Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently appeared in a podcast with famous American YouTuber and AI researcher Lex Fridman. The Indian PM was asked a host of questions, and the focus also shifted on every football fan’s favourite topic. Modi was asked to choose between the likes of Diego Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as to who he thought was the greatest of all time.
To everyone’s surprise, Modi was well-prepared for the football question, and his answer showed that he knows the sport well enough to have an opinion.
PM Narendra Modi on Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo, ends GOAT debate between Diego Maradona and Pele
“Back in the 1980s, one name that always stood out was Maradona. For that generation, he was seen as a true hero, and if you ask today’s generation, they’ll immediately mention Messi,” he said.
Maradona was an Argentine footballer and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was one of the two-joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award, alongwith Pele.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020 at the age of 60, sending the entire world into an emotional shock. He played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina to victory over West Germany in the final. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
During the tournament, he created a historic memory for football fans which has been etched forever in folklore. In the quarter-final, he scored both goals in a 2-1 win vs England. The first goal was scored via his hand, but the referee didn’t notice it. Since then it has been dubbed as ‘Hand of God’. His second goal saw him go on a 60m run, where he dribbled past five England players to score, and it was voted as Goal of the Century by FIFA in 2002.
Messi, on the other hand, is considered by many to be Maradona’s successor. He was labelled as the Next Maradona when he was young, and also scored a similar goal in a La Liga match. He is currently playing for MLS side Inter Miami, and led Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar, and has also won two Copa America titles, and an Olympic gold medal.
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