Argentina national team coach Diego Maradona has declared that Barcelona star Lionel Messi is on track to become the greatest player of all time.
Maradona also believes that Messi can end the Maradona-Pele debate about who is the greatest player of all time. Despite criticism of Messi's performances for the Albicelestes, Maradona insists the 22-year-old will be key for Argentina at the World Cup finals in South Africa, now just over two months away.
"He [Messi] is at an elite level, the best in the world and a the key figure for Barcelona. He needs his privacy, and to avoid doing the things that I did. His family and partner are what matter," he is quoted as saying by AS.
"He will end the controversy Maradona-Pele. The best thing is that Messi is Argentinian. The Brazilians, Spanish, German, French and Italians will have to recognise that the best in the world was born in this country."
Maradona also revealed that he had a one to one talk with Messi after the Germany friendly last month and resolved a number of issues and said he advised Messi of the challenges ahead.
"We talked after the match with Germany, I went to see him. We spent two hours talking in the hotel, man to man, and solved a lot of things. I told him of things that happened to me and that every Sunday comes a new challenge that must be overcome every day," he noted before stating that Messi can go on to be the best.
"I told him my career is done, now he has to make his career and in the end we will see who was the greatest of all time. But he is on the right track. I found him very mature and eager."
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