FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 Preview: Messi at crossroads!

Lionel Messi– the greatest football player in the world is at a crossroads.

However absurd that sentence sounds…it’s true.

The Football World cup kicks off on June 11.

This summer, a successful World Cup will mean he can rightfully dine at football’s exclusive top table so far only reserved for Pele and Maradona. If he can replicate his stunning club form for Argentina, which has so far proved elusive, and lead his country to glory his place in football’s pantheon will be complete. But the one man who could potentially stop him more than any opposition defender is the person who currently dines at that table…Messi’s national team manager –the seriously unhinged Diego Armando Maradona.

Ever since the Argentine FA took the bold /stupid decision to appoint the former drug addict as the national coach many feared the worst.To his credit Maradona did at least stumble through qualifying to ensure the team reached South Africa, which at the time of his appointment was far from guaranteed. But in that campaign he has used more than 100 players –not exactly the actions of a sure footed manager. His failure to get the best out of Messi which is proving to be Maradona’s greatest conundrum.

Messi will need to replicate his club form to help Argentina lift the cup!

Messi himself is not blameless, to match his performances for Barcelona is frustrating fans of the national team. The Barcelona wizard has, at the tender age of 22, won just about everything there is to win with the Catalan giants. So far in his short, but already glorious career he has, sitting proudly on his mantel piece a rack of major honours including 3 La Liga titles, 2 European Cups and 1 World Club Championship.This season, the current European and World player of the year, has scored an incredible 42 goals in all competitions.

Yet despite all that success his performances for his country have never come close to matching his stellar club form.Critics cruelly label him ‘Superman’ in Barcelona’s colours but ‘Clark Kent’ for Argentina. There are even some whispers among Argentine journalists that Maradona is loathed to get the best of Messi because that would mean usurping his own crown of the greatest ever player.

But, I for one, don’t believe this rumour since both men can seal their place in football folklore with victory in South Africa. For Maradona, already a World Cup winner in 1986, the chance to lead his team to glory will smash the old adage that great players cannot become great managers. For Messi, a strong campaign leading to World Cup glory means he will finally win over his doubting compatriots.

The stage is set for both men to show the world, what they got!

Edited By: Arpit Kumar