Maradona scored when it mattered, while Messi's goals are mostly meaningless. He has been useless in the World Cups so far and unless he plays good in the WC's, Maradona shall always be the better player if people dare to compare them.
So in all those 96% of Napoli's EC matches, Diego didn't score because they didn't matter? And in all those NT matches where he didn't score, they were meaningless?? Messi useless in the NT? He has scored 8 goals in the qualifiers so far (only Pipita has scored more in the Conmebol group). In the 2010 WC, Messi was world class vs Nigeria, excellent vs Korea, very good vs Greece and Mexico and mediocre vs Germany. Altogether he was certainly one of the best of that tournament.
I was talking about them in the WC's. He can score as many goals as he wants, if he doesn't score in the WC, he is simply useless. In the WC of 2010, he couldn't score a goal. His appearances were useless compared to Maradona's appearances for Arg. when Arg. used to be succesful in the WC's.
Messi's appearances were excellent and certainly much better than Maradona's in 1982 and 1990. You say he was "useless" and that proves you didn't see the matches. But if you didn't watch them, why bother discussing? Maradona made no goals in the 1990 WC: does this mean he was "useless" from your point of view? Let's check Messi's "useless" WC in 2010:
Kanye West won't convince me. wow he made some shots, so what? Maradona was known for his incredible dribbles, goals and assists in the WC's ... where Messi failed in doing that. Maradona was the key player in the succesful WC's, where Arg. had more key players - even better players than Messi back then for the NT - like Tevez and Higuain and they scored goal/goals.
How many minutes of good football did Maradona produce in the WC's of 1982, 1990 and 1994 altogether?
Higuain played one game less and scored one goal more. Suarez has the same amount of goals and one game less. Both did not score from the penalty spot so far. Messi scored one goal from the spot and three with a free kick. Maradona scored three goals with a penalty kick in his entire national team career. How many has Messi already at the moment? It is just that the same statistical dominance isn't transferred to the national team. How good are Suarez and Higuain at their club teams? I'm sure they will be remembered as legendary strikers, Ronaldo caliber (who scored 10 goals at 2006WCQ). Which superstars does Brazil deliver at the moment by the way? None, and they do not play the qualifiers too. Scoring goals is easier than ever, many players break records. Higuain will probably break the scoring record of Zamorano, who scored 12 goals in the 1998WC qualifiers campaign. That said, the qualification 'useless' is ridiculous.
I did see an individual Messi vs Germany 2010 WC compilation once (same style as the ones we've been posting on the 'best WC performance' thread) and that highlighted that he certainly didn't play impressively that day...but to be fair to krokko he already said that performance was mediocre (and I agree it was his least impressive of the tournament).
Whether it's "easy" to score goals may be discussed. Certainly, Barsa, Real Madrid and half a dozen more teams score loads of goals, but in WCs and Euros, goals are very scarce indeed. One may also ask how "easy" it is to continue producing goals and great football also during the summer after having played 60-65 games during the regular season. Today's player arrive exhausted to WCs and Euros, while Maradona in 1986 had played only 29 league games and no EC games at all before his legendary WC.
And Messi has been easily the best player of the three in WCQ. And he has assisted 4 out of 9 Higuain's goals, and been essential in few others.
Messi under different NT-coaches José PEKERMAN (15.09.2004 - 30.06.2006):11 apps, 2 goals + 3 assists = 0,45 (G+A)/Game Alfio BASILE (14.09.2006 - 16.10.2008): 23 apps, 8 goals + 9 assists = 0,74 (G+A)/Game Diego MARADONA (04.11.2008 - 27.07.2010): 16 apps, 2 goals + 5 assists = 0,44 (G+A)/Game Sergio BATISTA (27.07.2010 - 25.07.2011): 11 apps, 4 goals + 6 assists = 0,91 (G+A)/Game Alejandro SABELLA (30.07.2011 - present): 17 apps, 15 goals + 8 assists = 1,35 (G+A)/Game Sabella has been using Messi the right way, and the dominance is starting to look like that in Barcelona. Diego obviously was the low point of Argentina's team in the last 10 years.
Messi was not all he was expected to be in 2010, but he was far from bad IMO. Just like Maradona in 1982.
Messi was very good in four matches and mediocre in one in 2010. Maradona was blocked in most matches in 1982, and ended his first WC with a hidious foul on Batista and a red card. Difficult to claim that they were on the same level.
That match was Argentina's most important match in 2010 and how did Messi play? Not good. Maradona showed his class when it mattered, while Messi was playing good with Pipita, Tevez etc. etc. in the group stage.
Well, that match was lost mainly because Germany had a very good coach in Löw while Argentina had Maradona: a national icon, but anything but a football coach. That they managed to win four consecutive matches was entirely the players' merit, but against a well organized team like the Germans, there was no option at all really.
Yeah Maradona showed it in WC90 when he blundered a penalty and had to be carried to the final, just so that they could then lose to West Germany. Messi was Argentina's best player against Germany, you can't ask anything more than that, as it's a team game.
oh the culer troll arrived. What's the matter? Where are the personal insults for not agreeing with your point of view? Anyone can miss a penalty
Highlights of the golden kid are on youtube. And I again want to mention that the opposition was different. 1982 Group 3: Argentina #4 Belgium #8 Hungary #21 El Salvador #66 1986 Group A: Argentina #7 Italy #10 Bulgaria #22 South-Korea #45 1990 Group B: USSR #7 Romania #11 Argentina #22 Cameroon #47 2010 Group B: Argentina #7 South Korea #22 Greece #32 Nigeria #33 Something else: in 1985-86 Maradona received on average 13 fouls per game (29 Serie A games, on average 13 fouls). Messi received in the whole 09/10 CL campaign 29 fouls, in 10 games. At 2010WC Mark van Bommel was the player with the most registered fouls. He made 14 in the whole tournament. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00037/ttsthereview_37432a.pdf Claudio Gentile made once more than 20 in a single match.
Yes, at tournaments they are scarce but look at the players between 2000-2010 who managed to have an average of above 0.50. Between 1960 and 2000 that was quite rare. You can look your own data. Only the biggest legends or players from more obscure nations (Yugoslavia) managed to do that. But in the past 10 years we've seen players like Peter Crouch beating that mark. With all due respect but that tells something; a ratio of above 0.50 used to be very good. And Neymar, who should improve if they want to build a team around him (your words), has so far also a very good average. Same as Higuain, Aguero etc. Luis Suarez is touching it too. Anyway, I will not make a thorough comparison but you can make a check for yourself. You've said in the past that the 90s only saw the prospering of defensive legends. But if that is the case, why was the GPG average much higher at tournaments? You'd expect that the offensive/defensive balance is in favour of the defenders if the 90s was a 'dark era' for creative players.