Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterLionel Messi will step onto the field at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday with history at his feet. Defending the World Cup is rare enough, but captaining a nation to back-to-back wins is undeniable.Messi is the successor to Diego Maradona, Argentinas previous World Cup-winning captain and still regarded by many as the greatest player the game has ever known, a claim that weakens every time Messi breaks new ground.Maradona is still as iconic as a footballer can get, beloved by millions precisely because of his human imperfections. He passed away in 2020, two years before Messi lifted the World Cup trophy.Play our free match predictor and win �1kMaradona is MaradonaMessi might not have the same personality as his Argentina forebear but there was a little bit of Maradona in Al-Ittifaq striker Mario Balotelli, who made his name at Inter Milan before firing his fame into the stratosphere during an extraordinary spell in England with Manchester City.Balotelli won the Premier League and FA Cup with City, where he played 31 times with Messis international teammate, and Maradonas former son-in-law, Sergio Aguero. He even set up the Argentine's famous 'Agueroooooo' goal that won City the title in 2012. You may like With Lionel Messi, Argentina will be a major contender again for this World Cup. He knows better than anyone what the team needs Javier Zanetti assesses Argentinas chances this summer Lionel Messi didnt need the World Cup to be among the greatest of all time, but he deserved it. He brought glory to Argentina Javier Zanetti on how Messi created history in 2022 Lionel Messi must show England exactly what they missed in World Cup last dance I met him through Aguero in his time at City, said the former Italy striker talking to AwayDays' Ellis Platten whilst shopping for retro shirts at Classic Football Shirts New York store. And it was funny because I asked Sergio, Give me Maradonas number so I can speak with him.And he gave me the number, and the first thing I sent him was a picture of me with a Cuban [cigar]. And he sent me a picture back of himself with a Cuban, also."Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Maradona, who is ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986 before delivering the Serie A title twice in a famous spell with Napoli.El Pibe de Oro starred for Napoli in between spells in Spain with Barcelona and Sevilla. He ended his career back at Boca Juniors, where he played in the early 1980s, and left international football in disgrace after failing a drug test at the World Cup in 1994.Maradona is Maradona, added Balotelli, who was born in Sicily months after Napolis second Scudetto in 1990.Balotelli has been well travelled in his career, taking in Liverpool and Nice as well as spells in Italy with AC Milan, Brescia, Monza and Genoa. He had a short stint at Sion in Switzerland in between two at Turkish club Adana Demirspor.Now 35, the Italian is at Al-Ittifaq in the United Arab Emirates who he joined in January. His manager there until June was former Juventus defender Paolo Montero and he's averaging a goal every two league games.TOPICSMario BalotelliSergio AgueroDiego MaradonaArgentinaItalyChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
