Former Real Madrid star claims Diego Maradona would've been better than PSG's Lionel Messi if he'd played in the modern era

Former Real Madrid midfielder Bernd Schuster believes that Diego Maradona would have been a better player than Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi if he had played in the modern era.

Apart from Los Blancos, Schuster also played for teams like Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga. During his time at Barca, Schuster shared a dressing room with Maradona for two years between 1982 and 1984.

Looking back at the 1986 FIFA World Cup winner's greatness, Schuster recently said (via FourFourTwo):

"We talked a lot about football, We thought about the game in the same way: we liked to entertain the fans."

The German further explained why he believes Diego Maradona would have been considered a greater player than Lionel Messi in the modern era. He said:

"Back then, we played on pitches that were in terrible condition and it limited all of us, even Diego, but he was still a phenomenon. If he’d been playing today, with modern facilities and pitches, there’d be no debate about the greatest player ever."

Both Messi and Maradona are two of the greatest players in the history of football. Messi, in fact, has played under Maradona's tutelage, who coached Argentina during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Will Lionel Messi extend his PSG contract?

FC Bayern München v Paris Saint-Germain: Round of 16 Second Leg - UEFA Champions League

Lionel Messi is currently in the final months of his contract with PSG. The Argentine is yet to pen an extension to his current deal. There have been numerous reports linking him with a move to MLS side Inter Miami.

Messi joined the Parisian club in 2021 after the Blaugrana were unable to renew his contract due to La Liga's wage cap rules. Messi has since made 65 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants, scoring 29 goals and providing 32 assists.

While the Parisian club are atop the Ligue 1 table with a healthy ten-point lead over second-placed Marseille, they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 for the second year in a row.

Whether the latest European setback will have an impact on Messi's decision regarding his future remains to be seen.