Bolt backs Argentina for World Cup

Triple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt revealed on Friday that he will be supporting Argentina at the forthcoming football World Cup in South Africa.

With his Jamaica homeland having failed to qualify for the quadrennial showpiece event, Bolt said he would be cheering on the Argentina team of current World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.

“For me, Argentina are my football side,” said Bolt, who is also a fan of English giants Manchester United, during a conference call with journalists on Friday.

“But I think they need a new central midfield player to help them dominate on the pitch,” he added.

Under the guidance of controversial former great Diego Maradona, Argentina squeezed into the World Cup only after winning their final two games in the South American qualifying competition.

They will play Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in Group B after a kind draw, but Bolt does not expect them to mount a serious challenge for the tournament, which runs from June 11-July 11.

“Right now, it’s either Brazil or Spain,” he said.