Cannavaro never compares Maradona with others: Messi top but he's another world

  /  Rick

Italy legend Cannavaro believes that Maradona is the best of all time despite Messi is the best of his generation.

Cannavaro is one of the few footballers to share a field with both Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona but believes the former Napoli man just edges it as the greatest player of all time.

Cannavaro was just 16 when he was tasked with marking Maradona in training while the iconic No.10 was in his pomp in Italy and leading the Neapolitans to two Serie A titles.

He also played against a younger Messi during his three years in Spain at Real Madrid and saw first-hand how devastatingly brilliant the Barcelona forward could be.

"I respect Messi a lot. For the new generation he is one of the best," he said. "But Maradona is different because the football was different. They kicked him a lot but he was always in control and he was tough.

"Messi is top but Maradona is another world. I never compare him with other players. I never saw Pele but I watched Maradona, for seven years I saw every game.

"He's not one of the best, he's the best."

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