Diego Maradona dies: Messi and Ronaldo hail 'eternal' genius of Argentina great

Barcelona, November 26: Diego Maradona was saluted by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as an "eternal" wonder of the football world after his death at the age of 60.

Messi, a modern-day Argentinian superstar who followed in the footsteps of his idol by starring for Barcelona and the national team, posted a picture of himself with a beaming smile alongside Maradona.

He wrote: "A very sad day for all Argentines and for football. He leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal.

"I keep all the beautiful moments I experienced with him and I wanted to take the opportunity to send my condolences to all his family and friends. RIP."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo hailed an "unparalleled magician" whom he could call "friend".

"Today I say goodbye to a friend and the world says goodbye to an eternal genius. One of the best ever. An unparalleled magician. He leaves too soon, but leaves a legacy without limits and a void that will never be filled," the Portugal and Juventus superstar wrote in his twitter handle.

"Rest in peace, ace. You will never be forgotten," Ronaldo added.