Italian newspaper depicts Leo Messi and Diego Maradona in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam

Operating under the supposition that the Mayans were right and Friday December 21st will bring the end of days, Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport used it's 'final' edition on Thursday to pay tribute to some of the greatest moments in sporting history.

Nominated events include Abebe Bikila barefoot victory in the 1960 Olympic marathon, Zinedine Zidane's transfer to Juventus and Maradona's ridiculous goal against Belgium at the 1986 World Cup.

To illustrate the feature, the front page of Italy's famous pink paper is a masterful photoshop of The Creation of Adam, a section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo in the sixteenth century.

The original Biblical creation narrative painting depicts God bringing life to Adam. In Gazetta's version, the role of God is played by Maradona, who is touching fingers with a naked-as-the-day-he-was-born Lionel Messi.

God is flanked by sporting heroes including Michael Jordan, David Beckham, swimmers Federica Pellegrini and Michael Phelps, cyclist Eddy Merckx and motorcycle champions Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi.

The full cover also includes the likes of Roger Federer, Ayrton Senna and Vicente del Bosque. See it in all its maybe-a-bit-sacrilegious glory below...