"Not for me" - Ex-Argentina captain says Lionel Messi has not overtaken Diego Maradona despite 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph

Former Argentina captain Javier Zanetti has claimed that Lionel Messi has not overtaken the late Diego Maradona despite leading La Albiceleste to their third FIFA World Cup trophy.

Messi led Argentina by example to clinch the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ending his national 36-year wait for the trophy.

He broke several records in the tournament along the way to finally put his hands on the trophy that eluded him for all these years.

However, Zanetti, who played alongside Messi for Argentina for a considerable period, has refused to admit that the forward has overtaken Maradona's legacy.

The Inter Milan great, however, hailed the Paris Saint-Germain man as a leader and insisted that he is a lot more mature now. Zanetti told Stats Perform:

"No, not for me. I don't like [the] comparison. We have to be grateful that the two greatest [players] in history are Argentines. I don't think [Messi] has changed. I think he is more mature now and he was able to transmit his leadership to the rest of the group this time."

Zanetti has also opened up on his feelings about seeing Argentina win the FIFA World Cup for the third time in their history after they beat France in the final.

The former Argentina skipper credited the Argentine players for doing so well despite France's strong response after going down. He added:

"It's a great emotion that the lads gave us because we have been waiting for it for a long time. I think they made it happen, the dream of millions of Argentinian fans around the world. It was a great final for us Argentines because it seemed it was all going in our way but then France had a great reaction."

Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after the game ended 3-3 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup final on December 18.

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FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi named BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year for 2022

Messi has been named the BBC Sports Personality's World Sports Star of the Year for 2022.

The Argentine great played a key role in helping his country clinch the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Messi had a fantastic tournament and won the Golden Ball having scored seven goals and produced three assists.

Every year, a panel picks an athlete for the award for his wonderful achievements during the year.

Last year, Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore won the award after she became the first female rider to win the Grand National.

Messi also shut down rumors of retirement from international football. He stated that he would like "to continue by experiencing a few more games as a world champion."