"It's very difficult to be Messi, nobody can put themselves in his place as nobody could, at the time, put themselves in the place of (Diego) Maradona. It's impossible to know what they think and what they experience," Crespo told Olé newspaper.

The former striker of Parma, Inter, Chelsea, Milan and River Plate, among other teams, was Messi's teammate in the Argentine national team that played in the 2006 World Cup.

"It makes me happy to see him play for the national team. As an Argentine, I would love to see him become a world champion. Leo is a guy who has been at a very high level for many years, he receives kicks, gets up and carries on, always working," he said.

"His impact goes far beyond being a player or athlete, he is a professional example, with seriousness, honesty, always correct. Messi has transcended more than what we believe worldwide and I think he is much more than a great football player," he added.

For Crespo, Messi will still be "immense" even if he doesn't win a World Cup, because he is "beyond a title".

"Actually, if you think about it, in some way it is football that owes Messi," he explained.