Germany defender Arne Friedrich is relishing the chance to rub shoulders with who he sees as the world's best ever footballer - and shatter his World Cup dreams.

The 31-year-old Hertha Berlin player and his team-mates will head into battle with Diego Maradona's Argentina on Saturday with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

He told the German Football Association's official website, www.dfb.de: "He (Maradona) is a big attraction, he is the absolute star. As a player and now as a coach, he is unsurpassed. He was for me the greatest footballer ever and will always remain so."