The duo has constantly been compared in terms of their playing style, in addition to having represented Spanish giant club Barcelona and captained Argentina.
Franz Beckenbauer who captained the team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990, has died at the age of 78, German news agency DPA reported on Monday.
With just a few days to go to the World Cup, Argentina are not considered favourites as they struggled through qualifying for the prestigious tournament.
Manchester Utd's Fred receives racist abuse after defeat by Liverpool.
Argentina's new coach Edgardo Bauza has set his mind to wooing Lionel Messi back from international retirement as he ponders his squad for next month's South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Bauza was named on Monday to replace Gerardo Martino, who resigned a month ago after steering Messi's side to two successive Copa America finals which ended in penalty shootout defeats to Chile.
Brazil will play Argentina in two friendlies next month, one in each country, with teams picked from the domestic leagues, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Argentines begged Lionel Messi not to abandon the national team before the 2018 World Cup after he tearfully announced his retirement in frustration at another last-gasp international defeat. As Chileans danced in the streets and honked their horns to hail their team's victory by penalties in the Copa American Centenario, the rainy streets of Buenos Aires were deserted.
India's tryst with fourth-place Olympic heartbreaks
Argentina became the first ever side to come from three goals down to avoid defeat in a women's World Cup match.
Ronaldo's 130 goals for his country is also way out on its own at the head of most scored in international football
The current generation of Argentina players is one of the best ever even though the team have not won a major trophy in 22 years, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Reigning world champions Argentina continue to top the chart followed by 2022 World Cup runners-up France, England, Belgium and Brazil.
A stoppage-time goal from Miranda gave Brazil a 1-0 win over South American rivals Argentina in a foul-strewn friendly, while Netherlands secured a 1-1 draw at neighbours Belgium.
Emiliano Martinez said he had always wanted to come to India.
Diego Maradona said he wants to continue coaching Argentina's national soccer team but only if he could keep absolute control over the choice of his assistants.
Argentina will return to Olympic football next year after sealing victory in the South American under-20 qualifying tournament in Uruguay on Saturday.
Lionel Messi does not need a Copa America win to feel like the king of the world. He captured that crown a long ago, says Dhruv Munjal.
Such is the focus on Lionel Messi in the countdown to the World Cup that even the slightest problem in training gets full blown local media coverage as with a scrape on Friday. The world's top player, practising with Diego Maradona's Argentina for the finals in South Africa that kick off on June 11, fell and suffered a minor scrape on his right leg at the team's training base outside Buenos Aires.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was among the first in the Indian sporting fraternity to take to Twitter to pay his tributes to Diego Maradona.
Argentina start as hot favourites to beat Iceland in their opening World Cup Group D match on Saturday but the toughest opponent for the runners-up four years ago may be themselves rather than the tiny tournament debutants.
'Our psychologists and physiotherapists are also at the disposition of the health service workers'
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will remain in the job for next season and has entered into talks with the Old Trafford club over a contract extension
"We are a small country, the smallest to host the World Cup. We prepared ourselves for the possibility of an early exit, but this does not mean the end of the project."
Argentina came out on top over France in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final at Lusail by 4-2 on penalties after both teams finished 3-3 at extra time.
Argentina's failure to win the Copa America as hosts and end an 18-year wait for a major title cost coach Sergio Batista his job on Monday.
A round-up Wednesday's football news on and off the field.
Lionel Messi stepped out of Diego Maradona's shadow by leading Argentina to World Cup victory last year and a statue of the diminutive forward will stand alongside those of his predecessor and Brazil great Pele at the South American federation's museum.
I am not the best person to judge, I cannot separate sentiment from my objective decision. Whatever season Messi has had on footballing grounds, I would still vote for him.
'Obviously for me, it's the best sport in the world, so I think it should always be top of the list,' England's football ace David Beckham Beckham said on a visit for the closing of the Games on Sunday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after soccer's global governing body called for Asia and Oceania bids on October 4.
The AFA thanked 58-year-old Sampaoli and his assistants, who have also left their positions, for their services.
Al-Nassr last week cancelled their two-game China tour due to the absence of the 38-year-old Ronaldo.
Spectators chanted "refund" after Messi stayed on the bench during the match.
Colombia have scored more goals than Argentina and notched as many as the highly-rated Brazilians
Chile face Argentina in Sunday's Copa America final for the right to call themselves South America's dominant team but perhaps an even bigger question for football fans the world over regards whether Lionel Messi can finally win a major international title. The Barcelona forward has won every trophy possible with the Spanish club but he has lost three finals with Argentina, including in 2014 World Cup Final in 2014 and the Copa America last year. Sunday's game against Chile in New Jersey gives Messi a chance to end both his personal hoodoo and that of Argentina, who have not won a major title since lifting the Copa America in Ecuador in 1993.
'It is over and I can clearly state without fear of being contradicted that Maradona has never been a tax evader.'
'I hope Lionel Messi gets a little percentage of the shirt sales because I've never seen so many Argentine number 10 shirts in my life!'
Mbappe and Benzema inspire France to 2-0 win against Finland
