The Impotance of Social Life.

  As the sun set over the familiar neighborhoods, we as a group of friends gather at our favorite hangout spot, reminiscing about old times and sharing the current. We had been had grown up together, exploring the streets, sharing laughter, and supporting each other through thick and thin. Some of our friends are late. Over the years, we had gone or separate ways, chasing dreams and building careers. Some had moved to different cities, while others had stayed close to home. Despite the distance and varying degrees of success, our bond remained strong. On weekends as  we sat together, we couldn't help but notice the different stages of life we had each reached. Some are married with kids, while others were still pursuing their passions. Some have achieved great professional success, and others have taken  more unconventional paths. One of our friends,  had been always dreaming of starting her own business. He had taken the leap and is now running a successful startup....

Lionel Messi: Pele and Maradona’s conversation about the Barcelona star in 2016

 

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Barcelona and Argentina icon Lionel Messi cemented his status as an all-time great very early during his illustrious career.

Now 33, there’s no doubt that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will sit alongside Pele and Diego Maradona on the pantheon of footballing legends after hanging up his boots.

However, in the eyes of some football fans, Messi’s failure to lift the World Cup with Argentina will always give Pele and Maradona the edge when it comes to the GOAT (Greatest of all time) debate.

Messi came agonisingly close to getting his hands on the World Cup trophy in 2014 but was a beaten finalist against Germany.

The world-class forward, though, still received the prestigious Golden Ball award after being named the tournament’s standout player.

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Qatar 2022 might be Messi’s final chance to win the World Cup, although you certainly wouldn’t rule him out competing at the 2026 World Cup finals, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Messi is currently captain of both Barça and Argentina, despite the fact he’s not the most vocal of players on the pitch. He leads by example with his actions, rather than his words.

His compatriot, Maradona, was a totally different character in terms of personality.

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Blessed with an extraordinary natural talent, Maradona was also a true leader on the pitch and inside the dressing room.

And Maradona, who sadly passed away at the age of 60 in November 2020, was once overheard giving Pele his honest thoughts about Messi.

During an event in Paris back in June 2016, Pele was filmed asking Maradona: “Diego, do you know Messi personally?”

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Maradona replied: “Yes, yes, but…”

Pele interjected: “Is he a good person? I don’t know him, I know him from…”

Maradona then said: “He is a good person, but he has no personality. He doesn’t have much personality, like how to be a leader.”

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Pele responded: “Ah, I understand.

“Like there were many [players like this] in our time.”

Maradona added: “Exactly, many players, many…”

Pele then said: “In 1970, there was Rivelino. I was speaking about Messi, the Argentina of Messi. He said that Messi is a great player, there is no doubt, but he has no personality.”

Watch the clip here…

This remarkable footage of Maradona and Pele’s conversation shows the former clearly felt at the time that Messi lacked personality.

Compared to Maradona, Messi probably does lack personality. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a worse player than the 1986 World Cup hero.

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Since Maradona’s 2016 comments, Messi has added further weight to the argument (certainly in many fans’ eyes) that he is the greatest footballer in history.

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