There has been lots of plaudits for Barcelona’s brilliant attacker Leo Messi in recent weeks, months and years. His recent performances have drawn comparisons with the likes of compatriot Diego Maradona, Dutch star Johan Cruyff and Brazilian legend Pele.
Comparisons
The comparison between him and current Argentina national boss Maradona could be the best comparisons and not just in footballing style.
It’s widely acknowledged that in the 1986 World Cup the little Napoli striker basically won the tournament on his own, such was the effect his influence had on the team he captained. He scored five goals and created five in a tournament, one of those goals is rated as one of the best goals to ever be scored in a World Cup.
Messi has yet to show his sparkling club form at international level and the 2010 World Cup could be his chance to rank himself alongside his manager as one of the greatest footballers to have ever graced a football pitch.
Messi told Sky Sports: “To become a legend, to be great, you also have to win a World Cup,”
He’s said it all in that statement that if he wins the World Cup then arguably he will become a legend. He has won everything in the club game and it’s time for him to inspire his country. He is just like Maradona in the 86’ team, the standout player in his national side.
Generation
Every generation seem to have players that they regard as legends. My grandfather used to talk about Stanley Matthews and Pele in his earlier years and say the modern players have nothing on those icons. Yet my uncle’s talk about Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and George Best as the best players they have ever seen.
As I am too young to have seen those players play, it’s going to be likes of Leo Messi and Zinedine Zidane who I’ll be telling my kids and grandkids about. I was fortunate enough to catch a few years of Maradona’s career.
However I wasn’t fortunate to see Maradona in his prime. The few times I did see Maradona perform there was an expectation that he would do something every time he got the ball. I get the same feeling every time Messi gets the ball. He’s that sort of unique player.
Teammates
Messi will have the help of some highly-rated teammates in the World Cup. If they are successful then I don’t think he will have won the tournament on his own, unlikely the accusation of the 1986 team of Maradona.
The likes of the Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain and Atletico’s Madrid’s Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero are there to complement Messi’s talent in attack. The pair have enjoyed very different fortunes this season. While Higuain has been in superb form at Real Madrid and tops their league scoring charts, Aguero has had an inconsistent season for the struggling Atletico.
However both players are young and talented players who will cause any defence in the world problems. One negative for their inclusion in the squad is that they are relatively inexperienced at international level but with their talent not even the unpredictable Maradona could leave them out. And beyond them are the likes of Hernan Crespo and Diego Milito also in contention for a place alongside Messi. They certainly don’t lack attacking options.
Competitors
If Little Leo and Co. are going to challenge for the World Cup trophy then the Barca striker will have to be at his sparkling best. They will have to get past the superb Spaniards and the brilliant Brazilians, to name just two teams, to win the trophy and those two are currently looking very strong.
It’s going to be a challenge for an Argentina team that struggled to qualify for the tournament. They struggled in the qualification due to the huge amount of players that Maradona used. They couldn’t find consistency due to the changes in personnel.
However with just 23 players to choose from at the World Cup the team will be far more settled and consistent and with the World Player of the Year in their team they have every chance of making a big impact in South Africa.
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