Lionel Messi has spent his footballing career living in the shadow of Diego Maradona as far as the World Cup is concerned.
With seven Ballon d'Or titles and a world record for the most goals scored in a calendar year, there's good reason to think that Messi has surpassed Maradona overall, but the little genius seems destined to forever be negatively compared to his compatriot at the World Cup.
At least, that's what it feels like after Argentina's 36-game unbeaten run was ended in humiliating fashion with a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in what will surely be Messi's final evert attempt at winning FIFA's showpiece tournament.
Who's better at World Cups: Messi or Maradona?
The tension is rising and the spotlight is blinding as Messi feels the pressure to nail his fifth and surely last World Cup campaign in the way that Maradona achieved back in 1986.
It's no surprise that Messi has been so often compared to Maradona seeing as they're both left-footed, diminutive Argentinean males considered by many to be the standout player of their generation.
As such, it's only a natural leap to have seen people tapping their watches in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and now 2022 in anticipation of Messi surely one day replicating his forebear by winning the biggest trophy of all single-handedly.
However, barring a dramatic turnaround to bounce back from opening day humiliation that Spain in 2010 have demonstrated is indeed possible, we might just have to find solace in the fact that 2014 will forever endure as Messi's finest ever World Cup.
Football - Germany v Argentina - FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 - Final - Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 13/7/14
Argentina's Lionel Messi (L) in action with Germany's Toni Kroos
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
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Who was better: 1986 Maradona or 2014 Messi?
So, if that really is the case, how does that compare to Maradona in 1986?
Yes, yes, yes, we know that Messi didn't actually win, but let's park the trophy to the side for a second and see who actually played better from an individual perspective in what - as things stand - proves their respective, finest World Cups ever.
And luckily, the data gurus at SofaScore have made working that out very easy because they've trawled through the record books to retrospectively provide statistics for players and teams at World Cups dating back to 1966.
In other words, we can indeed find out the winner of 2014 Messi vs 1986 Maradona as far as the data is concerned, taking what we consider to be some of the most important metrics that they've analysed and comparing the numbers to see what happens.
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Maradona vs Messi: Who has better World Cup stats?
Got it? Right then, well, let the data do the talking as we see who the statistics think had the better World Cup prime out of Messi and Maradona down below:
Matches played: Maradona 7-7 Messi
Goals: Maradona 5-4 Messi
Shots on target per game: Maradona 1.9-1.1 Messi
Big chances missed: Maradona 0-0 Messi
Goal conversion: Maradona 17%-17% Messi
Goals from outside the box: Messi 3-0 Maradona
Assists: Maradona 5-1 Messi
Key passes per game: Maradona 3.9-3.3 Messi
Passing accuracy: Maradona 80%-80% Messi
Long ball accuracy: Messi 79%-71% Maradona
Football - Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina - FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 - Group F - Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 15/6/14
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's second and his first goal
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed Leicester
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Crossing accuracy: Messi 29%-24% Maradona
Successful dribbles: Messi 63%-59% Maradona
Total duels won: Maradona 63%-53% Messi
Was fouled per game: Maradona 7.6-2.6 Messi
Possession lost per game: Messi 20.9-21.7 Maradona
Tackles per game: Maradona 1.9-1.6 Messi
Possession won per game: Maradona 0.6-0.6 Messi
Interceptions per game: Maradona 0.9-0.3 Messi
Average match rating: Maradona 8.39-7.86 Messi
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 29: Argentina captain Diego Maradona holds aloft the trophy after the FIFA 1986 World Cup final match against West Germany at the Azteca Stadium on June 29th, 1986 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Mike King/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
Messi vs Maradona: Who wins?
Sorry Lionel, but it looks like what most fans would have predicted ahead of time has actually come to pass: 1986 Maradona was simply playing football from another planet.
Not only did the man, the myth, the legend go all the way in Mexico by captaining his side to the trophy, but he did so having scored more goals, amassed more assists and racked up the higher average match rating out of the two based on all the other data sets.
Messi might come out on top in a number of the passing metrics and even completed more successful dribbles, but the defensive side of Maradona's game really shone through and he went toe-to-toe with his successor on finishing despite not being renowned for his goalscoring.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 22: Diego Maradona of Argentina turns to celebrate after scoring the first goal as England defender Gary Stevens looks towards the linesman during the FIFA 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico on June 22, 1986, the goal was later to be known as 'The Hand of God'. (Photo by Mike King/Allsport/Getty Images)
So it's by no means a whitewash, don't get it twisted, but Maradona holding his own in the stats just about seals the deal considering that his winners' medal and 'Goal of the Century' probably gave him the edge to start with.
That, and the fact that SofaScore considered his two-goal masterclass against Belgium in the semi-finals to be so freakish as to earn itself a statistically perfect 10/10 rating.
As such, it looks like Messi really will have to dust himself off and inspire Argentina out of the doldrums and back towards World Cup contention if he has any hope of finally, truly shuffling his way out of Maradona's shadow.
To be fair to you, Leo, it's a near-impossible task.
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