Diego Maradona: 'Lionel Messi doesn't need World Cup medal to be great'

Diego Maradona has insisted that Lionel Messi does not need to win the World Cup with Argentina to be considered one of the greats of the game.

Argentina reached the quarter-finals in 2010 under Maradona, who believes that Messi can recover from that disappointment in South Africa four years ago by excelling in Brazil this summer, despite suggesting that a failure wouldn't prevent the Barcelona forward from being the best player in the world.

"Messi doesn't need to win the World Cup to be the best player in the world," the 53-year-old told reporters.

"It would be great for Argentina, the fans and for him, but winning a World Cup or not won't take away any of his achievements up to now to be among the greatest.

"For Messi, it will be a test of character, to bring out all that crying he has in his heart. Brazil can be his great revenge."

Maradona captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986.