A private conversation between two of football’s greatest legends, Pelé and Diego Maradona, was inadvertently captured by microphones in June 2016, revealing their candid thoughts on Lionel Messi’s personality and leadership qualities. The exchange occurred during a challenging period for Messi with the Argentina national team, a time when he faced accusations of prioritizing his club, Barcelona, over his country.
The discussion, reported by GiveMeSport, began with Pelé asking Maradona, who had coached Messi at the 2010 World Cup, about the Argentine star’s character. “Diego, do you know Messi personally?” Pelé inquired. Maradona responded affirmatively, prompting Pelé to press further: “Is he a good person? I don’t know him, I know him from…”
Maradona’s assessment of Messi, who would go on to become an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, was revealing. “He is a good person, but he has no personality. He doesn’t have much personality, like how to be a leader,” Maradona stated. Pelé appeared to concur, remarking, “Ah, I understand. Like there were many [players like this] in our time,” to which Maradona agreed, “Exactly, many players, many…”
Pelé later summarized Maradona’s perspective on Messi to an interviewer, stating: “In 1970, there was Rivelino. I was speaking about Messi, the Argentina of Messi. He said that Messi is a great player, there is no doubt, but he has no personality.”
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Messi’s challenging period and eventual triumph
The timing of this conversation was particularly poignant. In 2016, Messi was under immense pressure with Argentina, culminating in his announcement to retire from international football after the Copa América that year. He would reverse this decision just two months later, in August 2016, returning to lead his nation.
In the years following this private chat, Messi’s leadership qualities are widely considered to have massively improved. He helped cultivate an extraordinary team spirit within the Argentina squad, notably under manager Lionel Scaloni. This evolution culminated in the ultimate triumph: leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup.
Tragically, neither Pelé nor Maradona lived to see Messi lift the coveted trophy. Maradona passed away two years before Messi’s World Cup win, at the age of 60. Pelé, football’s first global superstar and a three-time World Cup winner himself, died less than two weeks after Messi’s triumph, aged 82.
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