The scintillating form of Lionel
Messi and the steady hand of
coach Alejandro Sabella have left
many believing that Argentina are
ready to end their long wait for a
third World Cup crown.
The South American giants have
regularly been favourites heading
to recent World Cup finals, only to
wilt under pressure once the
action starts.
Successive squads bristling with
world-class talent have rarely
delivered, meaning that 28 long
years have passed since a Diego
Maradona-inspired Argentina last
lifted the trophy, in Mexico in
1986.
Yet there are several signs that
this year it could be different.
In stark contrast to their turbulent
qualifying campaign for the 2010
tournament under Maradona's
management, when they only just
got one of the automatic places in
South Africa, Argentina waltzed
through the qualifying competition
for Brazil.
They booked their place with two
matches to spare, destroying
Paraguay 5-2 away in Asuncion
with a display of attacking football
that will serve as a warning to
Group F opponents Iran, African
champions Nigeria and debutants
Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Key to Argentina's path to the
finals was the form of Barcelona
star Messi, revelling in the
captaincy role handed to him by
Sabella after the wily former
Estudiantes coach's appointment in
2011.
Messi was Argentina's top-scorer
in qualifying, notching 10 goals in
14 games, suggesting that the 26-
year-old maestro has finally nailed
suggestions he is unable to
reproduce his club form in the
international arena.
Messi's club form of late has not
been great, and he has been
hampered by injuries over the last
12 months, but his burgeoning
form at international level is a
testament to the faith that Sabella
has placed in his captain.
Unlike Maradona who
unbalanced Argentina's attack at
the last World Cup with the
inclusion of striker Carlos Tevez
Sabella has built his side entirely
around Messi.
"We need to make him feel
comfortable and think about
what's best for the team," Sabella
has said of Messi. "And what's
best for the team is, first and
foremost, to make him feel
comfortable."
As a result, Tevez has not featured
for his country since the 2011 Copa
America, when Argentina bowed
out in the quarter-finals to
Uruguay.
However, La Albiceleste are
anything but a one-man band.
Sabella's squad contains several
stars who would walk into most
other starting XIs at the World
Cup, such as Napoli striker
Gonzalo Higuain, Manchester City
duo Sergio Aguero and Pablo
Zabaleta, Barcelona defender-cum-
midfielder Javier Mascherano and
Real Madrid winger Angel Di
Maria.
Perhaps crucially, Argentina's team
also contains a core of players who
won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup
in 2005.
Messi, Zabaleta, Ageuro and
midfielder Fernando Gago were
among those who featured in that
triumph, fostering a tightly knit
team spirit that could prove the
difference in Brazil.
"At the national team we have a
solid group of friends," said Messi
recently. "Some of us have known
each other since we were little
kids. That's something good."
Messi and the steady hand of
coach Alejandro Sabella have left
many believing that Argentina are
ready to end their long wait for a
third World Cup crown.
The South American giants have
regularly been favourites heading
to recent World Cup finals, only to
wilt under pressure once the
action starts.
Successive squads bristling with
world-class talent have rarely
delivered, meaning that 28 long
years have passed since a Diego
Maradona-inspired Argentina last
lifted the trophy, in Mexico in
1986.
Yet there are several signs that
this year it could be different.
In stark contrast to their turbulent
qualifying campaign for the 2010
tournament under Maradona's
management, when they only just
got one of the automatic places in
South Africa, Argentina waltzed
through the qualifying competition
for Brazil.
They booked their place with two
matches to spare, destroying
Paraguay 5-2 away in Asuncion
with a display of attacking football
that will serve as a warning to
Group F opponents Iran, African
champions Nigeria and debutants
Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Key to Argentina's path to the
finals was the form of Barcelona
star Messi, revelling in the
captaincy role handed to him by
Sabella after the wily former
Estudiantes coach's appointment in
2011.
Messi was Argentina's top-scorer
in qualifying, notching 10 goals in
14 games, suggesting that the 26-
year-old maestro has finally nailed
suggestions he is unable to
reproduce his club form in the
international arena.
Messi's club form of late has not
been great, and he has been
hampered by injuries over the last
12 months, but his burgeoning
form at international level is a
testament to the faith that Sabella
has placed in his captain.
Unlike Maradona
unbalanced Argentina's attack at
the last World Cup with the
inclusion of striker Carlos Tevez
Sabella has built his side entirely
around Messi.
"We need to make him feel
comfortable and think about
what's best for the team," Sabella
has said of Messi. "And what's
best for the team is, first and
foremost, to make him feel
comfortable."
As a result, Tevez has not featured
for his country since the 2011 Copa
America, when Argentina bowed
out in the quarter-finals to
Uruguay.
However, La Albiceleste are
anything but a one-man band.
Sabella's squad contains several
stars who would walk into most
other starting XIs at the World
Cup, such as Napoli striker
Gonzalo Higuain, Manchester City
duo Sergio Aguero and Pablo
Zabaleta, Barcelona defender-cum-
midfielder Javier Mascherano and
Real Madrid winger Angel Di
Maria.
Perhaps crucially, Argentina's team
also contains a core of players who
won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup
in 2005.
Messi, Zabaleta, Ageuro and
midfielder Fernando Gago were
among those who featured in that
triumph, fostering a tightly knit
team spirit that could prove the
difference in Brazil.
"At the national team we have a
solid group of friends," said Messi
recently. "Some of us have known
each other since we were little
kids. That's something good."
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