Remembering when Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi once played together as football icon dies aged 60

Posted by Reinaldo Massengill on Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Diego Maradona will be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

The Argentine football legend tragically died at the age of 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest in Tigre on Wednesday.

He played in four FIFA World Cups and captained his country to glory in the 1986 tournament, while winning the Golden Ball.

Maradona’s countryman, Lionel Messi, is also seen as one of the world’s best ever players due to his starring role for Barcelona.

The pair teamed up between 2008 and 2010 when Maradona managed the Argentina national team.

But you might be surprised to learn that they have also played together too, albeit for charity!

They were on the same team in a charity match in Argentina in 2005 when Messi was just 18 and Maradona was 45.

The game also featured other Argentine stars such as Juan Riquelme, Diego Simeone, Marcelo Gallardo, Sergio Aguero and Juan Sebastian Veron.

It would have been a great occasion for Messi, who was just teenager at the time, to play with such an iconic footballer in Maradona.

Footage showed Messi and Maradona combining well on the pitch during the friendly match.

They have since played together in other charity games too and retained a close relationship after Maradona's spell in charge of the national team.

While it is often argued who the greatest footballer of all time is, Messi has no doubts.

He once said: “Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona.

"Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.”

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