According to Javier Zanetti, a former Argentina player, Lionel Messi is on par with Diego Maradona and deserving of winning the World Cup for the first time on Sunday.
On Sunday at the Lusail Stadium, Argentina will compete in their sixth World Cup final, hoping to keep France from becoming the first team to win the championship back-to-back since Brazil in 1962.
With his 26th and likely final game remaining in the World Cup, Messi will break the record for most appearances in the tournament. He also has a chance to become the first player to score 20 goals during the tournament (currently 11 goals, eight assists).
The talismanic performances of the Argentina skipper in Qatar have been compared to Maradona’s during the Albiceleste’s victory in 1986, and Zanetti cannot distinguish between the two legends.
“Messi is a great player, I think he’s on a par with Diego,” he told reporters in Doha on Thursday.
“I think a lot of people want Messi to win because of what he represents in the world and because of the way he interprets football.
“Leo deserves it and the boys are making a great effort to get to that moment. He is the strongest player in the world and he makes a difference on the field.”
However, the Inter great is not taking victory for granted, adding: “I hope that Argentina can bring the World Cup to our country.
“I’m worried about [Kylian] Mbappe, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Olivier] Giroud, if [Adrien] Rabiot plays he is a quality player, and they have a great goalkeeper.
“It’s a group that has been working for a long time with this coach. It’s a very complete team, very organised. But it’s a final and anything can happen.”
In the meantime, fellow former Argentina international Diego Milito praised Messi’s performances and stated both teams deserved to be in the championship game.
“We know him, we know what he is capable of, that he is the best player in the world,” Milito said of Messi. “He is having an extraordinary World Cup and he deserves it.
“The best two teams reached the final. It’s a very difficult match but we are confident in the team.
“We are happy to be able to be in the final. Hopefully this Sunday will be a good final and we can achieve what we have been looking forward to for a long time.
“This team has given much joy to the people, they have come on a path from the [2021] Copa America, and must be very happy and excited.”