"Maradona is in danger of becoming a laughing stock, I'm afraid," former England striker Gary Lineker said as quoted by the UK daily The Telegraph.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said it was "not nice" to see Maradona's gesture.
"His career as a football player on the pitch was up there with the best, but unfortunately there are moments like this that do arrive. It is not nice to see that," Ferdinand said.
On Tuesday Argentina beat Nigeria 2-1 in their final Group D match in St. Petersburg to advance to the knockout stage. Maradona, who was watching the game from the VIP section of St. Petersburg Stadium, made an obscene gesture after Argentina's second goal scored by defender Marcos Rojo in the 86th minute.
During the game, the 1986 World Cup winner, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, leaned over a railing and showed his middle fingers while swearing at the opponents. Maradona's obscene gestures were fillmed on camera on numerous occasions.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.