Leandro Paredes has broken his silence after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat against Spain. The midfielder was involved in several heated altercations following the full-time whistle.

Ferran Torres netted a 106th-minute winner as La Roja added a second star to their badge, as 10-man Argentina struggled to ever threaten the opposition.

Enzo Fernandez’s red card in the 93rd minute appeared to be the spark that led to tensions boiling over. Immediately after the full-time whistle, Dani Olmo was punched by an Argentine member of staff, Nicolas Otamendi confronted Rodri and Paredes grabbed and threw Gavi to the ground.

The Boca Juniors midfielder appeared to be at the centre of the post-match meltdown. He’s now posted his first words after the defeat.

Leandro Paredes Breaks Silence After World Cup Final

Jeenah Moon/Reuters

It was initially believed and reported that Paredes had been shown a red card among the chaotic scenes after the game had ended. However, FIFA has since confirmed to BBC Sport that the 32-year-old was never actually sent off.

The governing body has since ‘deleted’ the red card from his record, after it was incorrectly noted. While he hasn’t received any punishment at the time of writing, Paredes could still be in hot water as FIFA have opened an investigation into Argentina’s behaviour after the final.

Paredes has since taken to social media to post a lengthy statement, although he opted not to address the controversy. He stated: “THANK YOU, ARGENTINA!!! I LOVE YOU, TODAY AND ALWAYS.

“Today, I write with a heavy heart, having been unable to bring our country the joy it so richly deserves – but with a chest full of pride for having given everything we had and for flying our flag at the very top once again!

FIFA Told to Ban Paredes From the Next World Cup

REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Paredes will be 36 years old when the 2030 World Cup rolls around. Therefore, his chances of being selected are quite slim. Nonetheless, former England striker Gabby Agbonlahor has called on FIFA to take drastic action and ban him from the event anyway.

Labelling the ex-PSG midfielder ‘a coward’, Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT: “No matter what happens in football, you can be angry you lost, but be classy in defeat. If you want to fight Paredes, there are places to fight – not on the pitch against Garcia.

Aston Villa have tabled a formal offer to sign Chelsea star Alejandro Garnacho, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Villans are in the market to strengthen their squad this summer after qualifying for the Champions League, with Unai Emery desperate to ensure they can be competitive in all competitions.

The forward areas have emerged as a key area that they want to bolster following the departures of Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, plus Evann Guessand having no future at the club, and now they have identified their top target.

Aston Villa Make Bid for Garnacho

Garnacho, who has been described as ‘phenomenal’, is expected to leave Chelsea less than 12 months after arriving from Manchester United, after struggling in his debut campaign with the club following a £40m move.

The Argentina international was allowed to skip the start of pre-season as the Blues look to sort his future, with Serie A side Roma showing a strong interest. But Roma have prioritised a move to sign Crysencio Summerville from West Ham instead, and now Villa are making a push for Garnacho.

Villa have now tabled an initial loan bid with a buy clause to seal a deal for the 22-year-old, with Unai Emery approving the deal as he views the forward as a target.

It’s understood that Garnacho is open to making the move to Villa Park this summer, and discussions are ongoing between the player, Aston Villa, and his representatives over personal terms.

Chelsea are very open to letting the winger leave, but they want around £50m to sanction an exit. The exact terms of Villa’s offer remain unclear, but they are pushing to get a deal done in the coming days.

From competing in the first-ever FIFA World Cup final back in 1930, to their crowning as world champions once again in 2022, Argentina have consistently produced some of the best footballers of every generation. But few national legends compare to the two giants that have spearheaded the Argentinian game: Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Both wore Argentina’s famous No.10 shirt, both inspired their country to World Cup glory and both are revered as national icons whose influence extends far beyond the pitch.

While Maradona’s dazzling displays at the 1986 World Cup and his larger-than-life legacy made him the benchmark for generations, Messi has spent the last two decades rewriting the record books, culminating in World Cup success of his own in 2022. The pair starred in different eras, faced different challenges and played under vastly different conditions, making any comparison far from straightforward.

But who was the better player? From trophies and individual awards, to statistics and testimonies from the game’s greatest, here’s how Messi and Maradona compare across the key areas that define footballing greatness.

Argentina and World Cup Record

Whilst Diego Maradona was left out of the 1978 squad that won the nation’s first world title due to the worry that he was ‘too young’, he would go on to achieve the same feat as Messi in 2022, by captaining his side to World Cup glory at the 1986 edition of the tournament in Mexico against West Germany.

Maradona played every minute of every Argentina game in that competition, netting five goals and registering five assists. His goals included two of the most well-known goals scored in football history, both in their knockout match with England. The first saw his score past Peter Shilton, with help from the “hand of God”, before dribbling past five English defenders just four minutes later, and leaving the goalkeeper scrambling on the floor as he slotted the ball into the net. His assist in the 84th minute of the final secured Argentina’s 3-2 victory over West Germany, and saw Maradona receive the golden ball for his efforts across the tournament.

Lionel Messi’s road to World Cup glory was equally impressive, as he saw himself crowned world champion and awarded with the golden ball award in 2022, becoming the first player to win the award twice, after scoring seven goals and assisting three more. He scored in every Argentina game in that campaign, except for their final group stage game against Poland. One area where Messi does surpass his predecessor is in the Copa América, with Maradona having not featured in either of the squads that won the competition in 1991 and 1993. Messi, on the other hand, has won the competition twice, in both 2021 and 2024.

Club Careers & Honours

Having netted 116 times across his 166-game, five-year stint at Argentinos Juniors, Maradona stayed at Boca Juniors for just one season, before moving to Spanish giants Barcelona, where he scored 38 goals across two seasons. He then moved to Italy, where the vast majority of his silverware came via his time at Napoli. He accumulated two Serie A titles, as well as two other domestic trophies and a UEFA Cup.

Messi’s domestic career, on the other hand, was laden with trophies and achievements. As he made his first professional appearance for Barcelona in October 2004, at just 17-years-old, few could imagine the career he would go on to have. His 17-year stint at the club saw him amass a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. His final Barcelona tally stood at an incredible 474 goals across 520 games. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, winning a further three trophies, before joining David Beckham-owned Inter Miami just two years later.

Individual Awards

Diego Maradona’s list of individual achievements easily trumps his select club and national trophies, including his FIFA World Cup golden ball from 1986, four appearances in the Serie A Team of the Year, the FIFA Goal of the Century award for his second against England in 1986 and a joint FIFA Player of the Century award, which was shared with Brazilian great Pele.

However, Lionel Messi’s entire list of personal accolades would take years to list off. From his record-breaking eight Ballons d’Or, to his two World Cup Golden Balls and his six European Golden Shoes, the Argentine has accumulated an extraordinary number of ‘top scorer’ and ‘best player’ awards.

After Maradona’s death in 2020, former Argentinian head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, spoke about Maradona’s famous ‘hand of God’ goal, saying:

Former AC Milan and Italy defender Paolo Maldini hailed Maradona as “the best I have ever played against”, and also stated that he “was a great role model on the pitch. He was respectful of everyone, from the great players down to the ordinary team members.”

Former Barcelona and England striker, Gary Lineker, who was part of the England squad whom Maradona has dissected in 1986, recalled the second of his brace by saying, “When Diego scored that second goal against us, I felt like applauding. I’d never felt like that before, but it’s true… It was impossible to score such a beautiful goal. He’s the greatest player of all time, by a long way.”

Messi also has a long list of admirers, including Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff, who praised Messi’s incredible footballing IQ in 2010 by saying, “Leo floats over the field — sometimes you have the sensation he’s not even there, that he’s hiding. But he’s there and the rival knows it.”

Brazilian centre-back, Thiago Silva, has been one of Messi’s countless victims over the years, and explained the terrifying positions the Argentine can put defenders in:

Speaking in 2012, legendary Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, noted how “he’s a once in a generation player. I think it’s unlikely that any human being again will repeat the numbers that Messi is getting.”

All data correct as of July 21, 2026.