Messi or Maradona? (Part1 of 2)

Since the last week most famous game in the Chamption League this year, and Barcelona (I mean Messi) beating Arsenal 4-1 and I didn't hear or read anything except about Messi. Every phone call with a friend on football, every talk in the corridor, and today I was at dinner feast, and it is all about Lionel Messi magic.

At the age of 22, he already changed the famous "Maradona or Pele?" debate into "Maradona or Messi?"
As timesonline described: "the little maestro, who, at the age of 22, is beginning to challenge the accepted wisdom that Pelé and Diego Maradona stand alone atop the pantheon of truly great footballers.

The quantity of Messi’s goals is incredible enough — his fourth was his 39th of a remarkable season — but it is the quality that takes the breath away.

None of his four last night was a collector’s item by his standards, but, witnessed in succession, they were testament to his myriad strengths: mesmerising footwork and close control, lovely balance, beautiful improvisation and, for someone who lacks physical stature, remarkable degrees of power and persistence."

What did Aresne Wenger said after the game?
"We lost against a team better than us, with the best player in world,He’s like a PlayStation player — he can take advantage of every mistake we make. Messi is the best player in the world by a distance. He’s not always in the game, but when he is he’s really dangerous. Once he’s on a run he’s unstoppable, the only player who can change direction at such pace and be a threat.”

Wenger said he did not know another player in the world who could have scored a goal like Messi’s fourth.

“He made the impossible possible,” the Frenchman said. “He has something exceptional. He has six or seven years in front of him, touch wood that nothing happens to him, and he can reach unbelievable levels. He’s very young, but he can achieve a lot.

So, who is better? or at least, who is better at that age?
Messi or Maradona?
I am not in favour of all of these comparisons, but what I am interested is the rational and analysis of this comparison.

I will post my own opinion in (part 2 of 2) of this post, but I will do it after watching tomorrow's big game vs. Real Madrid