
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has said he would have liked it if legendary Diego Maradona was around to present him with the World Cup trophy in Qatar last month.
"I would have liked him, if he didn't hand me the World Cup trophy, to at least see all this," said Messi in a Spanish radio show.
The Argentine added that it might have been Maradona from the heavens that pushed him and the entire squad to lift the trophy.
"I think that both he and many people who love me were pushing from above, not only for this but for everything in general."
After winning the World Cup, many in footballing circles have started to mention Messi and Maradona in the same breath. Both managed to bring the shiny, golden World Cup trophy back to the football-crazy South American country.
Maradona brought it back in 1986 winning against WestGermany, while Messi broke a 35-year drought last year, beating the defending champions France, to give the Argentines a moment to cherish for a lifetime.
Both players led their teams to the title. While Maradona was known for his maverick style of play that left the opposition bamboozled, Messi rallied the entire team around him to go the distance.
The two Argentines had previously worked together at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, However, the team could not go past the quarter-final hurdle as Germany mauled them 0-4.
After the tournament, Maradona stepped down while Messi had to wait more than a decade to achieve his long-standing dream.
Messi won the Golden Ball and Silver Boot award in the tournament as Argentina beatFrance 4-2onpenalties in the final.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: