Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi: Twin legacies, intertwined yet distinct

The greatest triumphs sometimes follow the greatest lows. Ten years ago, a 29-year-old Lionel Messi — with eight La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and five of his eight Ballon d’Or awards in his bag at that time while playing for Barcelona — decided that it was enough for him to live with the pain.“It’s over me, that’s it. I tried so hard but it just isn’t happening,” Messi, crestfallen and his psyche shattered, announced as the ‘end’ came with his missed penalty in a defeat to Chile in the Copa America final in New Jersey, extending his personal misery to four lost finals with the national side — at the 2014 World Cup against Germany and three at Copa America (2007, 2015 and now 2016).