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Arguably the greatest footballer ever, superstar forward Lionel Messi celebrated his 33rd birthday on Wednesday.
And one of football's finest, fellow Argentine Diego Armando Maradona was one among the many as he wished the Barcelona forward a very happy birthday.
Lionel Messi is often seen as the heir of Maradona
Maradona and Messi are widely regarded as the finest footballers to have emerged out of Argentina, and seen by many as the best to have played the game of football. Maradona famously stated in 2006 that an 18-year old Messi would be the one to inherit his place in Argentine football.
Maradona wished Lionel Messi on his Instagram page, posting a photo of him hugging Messi with the caption: "The world salutes you Lionel Messi. May you be very happy."
Maradona and Lionel Messi are known to share a close bond, with Maradona having coached the Barcelona forward during his spell as the manager of the Argentina national team. Currently, the 59-year old manages Argentine club Gimnasia de la Plata, having had managerial stints in Mexico and the UAE.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, is currently the talismanic figure for Barcelona. The 33-year old is part of a squad involved in a tight title race with arch-rivals Real Madrid, with Los Blancos sitting on top of the league table based on a better goal difference.
Messi, a graduate of Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy, is a Barcelona club legend. A prodigious talent, he made his debut for the Catalan club in 2004 and has gone on to play 722 games in all competitions so far. In that time, he has scored a whopping 629 goals and provided 270 assists.
Also Read: Barcelona hold surprise transfer talks with wantaway EPL midfielder
The forward's stint with his national team has not been so fruitful, and one of the primary reasons his critics suggest that Maradona is the better player of the two. For all his brilliance, Lionel Messi has not been able to win Argentina a national trophy, a feat Maradona achieved when he won the World Cup in 1986.
It doesn't help that Messi's supposed arch-rival, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, captained the Portugal national team to victory in the Euros 2016 when his team beat France to lift the trophy.
Despite this, many legends of the game firmly believe that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time. Messi's talent is unparalleled, with his former manager Pep Guardiola admitting that Messi is the best player that he has managed and that no one comes close.
This season, Lionel Messi has been at his usual best. In 35 appearances for the club in all competitions so far, the Argentine has scored 26 goals and provided 18 assists. He leads the Barcelona squad for most key passes per game, most shots per game, most dribbles per game as well as most through balls per game.
At 33, it is fair to say Lionel Messi is not getting any younger. It is best to enjoy the diminutive forward's genius for as long as we can.
Also Read: Barcelona stars considering EPL switch as Manchester City make irresistible offer
