Argentine great compares Lionel Messi to Diego Maradona ahead of Copa America final

Lionel Messi's superlative performances for Argentina in Copa America have once again sparked comparisons with Diego Maradona. The 34-year-old has led La Albiceleste to the tournament's final.

En route to the summit clash against Brazil, Lionel Messi has scored four goals and sits atop the tournament's top-scorers' chart. He also has the most assists in the tournament (5), and has broken the Copa America record for the most assists provided in a single edition of the tournament.

In the build-up to the Copa America final against Brazil, Argentina greats Jorge Valdano and Hernan Crespo heaped praise on Lionel Messi. The former even compared Messi to Diego Maradona but stopped short of claiming that the Argentina captain has achieved the cult status that Maradona enjoyed during his playing days.

“Messi wants to reach Diego’s emotional glory,” Jorge Valdano told The Guardian.

Crespo, who played alongside Lionel Messi at the 2006 World Cup, was especially impressed by his performance in the Copa America quarterfinal against Ecuador. The former Milan forward singled out Messi's assist for Argentina's opening goal, scored by Rodrigo De Paul, as something that only the six-time Ballon d'Or winner could do.

“I’d never seen two assists in a single goal: he leaves Nico González facing goal first and then, tac, serves Rodrigo De Paul a pass which Messi himself could barely see. He finds an impossible corridor for the ball to reach De Paul. Only Messi could do that,” Crespo wrote of Messi's performance (via The Guardian).

Here's the Lionel Messi assist that Crespo reserved special praise for:

What a pass from 🔟 ! Rodrigo De Paul received a great assist from Lionel Messi and opened the scoring for @Argentina#Argentina #LeoMessi #LionelMessi #Messi34 #CristianoRonaldo #ARGBOL #ArgentinaEcuador #Ronaldo #CopaAmerica2021 #CopaAmerica #ARGECU #Argentinavsecuador pic.twitter.com/CtqtpXCvAN

— Leo Messi (@xlionelmessix) July 4, 2021

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Lionel Messi's Argentina & Neymar's Brazil to face off in blockbuster Copa America final

🇦🇷 Messi 🆚 Neymar 🇧🇷!#Messi #CopaAmerica #Brazil #Argentina pic.twitter.com/Kv4YrjmKkV

— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) July 9, 2021

Both Lionel Messi and Neymar have led their respective sides from the front, scoring four and two goals respectively. They will face off in the Copa America final at the Maracana with the kick-off scheduled for 5.30 AM IST (Sunday, July 11).

Neymar recently opened up on the prospect of facing Messi in the final on TNT Sports Brazil. He said:

“Messi is, as I’ve always said, the best player I’ve ever seen play and he’s a great friend. But now we’re in a final, we’re rivals. I really want to win this title, which would be my first Copa América.”

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