Juan Riquelme has turned Argentina's World Cup final defeat into a bigger argument about Lionel Messi. The former Argentina midfielder told goal.com that Argentina were fortunate to see him, and went a step further by saying he makes supporters wonder if he is better than Diego Maradona. Messi's tournament output, 8 goals and 4 assists across 8 appearances, is the sort of return that keeps that debate alive.
Riquelme's Maradona comparison
Riquelme's full line was blunt: “We were all fortunate to see Messi. When we had Maradona, we thought there wouldn't be another like him, and then he appeared, and he even makes us wonder if he's better.” It is the clearest public push in this aftermath toward putting Messi in the same sentence as Maradona, which is still a conversation that splits opinion.
The argument for Messi is obvious enough. He delivered in the tournament across eight matches, not just in one knockout burst, and his 8 goals and 4 assists explain why people keep reaching for the comparison. The counter is the familiar one, Maradona sits in a separate place for plenty of supporters, and Riquelme's line is better read as provocation than a verdict.
Scaloni's response after the final
Lionel Scaloni's reaction was more measured. He said Argentina left everything out there, thanked the squad for getting to another World Cup final and insisted they competed until the end. His message was emotional, but it was also careful, with the coach putting dignity around defeat rather than trying to dress it up.
Scaloni also said reaching the final deserves huge validity because it takes a lot to get there. That is the useful frame around Argentina's night, they fell short, but they still reached the last match of the tournament and left with a performance level that keeps Messi at the centre of the story.
Nicolás Otamendi added his own note through the same wider aftermath, saying his last match was a World Cup final and thanking Argentina for helping him fulfil the dream of becoming a world champion. For now, the post-final debate is less about regret than about how much weight Messi's tournament should carry in the national-team hierarchy.
FAQ
Is Lionel Messi already above Diego Maradona in Argentina's football history?
Juan Riquelme said Messi makes supporters wonder if he is better than Diego Maradona, but that remains a debated view rather than a settled verdict. Messi's tournament was strong enough to keep the comparison alive, with 8 goals and 4 assists across 8 appearances.
What did Lionel Scaloni say after Argentina's World Cup final defeat?
Lionel Scaloni said Argentina left everything out there, thanked the squad for reaching another World Cup final and said they competed until the end. He added that reaching the final deserves huge validity because it takes a lot to get there.
Why is Lionel Messi still central to Argentina's World Cup discussion?
Messi's tournament output was 8 goals and 4 assists across 8 appearances. That level of production is why the aftermath has centred on his legacy, with Riquelme's comments pushing the Maradona comparison back into the conversation.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
