Messi is just a completely different player to Maradona. Messi is predominantly a striker, so unless the ball is in the opponent's half, he doesn't even bother to get involved. He just strolls around and waits for the ball to be passed to him which is when he comes alive for a few touches of the ball. Then continues to stay away from the action until the next such moment.

Maradona or Zidane were completely different types of players. They got involved everywhere all the time. You could always see their presence on the pitch. They could take a ball from their own half and drive it forward and make a game. They were also extremely confident and ballsy, which Messi does not appear to be.

So Messi can never be Maradona because they are just different types of players. Funnily enough, I think Messi plays more like Pele than like Maradona.

The player of the tournament

I now feel sorry for Messi. Everyday the papers print new quotes from "experts" who say he should not have been given the award. It's not like he gave it to himself and it looked like he definitely did not want it. It's quite horrible to first give him the award and then go on and on about how he didn't deserve it. Someone must have decided to hand it over to him in the first place.

It is funny how the hype, the hate, the awards and the criticism all had little to do with him. As you say he never awarded himself the award.

Then again, he gets the pay of one of the best, so on some level his poor performance (I dont think it was that bad) is going to be mocked.

People are way to quick to hate Messi for his below Messi performance.

Anyone who has followed his career knows he has not been the same since March/April 2013.

He was at an unreal level from 2008-2012. People like to hate, but for 5 seasons in a row he scored 40+ goals. Plus assisted 50+ goals in those years.

Anyway in April 2013 still in Legendary form he got injured. He was rushed back after a few weeks only and was injured again. He was again rushed back for Pre season and again got injured and incredibly was rushed back again, by a very desperate Barcelona.

Finally he got the required rest from October-December 2013 and returned in January 2014. He was rusty, but generally still as good as anyone else around. Then being unfit about March he began to tire, but Barca kept playing him. Thus arrived at the World Cup in my opinion, not in form and fatigued.

Yet its credit to him, that he still scored 4 and assisted 2 more and played a key role up to the QF. He ran out of steam in the last couple of games, but that's still not a bad effort.

In regards to BEST ever quotes, its all pointless as you cant compare generations.

However I will say, I know who is the better for Football. Messi over Maradonna who used drugs, got into fights and cheated.

What a hero and legend he is. not