Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona: What happened when duo played together in 2005? | OneFootball

Argentine icons Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona once shared the pitch together – and it was just as magical as you might expect.

Messi took a giant stride towards cementing his legacy as the greatest player of all time when he lifted the 2022 World Cup for his beloved Albiceleste earlier this month.

However, Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning captain Maradona – who sadly passed away in November 2020 – also has a solid case to be at the forefront of the GOAT debate.

For many fans of the beautiful game, seeing both legendary number 10s playing alongside each other would be the stuff dreams are made of. It became a reality for the first time in 2005.

For an 18-year-old Messi, the comparisons with Maradona had already begun, having just won the La Liga title with Barcelona.

Meanwhile, at the age of 45, Maradona’s prime years were easily more than a decade behind him.

Despite both men being at very different ends of their careers, highlights from the match show that they were very much on the same wavelength on the field.

The pair were joined by the likes of Juan Riquelme, Diego Simeone, Marcelo Gallardo, Sergio Aguero and Juan Sebastian Veron for an ‘Argentinian All Star’ charity match – and it’s fair to say that none of the fans in attendance left disappointed.

The landmark occasion could have been even more special, however, had Messi managed to finish off a delightful move between himself and Maradona, in which they exchanged multiple passes before the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was thwarted by the goalkeeper.

You can check out the impressive interplay between the legendary duo at 04:13 in the clip below.

If only Messi could have found the finish to cap the move!

After Messi guided Argentina to glory in Qatar, millions around the world are now hailing the 35-year-old as the undisputed GOAT of the sport.

However, Messi himself has previously claimed that he could never eclipse the legacy of Maradona, even if he “played for a million years”.

“Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona,” Messi once said, per The Mirror. “Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.”

We’ll leave you to make up your own mind when it comes to who is most deserving of the GOAT crown. However, fans on social media clearly enjoyed watching the two Argentine superstars strut their stuff, even if only in a charity match. We’ve included the best of their reaction below.

Gakpo to Man United FEE AGREED – Via The Football Terrace