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 On Sunday at the Maracana stadium in Rio, Messi will come up
against a Germany team that has ended his two previous attempts to
bring his country a third World Cup title.
Messi has won everything that there is to win with his club
Barcelona six Spanish league titles and three Champions League
titles along with various Cups.
On an individual level he has been crowned World Player of the Year
on four occasions and has broken several scoring records.
But for his country, the ultimate prize has evaded him so far. A
2008 Olympic gold medal and an Under-20 World Cup win back in 2005
are not to be dismissed but the narrative has long been set if Messi
wants to be viewed in the same category as his compatriot Diego
Maradona and Brazilian Pele, he needs to win a World Cup.
Maradona was the star of Argentina’s second World Cup triumph in
1986, scoring five goals and creating as many again with some
memorable performances.
Pele won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 but
while Messi’s skill and achievements at club level have put him
close to the two other South American greats, he has yet to win the
big one.
Messi had just turned 19 and was just coming back from injury when
Argentina went out in the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup on
penalties to Germany.
Four years later in South Africa, Germany again ended Argentina’s
hopes with a crushing 4-0 defeat and Messi bowed out of the
tournament without a goal to his name.
Now the 27-year-old Messi has the opportunity to make Germany pay
for those two defeats and at the same time end the discussion about
his contribution to the national team.
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In Brazil Messi has looked like, not only Argentina’s star, but
their leader on the field, as he has responded to close marking by
drifting deep and providing prompts and creativity from behind
striker Gonzalo Higuain.
Messi made his mark in the opening group game against Bosnia with a
fine finish for his team’s second goal after helping create the
opener in the 2-1 victory.
In Argentina’s second game, a very tight affair against a determined
Iran, Messi won the match with a brilliant 25-yard strike in
stoppage time.
Two more goals followed in the 3-2 win over Nigeria and in the round
of 16 he helped create Angel Di Maria’s winner against Switzerland.
Messi struggled to make an impact in the next two rounds when he was
marked closely but showed his confidence and leadership as he went
first up to successfully convert his penalty in the semi-final
against the Netherlands.
Now comes Germany and more close marking no doubt, but the perfect
stage for him to stake his claim for a place among the very greatest
of all.
(Reporting By Simon Evans, Editing by Nigel Hunt)
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