Messi and NT: he is only 24 and he won a WC U20 and Olympic Games 2008. Maradona at the same age won only a WC U20.
How would you judge Maradona at 24 with NT? Not good because he did not well in NT? No, he was anyway a phenomenon with or without NT.
Di Stefano, Cruyff, Platini.... did not win...