"They Are Both Geniuses": Argentina Icon Explains Differences And Similarities Between Maradona & Messi

Argentine football legend Jorge Valdano has compared Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup success to Lionel Messi's recent Mundial achievement. 

Lionel Messi led Argentina to a sensational World Cup victory, beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after an enthralling 3-3 draw across 120 minutes. 

Addressing the comparison of Messi and Maradona, Valdano, who won the World Cup in 1986, discussed the similarities and differences between the pair. 

"The similarity between Maradona and Messi is that they are both geniuses. The difference is that in Mexico 86, Diego was in his physical prime (26 years old) and Leo is 35 years old and he had to bring out his genius and wisdom," Valdano told Cadena COPE via MARCA. 

 Aside from winning the World Cup, Messi was crowned the player of the tournament on the back of his sterling displays in Qatar, however, missed out on the Golden Boot prize to Kylian Mbape, per BBC.