Comparative analysis : Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona

Argentina's Diego Maradona during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter finals against England. Argentina won 2-1. (Photo by Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Argentina's Diego Maradona during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter finals against England. Argentina won 2-1. (Photo by Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) /
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Personality

Maradona had a very cunning personality. He was a perfectionist, and it didn’t always work out for him. He made several unprofessional, and unsportsmanlike decisions in his career. Most notably, he scored a goal with his hand (The Hand of God) to win the World Cup.

Even though he scored (arguably) the best goal of the 20th century in the same game, it was highly unprofessional. In the latter stages of his career, he also became addicted to cocaine and several other vices.

Messi is the polar opposite to Mardona in regard to personality. He is calm, composed and introverted, with a sort of humble, unassuming brilliance. He undoubtedly has sportsmanship, and is known for his lack of diving, which has become a common thing in modern football.