Diego Maradona Names Real Madrid Star as His GOAT Pick & Reveals How He Helped Messi's Free Kicks

​Argentine legend and World Cup winner Diego Maradona has named countryman Alfredo Di Stefano as his choice for the greatest footballer of all time.

Maradona - who won Serie A twice with Napoli, as well as the UEFA Cup, Copa del Rey and 1986 World Cup - is often placed among the greatest ever to kick a ball professionally. He is also not known for his modesty. However, according to the man himself, Real Madrid great Di Stefano was the best there has ever been.

Speaking to TyC Sports' Líbero (as quoted by ​AS) Maradona said: "I think the best was Di Stéfano. He was superior to everyone - even me. 

"Pelé didn't want to recognise Di Stéfano's talents. Pelé's friends invented a trophy especially for him for being a living legend of football. I even beat Pelé in Río for being the best in history."

Di Stefano, who retired in 1966, never crossed paths with Maradona on the football pitch, but was perhaps the biggest star of the early days of the European Cup, helping ​Real Madrid to five on the spin in its first five years.

Although born in Argentina, he won two Ballon d'Ors in the 1950s after acquiring Spanish citizenship. Di Stefano played for both countries internationally, scoring six in six for Argentina and 23 in 31 for Spain. 

On the subject of the Ballon d'Or, Maradona himself was exempt from qualification as the trophy was exclusively for European players prior to 1995 - although the Argentine was later awarded one for services to football by France Football in 1996.

In the same interview with Líbero, Maradona suggested he would have had 'quite a few' had the rules of eligibility been different in his heyday.

The former Argentina manager also praised current Ballon d'Or holder Lionel Messi - who won his record sixth trophy this month - while revealing the small influence he has had on the ​Barcelona star's free-kick technique.

"I told him where he should place his foot, but the rest is all down to him," Maradona said. 

"He has got it down to a tee. I would never like to face Messi - not ever. I don't criticise Messi, the lad comes home, plays, doesn't sing the hymn and they say he's Catalán. I'm a friend of Leo's."