, he was fantastic. Just like Mbappé was fantastic.”

He explained why Messi was fantastic for the Albiceleste.

“More than for what he did on the pitch, because he did it at the end of a particular period and despite a shock start, after that defeat against Saudi Arabia.”

The 1982 World Cup winner touched on the Argentina star’s preparations for the tournament in Qatar.

“I have seen him as more of a leader. He used to be quieter, he got less angry and complained even less. 

“The Argentine heart came out, the one that in the past, especially in the other World Cups, he was blamed for not having because he had left his country very early and therefore – it was accused – could not have that soul. 

“In Qatar he showed he had it. He put his whole heart into this Argentina. And he has shown that he has a lot of it.”

Tardelli explained why he didn’t want to compare Maradona and Messi.

“Others have always made them, he certainly hasn’t. Also because, as I said, they are meaningless comparisons, the football they played was too different. 

“Maradona had an opponent always hanging over him, Messi could come behind and take the ball with a relative calmness that Diego never had. And in Diego’s time, to get sent off you almost had to ‘kill him’.”

He reflected on when he faced Maradona at the World Cup.

“It was an Argentina vs the world, I hadn’t killed him, but I had beaten him up, a lot. But Maradona only stopped like that, and every now and then I think of what he would have been like with today’s training, diets, psychology.”

The 1982 World Cup winner commented on the pressures on Messi at this World Cup.

“He felt the weight of having to win the World Cup like Maradona, not being like him. It was his last chance, he had to take this Argentina up there, to be the perfect captain. And he did it.”

Finally, Tardelli was asked if he expected Messi to cry more after the victory.

“He’s a man, he’s not a child. And a man does not weigh joy in tears.”

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