World Cup 2018: Spain defender Sergio Ramos hits back at Diego Maradona with Lionel Messi comparison

Maradona compared Ramos unfavourably with Uruguay and Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin

Sergio Ramos has responded to criticism from Diego Maradona by claiming that Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the history of Argentinean football.

Maradona compared Ramos unfavourably with Diego Godin earlier this week, suggesting that the Uruguayan is a better player than the Spain and Real Madrid defender.

“When people talk about stars, they told me – and I do not want to enter into controversy – they told me: ‘Ramos is a star,’” Maradona, considered by many to be the best player of all time, said.

“No, Godín is a star that defends you, that rules, that creates you a goal, who is a champion, that does not miss a game.”

Ramos was asked about Maradona’s remarks following Spain’s narrow 1-0 World Cup victory over Iran in Kazan on Wednesday night and made a comparison of his own in return.

“In Argentina they know that Maradona is light years away from the best Argentine player in history which, for me, is Lionel Messi,” he said.

Ramos also saved some critical words for Iran, who frustrated Fernando Hierro’s Spain for long periods in Kazan until Diego Costa found what-would-be a decisive goal in the second half.

“[Iran] went out to waste time, whereas we like to win in a different way,” he said. “We leave happy. We’ve taken another step forward and now we have to try to top our group, it’s our objective. I still think we can improve in all aspects.”