D. Ray Morton, 11th June 2014.
Lionel Messi will play in his first World Cup with Argentina built around him
The World Cup finally gets under way tomorrow evening (Brazil vs. Croatia K/O 9pm GMT) and speculation mounts as to who will win the competition on the back of many injuries and players who have endured sixty-game seasons. Lionel Messi, having surrendered his Balon d'Or crown to Cristiano Ronaldo last year, is many pundits' tip to be the star individual of the tournament.
There are several reasons as to why people think Messi will dominate at the World Cup. At one point last season, former Barcelona assistant manager, Angel Cappa, accused the Argentine of losing his passion for the game. Indeed, many felt that he had taken his foot off the pedal as his domestic season wound down in order to save himself for Brazil's football carnival. It is harsh to judge a player's professionalism like this and Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid, who pipped Barça to both a Liga BBVA title and a place in the Champions League final, deserve a lot of credit for keeping Messi quiet throughout their series of games. Therefore, La Pulga Atómica has a lot to prove and a lot of pundits to silence. Included in this is the ever-opinionated Zvonimir Boban who recently accused Argentina's No. 10 of "not trying" (whilst also stating Barça teammate Neymar will never become the world's best player).
The reason for Messi optimism is as follows. Fair enough, his performances did dip a little towards the end of last season but it was on the back of a year that involved a serious hamstring injury. Between Barcelona's last game of the campaign and the start of the World Cup, he has been able to rest and is enjoying his time with the Argentina camp. There may be a sense of pressure too, however. Messi has vomited during play on several occasions in recent times and though he maintains it has nothing to do with nerves, it is odd that the medical staff cannot find an explanation for this. Messi believes it merely some undiagnosed, minor illness that just happens to him sometimes. Merely a weak stomach.
Assuming Messi is 100% fit and happy, he finds himself in an Argentina team built around him away from the pressures of Camp Nou. This was not the case in the past. Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín should join him to form a formidable attacking force, arguably the best at the World Cup. Other major stars from top nations are either missing or struggling for fitness too which gives Messi the chance to shine above all others. Germany's Marco Reus, France's Franck Ribéry and Colombia's Radamel Falcao are all ruled out and there are question marks over the condition of Portugal's Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suárez. Five top players who could have each taken the tournament by storm.
Considering Messi turns twenty-seven on 24th June, he should be at his prime in this World Cup. Argentina's potential path to the final is not the worst either and they could be looking at a semi-final against Spain and perhaps Brazil in the decider, the ultimate South American football rivalry. Spain are thought to be a little bit weaker than in their last three international championships and there are still questions over whether this Brazil team are really that good. There will be a lot more pressure on Neymar & co. than on Messi & co. Even playing the World Cup in South America helps. Obviously not against Brazil but against the European teams.
So will Messi cement that World Cup legacy that places Diego Maradona above him in the annals of the Argentine game? The conditions seem to be right for what Argentinians have been waiting for since 1986. With a much better supporting cast to boot.
