Is Lionel Messi merely the second-best player in world, or has he joined immortals Pele and countryman Diego Maradona as among the greatest of all-time? This summer will go a long way into determining exactly what his legacy will be, and whether he can shed the narrative that he excels for club but not for country.
Messi suffered a 16-game scoreless skid with Argentina, and struggled as it was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup and 2011 Copa America. But since coach Alejandro Sabella took over, he’s been named captain and his 10 qualifying goals led them to first place in notoriously tough CONMEBOL. Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and midfielder Angel Di Maria join with Messi to form a fantastic foursome offensively, but their defense can be had.
Bosnia-Herzegovina has the skill (Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko and Stuttgart’s Vedad Ibisevic) and Nigeria the speed, after winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and blazing through qualifying behind blistering counterattacks from Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses. Which teams takes second may depend on who delivers the worst rout of likely cellar-dweller Iran.
Argentina
Coach: Alejandro Sabella, a former Argentina assistant
Odds*: 4-1
FIFA rank: 5
Formation: 4-3-3
World Cup finishes: Two titles (1978 and 1986) and two other trips to the finals.
Players to watch: There’s only one: Lionel Messi. The four-time Ballon d’Or winner had never been able to replicate his club form with country. But since he was named captain, he scored 20 goals in 22 games from October 2011 through March. (They play Slovenia June 7). If he leads them to a title, he joins the discussion of greatest player ever.
Overview: They generally play a 4-3-3, but occasionally go 5-3-2 to protect a leaky defense, with Pablo Zabaleta its only marquee name and goalie Sergio Romero fighting the rust of inactivity. Strikers Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain are stars, and hard-working Real Madrid left-winger Angel Di Maria is the X-factor.
Schedule: June 15 vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (Rio de Janeiro); June 21 vs. Iran (Belo Horizonte); June 25 vs. Nigeria (Porto Alegre).
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Coach: Safet Susic, a striker for Yugoslavia in the 1982 and ’90 World Cups and not much for tactical caution
Odds: 150-1
FIFA rank: 21
Formation: 4-4-2
World Cup finishes: The only debutante in the field.
Players to watch: Forward Edin Dzeko was torrid down the stretch of the EPL season for Manchester City, and combined with Stuttgart’s Vedad Ibisevic to score 18 of 30 goals in qualifying. But with their exposed defense, they’d better outscore people, so midfielders Senad Lulic and Miralem Pjanic have to excel.
Overview: These players were children when war roiled the region, and the nation remains racially divided and economically downtrodden. This team can give Bosnians something to cheer about together, especially if 33-year-old Bayer Leverkusen center back Emir Spahic and Stoke City goalie Asmir Begovic can hold the defense together.
Schedule: June 15 vs. Argentina (Rio de Janeiro); June 21 vs. Nigeria (Cuiaba); June 25 vs. Iran (Salvador).
Nigeria
Coach: Stephen Keshi, who coached Togo to its first World Cup
Odds: 200-1
FIFA rank: 44
Formation: 4-3-3
World Cup finishes: Knocked out in the group stage in 2010, but reached the knockout rounds in 1994 and 1998.
Players to watch: The attacking trio of Ahmed Musa on the left wing, Liverpool loanee Victor Moses on the right and Fenerbahce’s Emmanuel Emenike as a target man can be dangerous. Lille goalie Vincent Enyeama (who excelled vs. Argentina four years ago) and defensive midfielder John Obi Mikel are both good, but with the Super Eagles’ shaky back four, they’ll have to be great.
Overview: After Nigeria’s humbling failure to even make the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Keshi has gone younger – and faster – to great effect, winning the team’s first African title in two decades, playing well in the Confederations Cup and going unbeaten in qualifying. But can they find a pair of center backs that will hold up against higher-level attacks?
Schedule: June 16 vs. Iran (Curitiba); June 21 vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (Cuiaba); June 25 vs. Argentina (Porto Alegre)
Iran
Coach: Carlos Queiroz, who was a Manchester United assistant and coached Real Madrid and his native Portugal before being fired in 2010
Odds: 3,000-1
FIFA rank: 43
Formation: 4-5-1
World Cup finishes: Missed the World Cup in 2010, and went out in the group stage in 1978, 1998 and 2006.
Players to watch: The midfield will lean on 33-year-old captain Javad Nekounam to control the middle and EPL-hardened Fulham man Ashkan Dejagah to help on the right wing. Can Reza Ghoochannejhad – a 26-year-old Charlton reserve who has nine goals in 11 games for Iran – do that against tougher foes?
Overview: Iran has won a grand total of one World Cup game in its history — against the US back in 1998. But they’ll look to a stout defense – which allowed just two goals in eight qualifiers – to better that. Nekounam (137 caps), Dejagah and Ghoochannejhad are a solid trio, but it will be difficult not to finish last in the group.
Schedule: June 16 vs. Nigeria (Curitiba); June 21 vs. Argentina (Belo Horizonte); June 25 vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (Salvador)
* Odds courtesy Ladbrokes