It has been the hot topic debate in the world of football for quite some time now: which player is better – Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
For fans of either, goals, assists and trophies are matched nearly one for one. When Messi scores a hat-trick one week, Ronaldo will record a goal and two assists; where Ronaldo dominates one game, Messi dominates the next. Each time these two superstars meet on the field during El Clasico, they share a friendly handshake. That’s where the friendliness ends.
These two footballers embody the two sides of the game with exemplary form. Ronaldo is the prime athlete, where as Messi has the nimblest feet; Ronaldo can burst past a defender with raw power, while Messi dances around opponents with mesmeric control.
They share one more similarity; neither has won a World Cup trophy.
For all intents and purposes, Argentina and Portugal suffer from similar problems on an international level. The two sides employ some of the best players in the world but do not have quality across the board. In particular, the back line for both sides is less than adequate. Yet, with Ronaldo and Messi donning captain’s armbands, they will once again compete for the greatest crown in the game.
If ever Messi had a chance at winning the World Cup, it is now.
If you’re a superstitious man, then the tradition of tournament soil dictates a European side won’t be hoisting the trophy at the end of the World Cup. No European country has won a World Cup in South America. Messi’s Argentina side has improved in spades over the years.
Read More on the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Gone are the days where Diego Maradona stole the show on the sidelines, posturing and gesturing and hopping around the coach’s box. Instead, Argentina has found a pragmatic coach in Alejandro Sabella, who took over as general manager of the squad back in 2011 but took over as its coach when Maradona’s days ran out.
He’s nicknamed El Mago – The Magician – attributed to his slower style of management. He enjoys, and implements, deliberate passing, smart movement and heavy build-up play. It’s a style well suited for Messi, who plays in Barcelona, kings of tiki taka football.
Messi doesn’t have Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta with him at Argentina. However, Argentina does have some very capable players on the roster that can help Messi succeed. Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi are all goal scorers and creators who can play across the forward line. In midfield, Messi can turn to Maxi Rodriguez, Angel di Maria and Ever Banega for support. Up top and in midfield, Argentina is filled with quality, almost to a fault.
Argentina’s main problem is that many of the pieces are not complimentary in one set formation. Gonzalo Higuain is arguably Argentina’s finest centre forward option but Messi plays in a false nine style, which doesn’t use a target man up top. Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Angel Di Maria are very different types of wide forwards, but none of them are exceptionally strong at delivering the ball into the box with shorter, more precise passes, opting instead to curl the ball high into dangerous areas. More often than not, they choose to shoot, instead.
Messi is a player who requires service on the ground, while the rest of Argentina’s forwards specialize in bomb-like goals from well outside the box. This has, in the past, meant that Messi needed to drop further and further back into the midfield in order to pick up the ball from a player like Rodriguez or Fernando Gago, who can play shorter passes to him.
When you take Messi out of the box, you take away a dangerous threat, and the central defenders can focus more on stopping the wide forwards. Argentina is a team that desperately needs a Xavi type, and they may have found one in Banega.
Unproven at international level, Banega is Valencia’s top midfield talent and for good reason; he is exceptionally astute and has high footballing IQ. He sees runs around him developing and can pick out a player without looking. He is a more defensive version of an Argentine midfield legend, Juan Roman Riquelme. He needs to be on form for Messi to succeed.
Formation experts will say 4-4-2 won’t work, will opt instead for 4-3-3s or 4-2-3-1s, but Argentina’s problem is not a formational one; it is a matter of too many pieces moving around and not enough role players. Luckily, Sabella has found a semblance of this style during World Cup qualifying, and just in time, since the country struggled during the initial stages.
Could this be Lionel Messi’s World Cup? It’s hard to say with confidence. Brazil is ticking in rhythm to the drums and trumpets of its home, Spain continues to churn out archetypal players for its 4-3-3, and Germany has made the production of midfielders an art form. Yet, all three lack the one element who goes by the name Lionel Messi, at once magnificent and humble, a player whose legacy deserves a World Cup.
Next week, we’ll take a look at Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal and their chance at the international crown.
