Messi gives Argentina more quality than Maradona - Menotti

Former Barcelona and Argentina boss Cesar Luis Menotti insisted Lionel Messi provides more quality to the national team than Diego Maradona did.

Maradona was a World Cup winner with the South American nation in 1986, a feat Messi is yet to match in his international career after last year's World Cup final defeat.

Yet Menotti is in no doubt that four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi offers greater quality to Argentina than Maradona, suggesting the rest of the squad fail to help the Barcelona star perform at his best.

"In the last 20 metres they are similar," Menotti, who managed Argentina to World Cup glory in 1978, said.

"Diego's development was a bit different, with more leadership. Messi's development was more correct because of the club he was formed in.

"He scores goals that only Diego did.

"Messi gives much more quality, there's no doubt. And Argentina sometimes help him [show that] and sometimes not."