Messi dreams of glory

international retirement in 2016. Without him the team took just seven points from the first eight games.

But when the prodigal son returned they won 21 points from the next 10 matches, Messi scoring a hat-trick in the final game against Ecuador to seal their place in Russia.

No wonder he was mobbed as Jorge Sampaoli’s squad went through their paces.

And Messi is adamant the squad is strong enough to be one of the favourites, with players such as Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Nicolas Otamendi, Paulo Dybala, Javier Mascherano and Angel Di Maria.

“The qualifying phase was complicated because we took too long to do it,” he said. “But the important thing is we are here. If Argentina go out there and play as we know we can, then it will be very difficult to beat us.

“It will be important to start strongly. Iceland did well in their last tournament so it will not be comfortable. But these are the ones to win if you don’t want the next matches to be even more complicated.

“For Argentina, the World Cup is special and it’s a big dream to lift the cup again. For me, it would fulfil a childhood dream.”