'Maradona had no one to rival, Messi has Cristiano'- Argentine legend gives his verdict on Messi vs Ronaldo debate 

What's the story?

Former Argentine striker, Mario Kempes, has picked his favourite among Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and has also given his verdict between Messi and Diego Maradona.

In case you didn't know...

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's decade long rivalry is clearly never seen before in the history of the sport. Although people compare between the greats of different eras, this rivalry is unlike anything football fans have experienced before.

It goes without saying that both the players have enjoyed grand individual success in their decorated career, sharing ten Ballon d'Or awards between themselves. The statistics and the accolades depict their impact and inhumane consistency for their respective club and country.

Meanwhile, Diego Maradona is often regarded as the greatest of all time and compared with Brazilian great Pele and now, Lionel Messi over the years. Unlike Messi, Maradona enjoyed major success with Argentina, leading them to the World Cup in 1986.

Mario Kempes remains one of the best strikers in the greatest tournament in football, winning both the Golden Boot and Golden ball in 1978 World Cup.

The heart of the matter

Legendary Argentine striker gave his views on these debates, claiming that Messi is the best of this generation but unlike Maradona, he has a rival in Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Personally, I put both of them of a pedestal during their respective eras. One difference if that while Maradona had no one to rival him during his time, Messi did - first there was Ronaldinho and then there was Cristiano"

"And in spite of all of that, he continues to be the best, because as it stands today, Messi is the best player in the world"

"Maradona had no one to rival him during his career; Messi's got Cristiano - and he's still the best..." https://t.co/BiUiEKVNzh Mario Kempes not sitting on the fence pic.twitter.com/8niZ3Y1dlm

— AS English (@English_AS) March 21, 2019

What's next?

Both Ronaldo and Messi are showing no signs of fading away despite being over 30 years old.

It remains to be seen how the debate shapes up as we approach towards their final years of career but no matter what, the legacy left by both the players will remain intact in the history of the beautiful game.