Diego Maradona

Tevez scored a 72nd-minute winner to lift Boca to a 1-0 victory over Maradona's Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and to the title after River Plate's draw at Atletico Tucuman.

The forward kissed Maradona on the mouth before the encounter and later said he was seeking luck, while he also praised Boca's second vice-president Juan Roman Riquelme.

"Roman is very important, it was very clear from the first talk. He also helped me a lot to find that Carlitos, this is the reward," Tevez said, via Ole.

"Roman in the box, me making a goal.

"I knew I had to kiss Diego, I was lucky that way... sometimes you have to look for luck."

Gimnasia goalkeeper Jorge Broun was unable to keep out Tevez's 20-yard effort for what proved to be the winner.

Tevez, 36, said he was desperate to deliver success for Boca, who moved onto 34 titles – two shy of River's all-time record of 36.

"I was hungry for glory again. I think I felt again that I had to go back to my neighbourhood, that I had to get off a lot of things and fight like the kid who fought when I was a kid," he said.

"It was two or three years of fighting against my head, against a lot of things. I always kept working, trying to get out of that well, it was very difficult for me to get out, to get back to my roots.

"It was as I was telling you, I needed to go back to be hungry for glory. I found myself at the right time."

The Argentina great was appointed as Gimnasia's head coach in September, although he briefly departed in November and returned two days later.

Maradona was out of contract at the end of the season and the prospect of his return to the Primera Division club appeared remote, as the two parties reportedly failed to come to an agreement on a deal at the start of the week.

However, Gimnasia, celebrating their 133rd birthday on Wednesday, confirmed news of his renewal until 2021.

The club posted on Twitter: "You are known as Pelusa, Barrilete Cosmico, God, Diego, Diegote, capitan...

"But for us, you are one more Tripero and your heart is already as blue and white as ours."

Maradona had earlier hinted at an agreement as he congratulated Gimnasia on their anniversary on his Instagram page.

"Today is El Lobo's birthday," he wrote. "Congratulations to @Gimnasia_Oficial and a hug to your WONDERFUL fans!!!

"My heart is blue and white. Let's go for more!!!"

The Primera Division season was ended prematurely in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, with relegation suspended for two years.

Gimnasia were 19th in the 24-team division when the campaign was brought to a close.

Maradona scored two of the most memorable goals in World Cup history to knock England out at the quarter-final stage in the 1986 tournament in Mexico.

The late, great former Argentina captain rose above Peter Shilton to knock the first in with his fist at the Azteca Stadium, with the officials failing to spot the infringement.

Moments later, he beat a series of England players with a sublime dribble on the way to scoring a magnificent solo goal as Argentina won 2-1 and went on to be crowned world champions.

England midfielder Steve Hodge ended up with the shirt after swapping with Maradona – who passed away in November 2020 – following the match.

The shirt has been on loan to the National Football Museum in Manchester, but was put up for auction at Sotheby's in London for a bidding period between April 20 to May 4, with estimators expecting it to collect around £4m.

However, the successful bid ended up being significantly higher, with Sotheby's confirming on Wednesday that the shirt went for a whopping £7,142,500.

That eye-watering total makes it the most expensive piece of sporting attire in history, with a 1928-30 road jersey of baseball icon Babe Ruth setting the previous record in 2019, going for £4.4m ($5.6m).

Kvaratskhelia has shone throughout a campaign in which Napoli appear destined to end their 33-year wait to win the Scudetto.

The Georgian netted his 11th league goal of the season as Napoli overcame Atalanta 2-0 on Saturday, leaving defenders in his wake before firing home as Spalletti's men moved 18 points clear at the Serie A summit. 

With Napoli's first title win since the Maradona era drawing closer, Spalletti believes comparisons between Kvaratskhelia and the inspirational Argentine are not without merit.

"This victory was the best. Turning the tables in terms of our results with this quality of play was the best," Spalletti told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli on Monday.

"The team played a great game against a very tough opponent like Atalanta. Physically they are the strongest team of all in Serie A, but also in terms of running in open spaces. 

"We moved the ball faster, with a few less touches but with quality, in order to be able to hurt them with pace and speed.

"Then there was that stuff that Kvaratskhelia showed us... This time we can say it was a goal like those of Maradona. 

"The god of football was the god of football, but Kvara is on the right path. He has a speed of touch, you never know where he can go."

Kvaratskhelia's tally of 20 goal contributions (11 goals, nine assists) is only bettered by team-mate Victor Osimhen (19 goals, four assists) in Serie A this season, while he has also created 17 chances following carries and completed 41 dribbles, with the latter total only bettered by Rafael Leao's 44.

Napoli host Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, defending a 2-0 advantage in their bid to reach the last eight for the first time. 

According to Diego Sinagra, Maradona's return to Naples would mean the club could sell out their San Paolo stadium 10 times over for every home game.

The prospect of fans in stadiums as well as Maradona holding down a job in Serie A seem remote for now; at present, he is coaching at the highest level in Argentina with Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.

But Sinagra says having Maradona back at Napoli, the club he led to two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup during an illustrious spell as a player from 1984 to 1991, would be a scenario he would welcome.

Asked if he could foresee Maradona coaching in Spain, Sinagra told Marca: "No, I imagine him in Naples. What a thing that would be! He would fill 10 San Paolos.

"I still have the dream of seeing my old man on the Napoli bench, but it would still be wonderful to see him somewhere else in Europe."

Sinagra, Maradona's Italian son from an extra-marital affair in the mid-1980s, was estranged from his father until he was into his 20s.

Now 34, Sinagra says many of Maradona's off-field problems can be linked to his eagerness to please.

"All the problems my old man had in his life were caused by being too good," Sinagra said.

"Sometimes, like all good people, it is difficult for him to be tough and perhaps also he doesn't know how to say no sometimes. We, the people who really love him, love him for the good things and the bad things."

Sinagra, who played lower-league football and beach football after a spell in the Napoli academy, said it had been difficult at times to be the son of Maradona.

But since being accepted by his father, he says their relationship has been positive.

"Obviously, the past cannot be erased. But we choose, by mutual agreement, not to think anymore about the things that happened and to focus on the future," he said.

"I think my dad loves me like a son. He has a great love for all his children and, of course, for me too."

The Dutchman is also focused on players who will enrich Barcelona for a new generation, offering advice to Ansu Fati and Pedri as the teenage duo make their mark at Camp Nou.

Maradona turned 60 on Friday and his overall impact on Barcelona during an often-chaotic two-year spell from 1982 to 1984 was such that he is fondly remembered.

Barcelona sent birthday greetings to the player who also scaled great heights with Napoli and Argentina and has now seemingly settled into coaching with Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in his home country.

Maradona was widely considered the greatest player of his generation, while debate persists over which of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo merits that mantle in this era.

As head coach at Barcelona, Koeman predictably sides with Messi, but he says the club's all-time record scorer and Maradona played in such different times it is difficult to judge who has been the greater.

When asked about Maradona, Koeman said: "In his time he was the best player. Today, for me, Messi is the best player."

Koeman and Maradona were peers, both playing at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

"You cannot compare the football of our time with the football of today," Koeman said. "Today it is more physical and more intense, it has changed a lot."

Koeman's legacy as coach at Camp Nou may be in priming the likes of teenagers Fati and Pedri for long and successful careers with Barcelona.

Fati turns 18 on Saturday, while 17-year-old Pedri has his birthday in November.

Both have the backing of Koeman, who has not shied away from using them in Barcelona's biggest games recently.

He started with the duo in El Clasico last weekend, with Fati scoring Barcelona's goal in a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid. Pedri was then in the XI for the Champions League clash with Juventus on Wednesday, and Fati came on midway through the second half as the Blaugrana scored a morale-boosting 2-0 victory.

With four goals in his opening five LaLiga games this season, Fati is outshining even Messi, who has netted just once.

The Spain international has taken the two goalscoring opportunities defined by Opta as big chances for a 100 per cent record – a drastic early improvement on last season's 14.3 per cent in that regard.

His dribbling success is also nudging in the right direction, from 43.1 per cent in 2019-20 to 47.4 this term.

Pedri has only made two starts in LaLiga so far, but an 85.7 per cent passing accuracy rate is something for the former Las Palmas midfielder to build on, at a club where Sergio Busquets and former midfield lynchpin Xavi have in seasons gone by topped the 90 per cent mark.

Koeman says both can improve different aspects of their game, adding: "I tell everyone to enjoy the moment. It is not normal for two 17-year-old boys to play at this level.

"The advice to them is to be humble and work hard because a career is very long. These players that I have seen in these two, three months are very good people, they know what they have to do and they are training to improve.

"We are here to help them improve and enjoy their game and to be able to be with people like Messi, Busquets and other players."

Koeman and Fati have spoken this week about the forward's concentration, with the coach believing that to be a slight weakness in his game, explaining: "He is a great talent and we have to help him improve things. You have to be prepared every day to improve."

Some would place him behind Lionel Messi as Argentina's greatest ever footballer, and short of Pele in the sport's pantheon of the mighty; others would say Maradona eclipses them all. It's a debate that has raged for decades, and one that is not likely to be settled for some time.

But nobody can argue that, in Mexico in 1986, Maradona produced a string of performances to rival anything the World Cup has ever witnessed.

From the group stage to the final with West Germany, via the 'Goal of the Century' and a brazen moment of cheating, Maradona was so far above his contemporaries that the sheer idea of anyone else winning the Golden Ball was laughable.

Argentina beat South Korea, drew with Italy and defeated Bulgaria in their group, then saw off Uruguay, England and Belgium in the knockouts before a 3-2 final defeat of West Germany. As Opta data shows, Maradona was the beating heart of the Albiceleste's second World Cup triumph.

TAKE MY BREATH AWAY

Gary Lineker was the only player to score more goals (six) at the 1986 World Cup than Maradona (five). That's about the only category where he did not come out on top.

He added five assists to those five goals in his seven appearances, giving him the most goal involvements (10) of any player, ahead of the USSR's Igor Belanov (eight), and Lineker, Careca and Preben Elkjaer Larsen (six).

It stands to reason that Maradona also created more goalscoring chances (27) than any other player. Next on the list was France's Alain Giresse (24), then Klaus Allofs (23), Michel Platini (19) and Careca (17).

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

Everyone, most famously West Germany, tried to man-mark Maradona out of the equation. None succeeded.

He completed 53 dribbles across the tournament, a tally that puts the rest of the competition to shame. The next highest number was recorded by USSR's Ivan Yaremchuk, who managed 16.

Of course, that kind of dazzling play will always attract a more prosaic approach from the opposition. Maradona was fouled 53 times, more than double the number of anyone else (Enzo Francescoli was next on 27 fouls won).

EDGE OF HEAVEN

Maradona's all-round impact on proceedings could only come from a player given freedom to drop deeper and seize the ball from lesser men. It's incredible, then, that he managed 44 touches in the opposition box, eight more than the next-highest on the list, Brazil's Careca. Lineker, winner of the Golden Boot, had 31 such touches.

Lineker and England have, of course, never forgotten Maradona's impact on their 2-1 quarter-final defeat in Mexico City. It was the scene of his greatest goal – a mazy, miraculous waltz through the heart of the opposition that ended with the bamboozling of goalkeeper Peter Shilton – and his crowning moment of infamy, when 'The Hand of God' punched Argentina into the lead.

Perhaps that wasn't such a one-off, though. Since 1966, no player has committed as many handballs at the World Cup as Maradona (seven) – and they're just the ones the referees spotted.

Police in Buenos Aires were sent to the home and private clinic of Leopoldo Luque and collected files as prosecutors launched an investigation into the circumstances around Maradona's death.

The 60-year-old Argentina and Napoli great died of a reported heart attack at his home this week, where he was recuperating following successful surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain earlier in November.

Dr Luque told reporters on Sunday he had the backing of his professional body, the Argentine Society of Neurosurgery.

He also detailed how Maradona, who struggled with alcohol and drug dependency issues, took the decision to undertake his rehabilitation from home.

"We were all gathered to see the best for Diego: the doctors, myself, his family. Nothing could be done without his will," Dr Luque said.

"We sought to put together a containment scheme for the issue of the pills he was taking and to control alcohol consumption.

"There were no medical criteria [to keep Maradona in hospital]. We could have taken him to a rehabilitation centre, but we needed Diego's okay. It was his decision.

"Here there are no decisions, there are medical criteria. When you operate on a patient, the discharge criteria depend on the patient. There wasn't a doctor error.

"He had a heart problem that can happen in a patient like him. Everything possible was done to reduce that chance, but you cannot block the possibility.

"I had the full endorsement of the Argentine Society of Neurosurgery that Diego needed the surgery. Six doctors evaluated him. Death had nothing to do with [the surgery]."

Dr Luque added: "He was discharged after surgery. The ideal thing would have been for him to undergo rehabilitation, but he did not want to. We managed to get a nurse to accompany him, but he had the medical discharge.

"We tried to keep him in the clinic, but it is not a rehab centre. I extended the hospitalisation as long as I could.

"I am at the disposal of the justice department. With Diego, I did the best I could. I am proud of what I did. I have nothing to hide."

Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla said on Thursday he would ask for a full investigation into his client's death, claiming in a Twitter post that a wait of more than half an hour for an ambulance was tantamount to "criminal idiocy".

There has been a huge, nationwide outpouring of sympathy for the much-loved Maradona following the death of the man who inimitably captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.

On Sunday, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi paid tribute to his compatriot after he scored in a 4-0 LaLiga win over Osasuna.

On Wednesday, a judge in Argentina ordered a culpable homicide trial for the individuals, including Maradona's family doctor and nurses, with evidence they failed to take "action that could have prevented the death" in November 2020.

The Argentina and Napoli icon died at the age of 60 while recovering from a blood clot, which came after years of battling with cocaine and alcohol addictions.

Maradona was found dead two weeks after the procedure in a rented house in Buenos Aires where he was brought after being discharged from hospital, having suffered a heart attack.

Argentina's public prosecutor convened a panel of 20 medical experts last year who concluded that Maradona's treatment was rife with "deficiencies and irregularities" and said he "would have had a better chance of survival" in an adequate medical facility.

Prosecutors asked for Maradona's caregivers to be put on trial, stating he had been abandoned "to his fate" following a verdict from the medical experts that he was neglected for a "prolonged, agonizing period".

A date for the trial has not been set but the eight will stand on accounts of a legal definition of homicide characterised by negligence committed in the knowledge that it may lead to a person's death.

They risk sentences ranging from eight to 25 years in prison, though all of them have denied responsibility and are currently in pre-trial detention.

Maradona passed away at the age of 60 in November having suffered heart failure.

The former Argentina star is considered as one of the world's greatest ever players, having led his country to World Cup glory in 1986 and taken Napoli from Serie A also-rans to one of Italy's dominant forces.

Maradona had his off-field issues, including drug abuse and doping scandals, but Pope Francis, who met Maradona in 2014, praised the impact his compatriot had.

"I met Diego Armando Maradona during a Match for Peace in 2014: I remember with pleasure everything that Diego did for Scholas Occurrentes, the foundation that takes care of the needy all over the world," The Pope told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"On the pitch he was a poet and a great champion who gave joy to millions of people, in Argentina as in Naples. He was also a very fragile man."

Pope Francis also recalled his memories of the 1986 World Cup, with Maradona starring in Mexico, finishing with five goals and assisting Argentina's winner in the final.

"I have a personal memory linked to the 1986 World Cup, the one that Argentina won thanks to Maradona," Pope Francis continued.

"I was in Frankfurt; it was a difficult time for me, I was studying the language and collecting material for my thesis.

"I hadn't been able to see the World Cup final and I only learned the next day of Argentina's victory over Germany, when a Japanese boy wrote 'Viva l'Argentina' on the blackboard during a German lesson.

"I remember it, personally, as the victory of loneliness because I had no one with whom to share the joy of that sporting victory: loneliness makes you feel alone, while what makes joy beautiful is being able to share it.

"When I was told of Maradona's death, I prayed for him and sent the family a rosary with a few personal words of comfort."

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona, 60, underwent a "routine" operation for a subdural haematoma on Tuesday. 

The former Napoli, Barcelona and Argentina star was operated on by Dr Leopoldo Luque, who said the procedure went "very well" and that his reaction to the surgery "is promising". 

His lawyer, Matias Morla, praised Luque's actions - as well as those of fellow professional Carlos Diaz - as they perhaps saved Maradona's life as he was only tested after concerns for his mental well-being. 

"The last medical checks were excellent," Morla said after visiting Maradona in hospital, according to Ole. 

"Diego was very anxious [before the surgery] about what was going to happen and very satisfied with the work of Dr Luque, which was an impeccable operation. 

"I want to highlight something very important: the same test that was carried out on Diego yesterday, which detected this bleeding, was also carried out in September, which shows the tireless work of Dr. Luque on Diego.

"If it had not been detected by him, Maradona's fate would have been different. I want to make it very clear, mainly because of the criticism. Luque tested him in September. 

"Diego had presented a picture of depression. That's why I'm with Carlos Diaz, who was the one who treated Diego before and who noticed a mental issue. 

"In principle, [Diaz] linked it to the issue of his birthday, to a depression caused by the pandemic and the different circumstances around it. Later, upon seeing that this picture had developed, at the request of Luque and Diaz, he was hospitalised and that's where the test was made that resulted in the operation. 

"I don't know the causes of the haematoma and I'm not a doctor. What I do know is he had strange behaviour, he was very depressed, he made comments referring to relatives who died, that he missed them. He always, on every birthday, suffers from a kind of nostalgia. 

"He really misses his mother – this is always the same on the subject of birthdays – but this year it increased, so I'm here with the psychologist who intervened."

Ayala played alongside Maradona at the start of his career and in his twilight years lined up with Messi.

The former Napoli, Milan and Valencia centre-back believes there are significant differences between the two players widely regarded as the best to have come out of Argentina.

"I played with both of them, with Diego I was taking my first steps. They are two footballing giants, and when he retires, Messi will be remembered," Ayala told FOX Sports.

"I don't know if it'll be like Diego, it doesn't matter. They are different. Diego was pure art in all his mannerisms, Messi a Speedy Gonzales who carries the ball two centimetres from his foot."

Messi's failure to win a senior international title with Argentina often counts against him when he is compared to Maradona, who spearheaded the country's success at the 1986 World Cup.

Barcelona star Messi has suffered defeat in four finals – three at the Copa America and the 2014 World Cup – but Ayala is confident he can be successful with Argentina.

Ayala has been impressed by the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's humility in the national team set-up.

"I hope that he gives us his footballing level, that he makes us grow as a team. Having a team with him, not of him," said Ayala.

"He wants to be treated like this, like just one more. We told the players, 'He will not be treated differently by us. You all have to step up, do what you do for your clubs, and he will help you. You have to take advantage of that.'"

Maradona, one of football's all-time greats, died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

Although coach of Argentinian side Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata at the time of his death, Maradona was more renowned for his remarkable playing career, during which he inspired his country to 1986 World Cup success and also played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla.

But it was his time in Naples that is remembered as his prime, as he helped them to two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup crown.

Napoli's current team all took to the pitch in jerseys emblazoned with Maradona's name and iconic number 10 on the back before Thursday's 2-0 Europa League win over Rijeka at Stadio San Paolo, which is set to be renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The club's tributes to their greatest ever player do not stop there, as they confirmed on Sunday that a new strip inspired by Maradona and Argentina – which was conceived last year – is set to be revealed and worn against Roma later in the day.

A statement read: "A year ago, together with Kappa, we thought of designing a special jersey that echoes Diego Maradona, his beloved Argentina and the close-knit bond with the people of Naples.

"Our hope was that Diego would be able to see it, perhaps even wear it and share in our excitement about it.

"It was agreed that the new kit would be unveiled on matchday nine of the Serie A campaign, during the match between SSC Napoli and Roma.

"The jersey that the players will don tonight will have an even greater significance than initially intended."

Napoli have not provided any further detail regarding the kit's aesthetics, however graphics accompanying their statement showed prominent blue-and-white stripes, as famously worn by Argentina.

The Argentina and Napoli great was admitted on Monday and is keen to leave, doctor Leopoldo Luque said.

Maradona, who turned 60 last Friday, appeared in a fragile state when he briefly made an appearance as the Gimnasia side he coaches played a match on the evening of his birthday.

He does not have COVID-19 and has not suffered a relapse in any addiction, his doctor has stressed, and the 1986 World Cup winner appears to be taking steps on the road back to better health.

Luque said on Monday that Maradona's spirits were low, but on Tuesday he updated local media at the Ipensa hospital in La Plata to indicate signs were positive.

"Diego is much better than yesterday and eager to leave," Luque said, quoted by La Nacion.

"The night went well and we were joking. I want him to stay one more day. He is anemic and he still feels dehydrated, so we have to correct that.

"He is in good spirits; the idea is to improve him as much as possible. He has been walking inside the clinic."

Luque said Maradona could choose to leave hospital ahead of schedule.

"My goal is for him to stay until tomorrow. But he has autonomy and wants to go. If the patient is conscious, he can decide," Luque said.

"It is a long-term treatment and to be done on an outpatient basis. But he can work whenever he wants."

Luque said on Monday that the pressure of the last week had caused "a downfall of spirits", describing Maradona as being "listless" before he was admitted for treatment.

Messi's consistency over such a long period has made him the finest player Argentina has produced according to Cassano, who has called for Maradona's fans to accept that the Barcelona talisman deserves to be recognised as the best.

Cassano helped Real Madrid to the 2006-07 LaLiga title at the expense of Barca and Messi, but that success in Spain has not altered his opinion on the forward.

"Maradona did something never seen before for four or five years, but Messi has done the same things for 15 years," he said in an interview with Corriere dello Sport.

"He has made 710 goals and 300 assists. When he plays you start with a 1-0 lead.

"The ‘Maradonians’ have to accept it: there is someone who has ousted him."

Cassano revealed that, prior to Messi moving to the top of the list, he believed Brazil striker Ronaldo – a former Madrid team-mate - was the game's greatest.

"We were losing 1-0 at home," Cassano recalled. "The whole stadium was whistling, especially him [Ronaldo].

"In the locker room the coach removes Ronnie to put [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy on, but he [Ronaldo] stops him and says 'no, you take me off in 15 minutes if I haven't scored two goals'.

"Minute 15: 2-1 and two goals from Ronaldo. I said that if there is a football god, it is Ronaldo. Then I discovered that Messi is above him."

Barcelona and Argentina maestro Messi is "surely" the best footballer of all time, former Real Madrid and Barca playmaker Prosinecki claimed.

Prosinecki said in an interview with Stats Perform News that Messi, who has scored over 600 goals for Barcelona, still finishes top of the pile when the career of Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Jordan is taken into account.

"It is different, basketball and football. But Messi is surely for me the best," said Prosinecki.

"He is a player who has made differences for many years in Barcelona. He has won everything he could win. He scored many goals and assisted many times too. He plays different football to the others."

Former Croatia midfield marauder Prosinecki knows some still look to Messi's fellow Argentinian Maradona when judging the greats, as well as two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo.

Prosinecki and Ronaldo were briefly team-mates at Camp Nou.

"Maybe some people will say Maradona, Ronaldo... I don't know," Prosinecki said. "There have been amazing players. They are from two different eras. For me he [Messi] is the best one."

According to Prosinecki's verdict, Messi and Brazilian Ronaldo are players that have shown themselves capable and willing to take on teams single-handedly.

"They are different to others. Ronaldo is surely one of the best," Prosinecki said.

"Some people would say Cristiano Ronaldo, but [Brazilian Ronaldo] didn't just play at Barcelona.

"He also had some amazing seasons at Inter. He used to beat rivals almost himself alone. Incredible. They are players who make differences. At Real Madrid too. Where didn't he perform?

"For sure he was a great player. However, if I have to say one, for me the best is Leo Messi."

Former Barca and Argentina great Maradona died on Wednesday at the age of 60 and has been honoured before all LaLiga matches over the weekend.

Messi scored his side's fourth goal in the 4-0 win over Osasuna and afterwards removed his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys jersey emblazoned with Maradona's famous number 10.

He then pointedly saluted the sky in honour of his compatriot, who spent a season at Newell's - the club where Messi began his youth career.

Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho each got a goal in Barca's comfortable victory, along with striker Martin Braithwaite, who opened the scoring in the first half.

They described afterwards how they were not aware of what Messi was planning on a moving day at Camp Nou, where Maradona played from 1982 to 1984.

"We lost Maradona, a global idol, we all miss him," Coutinho said.

"We didn't know what Messi had prepared to honour Maradona," added Griezmann. "It was a beautiful surprise."

Newell's responded through their English Twitter account, saying: "It's all about number 10. The best player in the world and his tribute to #D10S."

Barca's victory moved them into eighth in the table, for a few hours at least, nine points behind leaders Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid in second.

Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died at the age of 60 after suffering heart failure last month.

Napoli renamed their stadium to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in honour of the 1986 World Cup winner, who guided the Serie A side to their only Scudetto triumphs in 1987 and 1990 after arriving from Barca in 1984.

Messi removed his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys jersey emblazoned with Maradona's famous number 10 after scoring in last month's 4-0 LaLiga rout of Osasuna.

But former Barca team-mate Boateng wants six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi – who has been heavily linked to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain – to do more to pay tribute to his countryman.

"I often hear of the comparison between Messi and Maradona and therefore I'll make a proposal to Leo," Boateng, who now plays for Serie B outfit Monza alongside Mario Balotelli, told ESPN.

"He should go to Napoli after his contract with Barcelona expires. It would be great if he himself called [president Aurelio] De Laurentiis and said: 'I'm coming'.

"Even if they have retired the No 10 shirt, 'I would like to honour Maradona's No 10 and come and play for a year or two at Napoli', without thinking about money, just the heart.

"Maybe then he manages to win a championship and then it would be the apotheosis, a movie story.

"If I were him, I would think about it. By now, he has won everything at club level, closing in a legendary way would be incredible."

Maradona, who turned 60 last week, had what his personal doctor Leopoldo Luque described as a "routine" operation for a subdural haematoma on Tuesday.

Luque said the former Argentina captain, one of the all-time greats, is "under control" and had made a "great" start to his recovery.

Argentina and Barcelona skipper Messi offered his best wishes to Maradona in a social media post on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old forward posted on Instagram: "Diego, all the strength in the world. My family and I want to see you well as soon as possible. A hug from the heart!"

Maradona also played for Barcelona in his distinguished career, having a two-year spell at Camp Nou from 1982 to 1984.

He went to the Ipensa clinic in La Plata on Monday before being transferred to the Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires province.

The former Napoli talisman's lawyer revealed he only had tests that led to surgery after being admitted to hospital with depression.

"The last medical checks were excellent," lawyer Matias Morla said after visiting Maradona in hospital, according to Ole.

"Diego was very anxious [before the surgery] about what was going to happen and very satisfied with the work of Dr Luque, which was an impeccable operation.

"I want to highlight something very important: the same test that was carried out on Diego yesterday, which detected this bleeding, was also carried out in September, which shows the tireless work of Dr Luque on Diego.

"If it had not been detected by him, Maradona's fate would have been different. I want to make it very clear, mainly because of the criticism. Luque tested him in September.

"Diego had presented a picture of depression. That's why I'm with Carlos Diaz, who was the one who treated Diego before and who noticed a mental issue.

"In principle, [Diaz] linked it to the issue of his birthday, to a depression caused by the pandemic and the different circumstances around it. Later, upon seeing that this picture had developed, at the request of Luque and Diaz, he was hospitalised and that's where the test was made that resulted in the operation.

"I don't know the causes of the haematoma and I'm not a doctor. What I do know is he had strange behaviour, he was very depressed, he made comments referring to relatives who died, that he missed them. He always, on every birthday, suffers from a kind of nostalgia.

"He really misses his mother – this is always the same on the subject of birthdays – but this year it increased, so I'm here with the psychologist who intervened."

The incredible goalscoring feats of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo put them at the centre of the discussion, but what about the greats of yesteryear? 

Does the cunning of Diego Maradona or the ingenuity of Johan Cruyff make one of them the best to have played the world's most popular sport?

The ultimate reference for all those iconic players, however, is Pele. The only player to have won three World Cups, the ultimate personification of "o jogo bonito".

With tributes flooding in after the Brazil icon passed away at the age of 82, Stats Perform delves into the Selecao star's incredible career, asking how it compares to those of the game's other greats.

Pele: The World Cup's finest

While any debate over the greatest player of all time will always be subjective, nobody can deny Pele his status as the ultimate World Cup legend.

His introduction to the global stage came at the 1958 tournament in Sweden, where Brazil exercised the demons of 1950 – when they lost the final on home soil to Uruguay in what became known as the "Maracanazo" – to clinch their first title.

A 17-year-old Pele missed Brazil's first two games at the tournament, but the Santos youngster quickly made the Selecao's number 10 shirt his own after coming in for a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union.

From there, he went from strength to strength, scoring his first World Cup goal against Wales before helping himself to a hat-trick against France in the semi-finals.

As Brazil overcame the hosts 5-2 in a thrilling final, Pele – at the age of 17 years and 249 days – scored twice. Only one other teenager has ever netted in a World Cup final – Kylian Mbappe in 2018.

As if one outstanding World Cup campaign was not enough, Pele was key to further Selecao triumphs in 1962 and 1970 – assuming a talismanic role in what many consider to be the greatest international team in history at the latter tournament.

Pele's tally of six assists in Mexico remains the highest tally recorded at a single World Cup since records began four years earlier, and his nonchalant lay-off for Carlos Alberto to finish off a flowing team move in Brazil's final win over Italy remains one of the most iconic moments in the tournament's history.

While modern-day detractors may point to Pele's failure to test himself in Europe, his incredible record on the grandest stage of all dictates that he is remembered among the very best, and there can be no doubt as to his unmatched World Cup legacy.

Johan Cruyff: The innovator

If Pele's legacy can be measured in World Cup accomplishments, Cruyff's must be examined in a very different way.

Cruyff's unbelievable tally of 36 chances created at the 1974 World Cup may be a single-tournament record, but it was not enough for the Netherlands to avoid the first of their three final defeats at the competition.

Eight Eredivisie titles, three European Cups and one LaLiga triumph as a player does not exactly do justice to the career of football's great innovator, the man considered responsible for "total football" and by extension, every free-flowing Barcelona or Ajax team that has followed.

If Pele's is best remembered as the World Cup's greatest player, perhaps Cruyff deserves the title of football's finest pioneer.

Diego Maradona: The individualist 

No conversation about football's greatest could be complete without a mention of Maradona, the man who almost single-handedly carried Argentina to football's greatest prize with a perfect blend of skill and cunning.

Astonishingly, Maradona claimed five goals and five assists as Argentina won the 1986 World Cup – a feat no other player has accomplished since detailed data collection began in 1966.

Maradona's quarter-final brace against England, perhaps the most iconic double in history, encapsulated his on-pitch personality perfectly – a mischievous first goal being followed by a truly remarkable second.

Maradona's tendency to carry unfancied sides to success was replicated on the club stage, with his two Serie A triumphs with Napoli earning him a level of adulation that will perhaps never be matched.

A beaten finalist in 1990, not even El Diego could match Pele's World Cup exploits, but the Argentine carved out a reputation as football's finest individualist. 

Cristiano Ronaldo: The big-game player

Like Cruyff, neither of the final two players on our list have made their greatest impact at the World Cup, but the incredible goalscoring feats of Ronaldo ensure his place among the game's legends.

In the Champions League – arguably the true pinnacle of the modern game – no player can match Ronaldo's total of 140 goals.

Ronaldo – who scored his 700th goal in club football earlier this season – has also lifted the Champions League trophy on five occasions – a tally no other player has bettered.

The 37-year-old started off the 2022 World Cup by becoming the first male player to net in five different editions of the tournament, though he ultimately ended it in disappointment, making just 10 touches after coming on as a substitute in Portugal's quarter-final defeat to Morocco.

He has been the ultimate big-game player. Whether he is anymore is clearly up for debate. 

Lionel Messi: The Magician 

While some may prefer the efficiency and athleticism of Ronaldo, there is no sight in modern football as joyous as that of Messi slaloming through panicked defences.

Seven Ballon d'Or wins tells you all you need to know, Messi's army of fans may say, while Pep Guardiola's revolutionary Barcelona side – considered by many as the best team to ever take to the field – was built to accommodate the Argentine's incredible mix of elite finishing, dribbling and passing skills. 

Until the last two years, the only major blot on Messi's career was a perceived failure to replicate the feats of Maradona, with the expectations of the Argentinian public often seeming to weigh heavily upon the shoulders of the diminutive attacker.

However, having helped the Albiceleste end a 28-year wait to win the Copa America in 2021, Messi then contributed seven goals and three assists to mirror Maradona's achievement of leading Argentina to World Cup glory, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward's campaign in Qatar already regarded as one of the greatest in the tournament's rich history.

While the sight of Messi lifting the World Cup trophy at the Lusail Stadium caused some to declare any debate regarding football's greatest player to be over, the forward's age dictates he will not get the chance to equal Pele's feats on the game's grandest stage.

Everyone has a different opinion on what makes a player the greatest in history, be it their style, their goal record, or their impact on subsequent generations.

The role of football's greatest tournament will always be pivotal, however, and on that basis, Pele will always have a place among the legends of the game.