LIONEL MESSI,

Striker, Argentina

Club: Paris Saint Germain (Fra)

Berlin. Cape Town. Rio de Janeiro. Kazan. Cities where Lionel Messi’s World Cup campaigns have ended. In disappointment. Images of him shuffling past the podium looking distraught after winning the Golden Ball in 2014 have been burned in our minds and spurred debates of whether Messi would ever emulate Diego Maradona and end Argentina’s wait for a World Cup, one that has kept getting longer since 1986.

What’s different this time? A lot. Argentina go to Doha on the back of a 35-game unbeaten run, one that includes two wins against Brazil and a cruise through the World Cup qualifiers. In that time, and by beating Brazil at Rio’s Maracana in the Copa America final, they have also ended a 28-year wait for a trophy.

“I don’t know whether we are big favourites or not, but I believe Argentina is always a favourite for its history, what it means and even more now for how we got here,” Messi has said. “Whenever we talk about candidates, we always talk about the same teams,” Messi told South American Federation Conmebol. “If I have to put some above others I think Brazil, France and England are a little bit above the rest. But the World Cup is so difficult and so complicated that anything can happen.”

Not surprisingly, Messi’s form has been crucial to Argentina’s performance. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored seven goals in the qualifiers, sharing the top spot for Argentina with striker Lautaro Martinez. Since Lionel Scaloni took charge after a disastrous 2018 finals, Messi has scored 25 goals. Five of them came in one game against Estonia last June. Messi is Argentina’s top scorer with 90 goals in 165 games.

Rodrigo de Paul and Leandro Parades freeing Messi to move further up the pitch is one reason for that. A strong defensive core where goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and central defender Cristian Romero are important cogs that helped keep 10 clean sheets in the qualifiers is another. The team looks solid at the back,and with Messi in the mood – he has 12 goals and 14 assists in 18 games for PSG this term – spectacular in front.

“He gave us confidence, he was bringing in new people, he always knew what he wanted and we grew. From the Copa America 2019, we took a leap,” Messi has said of Scaloni.

So will it all come together in what Messi, 35, has said will be his last World Cup?