Platini was on the same level as Maradona (and Zico). If you look at their numbers you'll see they were almost identical and so was talent wise, with Maradona and Zico just a little bit ahead in terms of skills, and the latter being more prolific in goal scoring. A world cup title is what separates them. One has it, the other two don't.
Platini might have become a cunt as a person but he was by far the best player to wear a Juventus shirt. And yes, I'd definitely place him above Zidane.
Messi plays in the age of pussy football with it's guardian angels aka referees protecting his majesty. Not to mention how utterly mediocre defending has become from mid 00's to now. Both Pelé And Maradona had to have balls of steel to confront reckless insane defenders trying to break their legs at every turn. Messi plays in SA once and complains about tackles... And throws up like a little flower. Not to mention his struggle to be anything above average when playing for anything other than Barcelona. Talent wise, he's phenomenal but don't put Messi in the same sentence as Pelé and Maradona next time. Those were men.