Barcelona hero Diego Maradona has no doubts Lionel Messi is superior to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maradona was asked who he regarded as the best player on the planet.

"Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, I choose Messi, of course! But he's not that far from Cristiano Ronaldo," Maradona told TyC Sports.

"I do not remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly once in his career. He has always given a lot to football, even if no one can win a competition on his own and his failure at the World Cup does not change anything."