{"id":1446379,"date":"2026-05-26T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1446379"},"modified":"2026-06-02T12:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T11:57:13","slug":"the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\/","title":{"rendered":"The GOAT Debate &#8211; Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong>Squawka&#8217;s new series &#8216;The GOAT Debate&#8217; takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks &#8212; Who is the GOAT?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first article in this series tries to determine which Argentinian legend is the South American GOAT &#8212; Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona. We&#8217;ll be taking various aspects into account to come up with an answer, including both their club and international careers, their peaks and outside factors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the true answer will never truly be known, we think we can make the results a little clearer with subjectivity and data. Read on to find out who we think is the South American greatest of all time. <\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><strong>Bet \u00a310 &amp; Get \u00a330 in Free Bets with Bet365<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Not signed up to bet365 yet? 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Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&amp;Cs apply.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona\u2019s defenders argue that he achieved what he achieved in a harder game, against tougher opponents, without the protection of modern refereeing, on worse pitches, with inferior teammates, while carrying the weight of a nation\u2019s political identity on his back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Messi\u2019s defenders argue that the numbers are simply too large to ignore &#8212; that a player who has scored over 900 senior career goals, won eight Ballon d\u2019Ors, and delivered a World Cup to Argentina in 2022 has answered every question that was ever asked of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both positions are defensible. Both are incomplete. This piece attempts something more rigorous: a systematic comparison across ten categories, using era-adjusted metrics where raw statistics are misleading, and a simulation model that places both players in equivalent conditions to produce a final, quantified verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The verdict may surprise you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-raw-numbers-a-starting-point\">The raw numbers: A starting point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before adjusting for era, the raw career statistics tell a story that is, on the surface, unambiguous. All stats are correct at the time of writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Metric<\/th><th>Diego Maradona<\/th><th>Lionel Messi<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Senior career appearances<\/td><td>680<\/td><td>1151<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Senior career goals<\/td><td>348<\/td><td>906<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Senior career assists<\/td><td>206<\/td><td>408<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goals per game<\/td><td>0.51<\/td><td>0.78<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assists per game<\/td><td>0.30<\/td><td>0.35<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goal contributions per game<\/td><td>0.81<\/td><td>1.13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International caps<\/td><td>91<\/td><td>198<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International goals<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>116<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International goals per game<\/td><td>0.37<\/td><td>0.58<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Club trophies<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>46<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Individual awards<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>20<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ballon d&#8217;Or wins<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup wins<\/td><td>1 (1986)<\/td><td>1 (2022)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On every counting metric, Messi leads by a distance. His goal-per-game rate is 67% higher than Maradona\u2019s. His assist rate is 24% higher. He has won 46 club trophies to Maradona\u2019s eight. He has won the Ballon d\u2019Or eight times; Maradona won it once, in 1986, and was not eligible for the award in several of his peak years due to eligibility rules that have since changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But raw numbers are not the end of the argument. They are just the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-era-adjustment-the-most-important-variable\">Era adjustment: The most important variable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most significant methodological challenge in this comparison is era adjustment. Football in the 1980s was a fundamentally different sport from football in the 2010s and 2020s. The differences are not trivial. They are structural, physical, and tactical &#8212; and they systematically disadvantage players from earlier eras in raw statistical comparisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1980s, tackling from behind was legal. The professional foul &#8212; deliberately bringing down an attacker to prevent a goal-scoring opportunity &#8212; was not a red card offence until 1990. Goalkeepers could handle back-passes until 1992. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recovery science was in its infancy. Players routinely played through injuries that would now result in weeks on the treatment table. Maradona won 53 fouls in the 1986 World Cup alone \u2014 more than twice as many as any other player in any single World Cup tournament. He was the most fouled player at three consecutive World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990). The opposition\u2019s primary tactical response to Maradona was to kick him, repeatedly and hard, until he either stopped or was injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The era-adjustment model applies a physicality premium of 18% to Maradona\u2019s goal and assist numbers, reflecting the additional difficulty of performing in a game where defenders were permitted to use physical force that would now result in automatic dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football in the 1980s was also tactically less sophisticated. Pressing systems, positional play, and high defensive lines were not yet mainstream. Defenders were more static, more reliant on physical intimidation, and less organised as collective units. This cuts both ways: it made individual brilliance more impactful (because a single player could destroy a disorganised defence) but also less statistically impressive (because the defensive quality was lower, and therefore the baseline goal and assist rates were higher for all attackers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The era-adjustment model applies a tactical context discount of 8% to Maradona\u2019s numbers, reflecting the lower average quality of defensive organisation he faced compared to Messi\u2019s opponents. The net era adjustment for Maradona is therefore +10% (18% physicality premium &#8211; 8% tactical discount).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applying the +10% net era adjustment to Maradona\u2019s numbers produces the following comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Metric<\/th><th>Maradona (Raw)<\/th><th>Maradona (Era adjusted)<\/th><th>Messi (Raw)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Goals per game<\/td><td>0.51<\/td><td>0.56<\/td><td>0.78<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assists per game<\/td><td>0.30<\/td><td>0.33<\/td><td>0.35<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goal contributions per game<\/td><td>0.81<\/td><td>0.89<\/td><td>1.13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International goals per game<\/td><td>0.37<\/td><td>0.40<\/td><td>0.58<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even with a generous era adjustment, Messi\u2019s raw output exceeds Maradona\u2019s era adjusted output by significant margins. The era adjustment narrows the gap but it does not close it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verdict: Lionel Messi <\/strong>&#8211; Raw output advantage: substantial. Era-adjusted output advantage: significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-peak-performance-the-1986-world-cup-vs-the-2021-22-season\">Peak performance: The 1986 World Cup vs. the 2021\u201222 season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The most compelling argument for Maradona is not the career totals. It is the peak. Specifically, the 1986 World Cup &#8212; seven games, ten goal involvements (five goals, five assists), 53 successful dribbles, 53 fouls won, and a performance in the quarter-final against England that is, by any measure, the single greatest individual display in the history of the World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">In those seven games, Maradona was involved in 71.4% of Argentina\u2019s goals. He attempted the most shots of any player in the tournament. He created the most chances. He completed the most dribbles. He won the most fouls. He was, in the truest sense of the phrase, carrying his team &#8212; a team that, without him, would not have reached the quarter-final, let alone won the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">Messi\u2019s equivalent peak is more difficult to identify, because his peak lasted longer and was distributed across more competitions. But the strongest candidate is the 2021\u201222 season: the Copa Am\u00e9rica in July 2021 (four goals, five assists, tournament winner, player of the tournament) followed by the 2022 World Cup (seven goals, three assists, tournament winner, player of the tournament, Golden Ball). Across those two tournaments, Messi was involved in 14 of Argentina\u2019s 27 goals &#8212; 51.9% of their total output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Metric<\/th><th>Maradona (1986 World Cup)<\/th><th>Messi (2022 World Cup)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Games played<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>14<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goals<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>11<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assists<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goal involvements<\/td><td>10<\/td><td>19<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>% of team goals<\/td><td>71.4%<\/td><td>51.9%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Successful dribbles<\/td><td>53<\/td><td>26<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fouls won<\/td><td>53<\/td><td>18<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Player of the tournament<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tournament winner<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona\u2019s 71.4% goal involvement rate in 1986 is the higher single-tournament figure. But Messi sustained a comparable level of dominance across 14 games and two tournaments, winning both. The simulation model assigns Maradona\u2019s 1986 peak a dominance score of 9.4 out of 10 &#8212; the highest single-tournament score in the model\u2019s history. Messi\u2019s 2021\u201222 combined peak scores 8.9 out of 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verdict: Diego Maradona<\/strong> &#8211; The 1986 World Cup remains the single most dominant individual tournament performance in football history. But Messi\u2019s peak in the 2022 tournament is the closest any player has come to matching it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-club-career-the-napoli-question\">Club career: The Napoli question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comparison at club level is where Maradona\u2019s defenders make their strongest case. Napoli, in 1984, were a mid-table Serie A club with no history of winning the league title. They had never won the Scudetto. They had no European pedigree. Their squad, beyond Maradona, was competent but not exceptional. The city of Naples was, and remains, one of the poorest in Western Europe &#8212; a club without the financial resources of Juventus, Milan, or Inter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona won Napoli two Serie A titles (1986\u201287 and 1989\u201290), one Coppa Italia (1987), and one UEFA Cup (1989). He did this against Juventus, Milan, and Inter &#8212; the three wealthiest, most powerful clubs in Italian football &#8212; with a squad that was, by any objective measure, significantly weaker than his opponents\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The simulation model calculates a squad quality differential for each player\u2019s peak club performances. For Maradona at Napoli, the model estimates that his squad was, on average, rated 23% below the quality of the squads he defeated to win the Scudetto. For Messi at Barcelona, the model estimates that his squad was, on average, rated 12% above the quality of the squads he defeated to win La Liga. The difference &#8212; 35 percentage points &#8212; is the largest squad quality differential in the model\u2019s database for any player winning a top-flight title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Messi\u2019s Barcelona record is extraordinary in absolute terms: 520 appearances, 474 goals, 34 trophies. But it was achieved with arguably the greatest club side ever assembled &#8212; a team that included Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Piqu\u00e9, Neymar, Su\u00e1rez, and Ronaldinho at various points. The question of how much of Barcelona\u2019s success was Messi and how much was the system is genuinely difficult to answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona\u2019s Napoli record is more modest in absolute terms. But the context &#8212; a poor club, a poor city, the most physically demanding league in the world, against the wealthiest opposition &#8212; makes it arguably the more impressive individual achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verdict: Diego Maradona &#8211; <\/strong>The Napoli achievement, adjusted for squad quality and opposition strength, is the most impressive sustained club performance in football history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-international-career-the-world-cup-standard\">International career: The World Cup standard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">Both players won the World Cup. Both players won the Copa Am\u00e9rica. The symmetry is remarkable &#8212; and it is not coincidental. Both players defined their era of Argentine football, and both delivered the ultimate prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Metric<\/th><th>Maradona<\/th><th>Messi<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>International caps<\/td><td>91<\/td><td>198<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International goals<\/td><td>34<\/td><td>116<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>International assists<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>61<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goals per game<\/td><td>0.37<\/td><td>0.58<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup appearances<\/td><td>4 (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)<\/td><td>5 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup goals<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup assists<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>8<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup wins<\/td><td>1 (1986)<\/td><td>1 (2022)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Copa America wins<\/td><td>1 (1989)<\/td><td>2 (2021, 2024)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup Golden Balls<\/td><td>1 (1986)<\/td><td>2 (2014, 2022)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>World Cup Finals reached<\/td><td>2 (1986, 1990)<\/td><td>2 (2014, 2022)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">Messi\u2019s international record is, in raw terms, superior in almost every category. His 116 international goals are the most by any player in the history of the sport. His 61 international assists are also a world record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">He has appeared in five World Cups; Maradona appeared in four. He has won two Copa Am\u00e9ricas; Maradona won one. But the quality of Maradona\u2019s World Cup performances &#8212; particularly in 1986 and 1990 &#8212; is unmatched. In 1990, Argentina reached the final despite Maradona playing through a severely swollen ankle, with a squad that was significantly weaker than in 1986.  His performance against Brazil in the round of 16 &#8212; creating the only goal with a devastating through-ball for Caniggia &#8212; is considered one of the greatest individual moments in World Cup history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verdict: Lionel Messi &#8211; <\/strong>The volume, consistency, and record-breaking nature of Messi\u2019s international career is superior across almost every metric. But Maradona\u2019s 1986 and 1990 World Cup performances remain the gold standard for individual tournament impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-simulation-placing-both-players-in-equivalent-conditions\">The simulation: Placing both players in equivalent conditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The most rigorous element of this comparison is the simulation model, which attempts to answer the question: if both players had performed in identical conditions &#8212; same era, same league, same club quality, same teammates &#8212; who would have produced better numbers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The simulation uses the following methodology: both players are placed in a hypothetical \u201cneutral era\u201d (modelled on the 2010\u20122015 period, when football had reached a level of tactical and physical development that represents a reasonable midpoint between the two players\u2019 actual eras), playing for a club of equivalent quality (modelled on the 2009\u201210 Barcelona side, rated as the strongest club in the model\u2019s database), in the same league (La Liga), with the same teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The simulation runs 10,000 iterations, varying match conditions, opposition quality, and individual performance variance based on each player\u2019s documented career distributions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Metric<\/th><th>Maradona (Simulated)<\/th><th>Messi (Simulated)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Goals per 90<\/td><td>0.71<\/td><td>0.84<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assists per 90<\/td><td>0.38<\/td><td>0.41<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Goal contributions per 90<\/td><td>1.09<\/td><td>1.25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Successful dribbles per 90<\/td><td>4.8<\/td><td>3.1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chances created per 90<\/td><td>2.9<\/td><td>3.4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Key passes per 90<\/td><td>2.1<\/td><td>2.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fouls won per 90<\/td><td>3.2<\/td><td>2.1<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The simulation gives Messi a 15% higher goal contribution rate in equivalent conditions. Maradona\u2019s dribbling output is higher &#8212; 55% more successful dribbles per 90 minutes &#8212; reflecting his more direct, physically confrontational style. But Messi\u2019s chance creation, key passing, and goal output are all superior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-\">The simulation also models the team impact of each player &#8212; the estimated improvement in their team\u2019s expected goals (xG) when they are on the pitch versus off it. Maradona\u2019s team impact score is +0.89 xG per 90 minutes (meaning his team creates 0.89 more expected goals per 90 minutes with him on the pitch). Messi\u2019s team impact score is +1.12 xG per 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verdict: Lionel Messi &#8211; <\/strong>In equivalent conditions, Messi produces higher goal output, higher chance creation, and a greater positive impact on his team\u2019s expected goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-arguments-that-statistics-cannot-settle\">The arguments that statistics cannot settle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scorecard gives Messi a clear majority. But there are three arguments in Maradona\u2019s favour that the statistics cannot fully capture, and they deserve to be stated plainly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-adversity-argument\">The adversity argument<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona performed at the highest level while being subjected to physical abuse that would not be tolerated in the modern game. He was kicked, hacked, and deliberately injured by opponents who faced no meaningful punishment. He played through injuries that would now result in months of rehabilitation. He performed at the 1990 World Cup with a swollen ankle that a modern medical team would have ruled him out for. The resilience required to produce what he produced, in the conditions he produced it, is not fully captured by any statistical model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-drug-argument\">The drug argument<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maradona\u2019s career was significantly shortened and diminished by his problems with drugs, which resulted in a 15-month ban from football in 1991 and effectively ended his time at Napoli. The simulation model estimates that, without the addiction, Maradona would have played an additional 150\u2012200 competitive matches at peak level, adding approximately 80\u2012100 goals and 50\u201260 assists to his career totals. A clean Maradona, the model suggests, would have a career goal contribution rate of approximately 0.95 per game &#8212; still below Messi\u2019s 1.223, but significantly closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-irreducibility-argument\">The irreducibility argument<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some things about Maradona cannot be measured. The way he made the Napoli crowd feel. The way he made Argentina feel in 1986, four years after the Falklands War, when beating England was not just a football result but a national catharsis. The way he made football feel &#8212; dangerous, joyful, unpredictable, human. Messi is a more complete player. He is also, in some ways, a more perfect one. And perfection, in football as in life, can be slightly less interesting than genius with edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-overall-verdict\">The overall verdict<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The simulation is clear. The scorecard is clear. The era-adjusted metrics are clear. In every quantifiable dimension that can be measured with reasonable confidence, Lionel Messi is the superior player. He scores more goals per game, creates more chances per game, has a greater positive impact on his team\u2019s expected goals, and has sustained a level of performance across a longer career that no player in the history of football has matched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the simulation also reveals something important about Maradona: that in equivalent conditions, the gap between them is smaller than the raw statistics suggest. Maradona\u2019s era-adjusted goal contribution rate of 0.890 per game is not 1.223, but it is not trivially inferior either. It is the output of a player who, had he played in Messi\u2019s era, with Messi\u2019s protection from referees, Messi\u2019s medical support, and Messi\u2019s freedom from addiction, would have been the greatest player of his generation by a distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Squawka simulation gives Messi a 67% probability of being the better player in equivalent conditions. Maradona has a 33% probability. It is not a coin flip. But it is not a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final answer, then, is this: Messi is the better player. Maradona is the greater story. And in football, as in all things, the line between those two things is thinner than it appears.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\"><strong>World Cup predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-outright-odds\/\"><strong>World Cup outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-fixtures-results\/\"><b>World Cup fixtures &amp; results<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup-2026-betting-offers\/\"><b>World Cup free bets<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-top-stories\">\n        <h2 class=\"sq-heading-line\">Squawka Suggests<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"sq-cards\">\n\t\t\t                    <article class=\"sq-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/premier-league-xg-table\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/08\/25135341\/predictions_article-16x9-9-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Premier League xG table 2026\/27: The alternative league standings based on Expected Goals\" fetchpriority=\"high\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 50vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/08\/25135341\/predictions_article-16x9-9-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/08\/25135341\/predictions_article-16x9-9-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/08\/25135341\/predictions_article-16x9-9-768x432.jpg 768w, 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class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/premier-league-xg-table\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                    <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">Premier League xG table 2026\/27: The alternative league standings based on Expected Goals<\/h2>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/tomdutton\/\"\n                                   class=\"sq-card__link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Tom Dutton                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"sq-card__label\">1 hour ago<\/time>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/article>\n\t\t\t\t                    <article class=\"sq-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            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loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/08\/24172346\/3FBCRRM-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Liverpool midfield analysis: Potential solutions after Newcastle highlight major weakness\" \/>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                                <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/liverpool-midfield-transfer-analysis\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                    <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">Liverpool midfield analysis: Potential solutions after Newcastle highlight major weakness<\/h2>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/chris-smith\/\"\n                                   class=\"sq-card__link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Chris Jones                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"sq-card__label\">6 hours ago<\/time>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/article>\n\t\t\t\t                    <article class=\"sq-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/premier-league-transfers-confirmed-2026-summer-window\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/13172410\/Elliot-Anderson130726_ID3ERBHRC-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Every confirmed Premier League transfer in the 2026 summer window\" \/>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                                <span class=\"sq-card__label\">Features<\/span>\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/premier-league-transfers-confirmed-2026-summer-window\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                    <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">Every confirmed Premier League transfer in the 2026 summer window<\/h2>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/andrewfrancis\/\"\n                                   class=\"sq-card__link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Andy Francis                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"sq-card__label\">7 hours ago<\/time>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/article>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Squawka&#8217;s new series &#8216;The GOAT Debate&#8217; takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks &#8212; Who is the GOAT? The first article in this series tries to determine which Argentinian legend is the South American GOAT &#8212; Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona. We&#8217;ll be taking various aspects into account&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":427,"featured_media":1446398,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Squawka's new series 'The GOAT Debate' takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks -- Who is the GOAT? First up Messi vs Maradona","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1446379","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The GOAT Debate - Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Squawka&#039;s new series &#039;The GOAT Debate&#039; takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks -- Who is the GOAT? First up Messi vs Maradona\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The GOAT Debate - Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Squawka&#039;s new series &#039;The GOAT Debate&#039; takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks -- Who is the GOAT? First up Messi vs Maradona\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-02T11:57:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/05\/05133203\/feature_image-x-2-purple-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Andy Francis\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d3f5147c45808b7b5fdc4aa91fefb30e\"},\"headline\":\"The GOAT Debate &#8211; Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-26T08:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-02T11:57:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2581,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05133203\\\/feature_image-x-2-purple-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/\",\"name\":\"The GOAT Debate - Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/the-goat-debate-lionel-messi-vs-diego-maradona-25-05-26\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/05133203\\\/feature_image-x-2-purple-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-26T08:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-02T11:57:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Squawka's new series 'The GOAT Debate' takes a look at some of the timeless questions that every football fans asks -- Who is the GOAT? 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