Lionel Messi comes to South Africa as indisputably the world’s best club footballer after a 47-goal season and newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona.

The 22-year-old was a sensation in both domestic and European competition as the Catalan giants sought to retain their Spanish and Champions League titles.

However, controversial Internazionale supremo Jose Mourinho found a way to keep the Argentine genius quiet, as he fashioned Inter’s victory over Messi and Barca in the Champions League semi-final.

 

And the worry for Argentina is that the other coach to limit Messi’s influence on games in recent times has been their national team coach, Diego Maradona.

A prolific scorer with tremendous dribbling and shooting skills and an ability to keep possession in the tightest corners on a football field, Messi is very much in the Maradona mould and has been dubbed the “new Maradona” by more than one journalist.

His goal tally for Barca is a remarkable 127 in 214 appearances. But although his international record is respectable, one goal in every three games, he has only replicated his club form in flashes for Argentina.

He could not arrive in South Africa in better form, however, and worldwide expectations are understandably high for this World Cup tournament.