Diego Maradona has been named the greatest football player of all time by former Colombia midfielder, Carlos Valderrama.
In Valderrama’s view, the late Argentine legend holds the title of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) even above Lionel Messi.
The ongoing debate among football enthusiasts usually centers around whether Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Argentina’s Lionel Messi deserves the title of the greatest footballer in history.
Last month, Messi secured his fourth consecutive title with Argentina, achieving success at the 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
During an interview with Bola VIP, Valderrama expressed his belief that Maradona, the former Napoli attacking midfielder, holds the title of the GOAT.
According to Valderrama, Maradona’s superior leadership skills and his performance in teams that were not as star-studded as Messi’s Barcelona give him the edge.
Valderrama shared, “I consider Diego the greatest due to his leadership abilities which were exceptional. His leadership style was unique, and he didn’t have the same level of support as Messi did in star-studded teams.”
He continued, “Maradona and Messi were different types of players. When Maradona moved to Napoli, people didn’t pay much attention, but then he worked wonders there and everyone knew who Napoli was all because of Diego.”