Messi vs Maradona: A statistical comparison of their careers with Argentina

Messi has 13 World Cup goals compared to Maradona’s eight. In terms of overall goals, Maradona has 34 goals for his country, while Messi has scored 97 goals.

Published : Dec 19, 2022 01:13 IST

(From L-R): Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona with the World Cup trophy.
(From L-R): Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona with the World Cup trophy. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
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(From L-R): Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona with the World Cup trophy. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Lionel Messi and his Argentina team beat France 4-2 on penalties in the FIFA World Cup final as Argentina lifted its third World Cup title.

There has been an eternal debate on who has a greater legacy for Argentina - Lionel Messi or Diego Armando Maradona.

In terms of pure numbers, Messi always enjoyed a significant lead over Maradona, but the absence of a World Cup title left a huge void in Messi’s legacy for his country.

With the World Cup trophy in his kitty, that void has been filled. Without drawing any conclusions, let’s have a look at Messi and Maradona’s stats for Argentina.

In terms of overall stats, Messi has 172 appearances compared to Maradona’s 91. In World Cups, Maradona has 21 appearances compared to Messi’s 26.

Messi surpassed Lothar Matthaus in the number of matches played in the tournament, with the German World Cup winner previously having the record with 25 matches.

Messi has 13 World Cup goals compared to Maradona’s eight. In terms of overall goals, Maradona has 34 goals for his country, while Messi has scored 97 goals.

Following is a complete breakdown of the stats.

Lionel Messi vs Diego Maradona: Comparison of international stats
Diego Maradona
Maradona overall stats for Argentina
Appearances: 91
Goals: 34
Maradona World Cup stats for Argentina
Appearances: 21
Goals: 8
Assists: 8
Lionel Messi
Messi overall stats for Argentina
Appearances: 172
Goals: 98
Messi World Cup stats for Argentina
Appearances: 26
Goals: 13
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