Diego Simeone honors Messi and Maradona as football's best

Atlético de Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, describing them as the two best footballers in history. Speaking during a press conference ahead of a La Liga match against Alavés, Simeone declined to choose between the two Argentine legends, calling the comparison a ‘demagogic game.’

Simeone noted that while he had the opportunity to play alongside Maradona, he did not have that same chance with Messi. He highlighted Messi’s “insuperable” statistics and his professional growth, noting that maintaining such high levels of respect and conduct over a 20 to 25-year career is exceptionally difficult.

Beyond athletic achievements, Simeone emphasized the psychological impact Messi has had on Argentina. He stated that Messi taught his compatriots “to fight and, when things go wrong, to keep insisting,” identifying this resilience as Messi’s greatest value to the nation. This commentary follows Messi’s recent international retirement after his final appearance for the Argentina national team in a friendly against Benin.