Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi

Johannesburg: Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, commonly known as Eusebio, was a prolific scorer and winner of the Golden Boot Award for his nine-goal effort in the 1966 World Cup.

Yet, the living legend of Portuguese football is currently most impressed by someone who has failed to find the back of the net in four consecutive matches. According to Eusebio, Lionel Messi is head and shoulders above all others in the ongoing World Cup.

On Thursday, when the 68-year-old former striker, along with former German star Gerd Mueller, interacted with a group of newspersons for the Adidas Golden Boot Day in Sandton, he was eloquent in his praise for the Argentine attacking midfielder.

“Whatever I have seen in this World Cup on television and at different stadiums, I have no doubt that this little boy, who plays for Argentina, will definitely win the best player award,” said Eusebio. “He is by far the best player of the tournament,” he added.

However, Eusebio didn’t have too many good things to say about Diego Maradona, Messi’s coach in the national team. “I have no idea what kind of coaching he (Maradona) does, but he has a good set of players.

“The stand-out strikers for me, who have been doing well for their teams, are Gonzalo Higuain and David Villa, and one of them may end up as the top scorer. Maradona is actually the luckiest coach in this World Cup looking at the strikers he has, but my favourite to win this tournament is Brazil,” Eusebio said.

Eusebio said there was a greater number of good players during the 60s and 70s.

“During my time in the 60s, there were many good players all over the world. The game now has been totally commercialised. You can count the good players on one hand.”

Eusebio defended Kaka saying the Brazilian was unnecessarily punished with the red card against Ivory Coast. “I have a feeling that linesmen in this World Cup are mostly sleeping,” he commented.

Mueller, who scored 10 goals to win the Golden Boot Award four years after Eusebio, adding four more to his tally in 1974, refused to agree with the former Portugal striker.

According to Mueller, Germany’s young striker and namesake Thomas Mueller could finish as the top scorer ahead of Higuain and Villa.

“I must say the winner will be another person from Bayern Munich, who is also called Mueller. He might become my successor one day. He is a good player. At 20, he is already in the squad. He is a valuable player.

“On top of that, he is a very decent person and that is very important,” said Mueller.