Argentinian footballing legend Diego Maradona says he preferred compatriot Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo all the while dubbing the Portugal captain an “incredible” player.

“I can’t remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly,” Maradona told TyCSports.

“I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. He’s incredible,” said the 1986 World Cup winner.

Speaking from Dubai, where he now lives, Maradona added that he’d wished Ronaldo, who is Portuguese, was Argentinian.

“He makes me think of Gabriel Batistuta,” the Argentina striker who starred at three World Cup finals. “As soon as he touched the ball, it was a goal.”

Turning back to Messi, Maradona said the Barcelona player was still the world’s best despite not having won a World Cup.

“Alone, he will not be able to win the World Cup. You need a solid team for that.

“Football history will remember Messi,” said Maradona.

“Football has given him a lot, as much as he has given the sport and to win a World Cup, in my opinion, wouldn’t bring himself anything else.”