By Jens Marx Jun 4, 2006, 23:06 GMT
Herzogenaurach, Germany - Argentina is hoping that an 18- year-old described by Diego Maradona as 'the future of Argentine football' can guide the South Americans to World Cup glory.
Argentinian national soccer team coach Jose Pekerman (R) watches his player Lionel Messi during the team's training in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Saturday 03 June 2006. Argentinia will face Ivory Coast for its first FIFA World Cup group match in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, 10 June. EPA/DANIEL KARMANN
Barcelona's Lionel Messi is already being touted as the long- awaited successor to football legend Maradona, who admits, 'he's very much like me.'
Messi, who turns 19 at the end of the month, dismisses such talk. 'I've still got a lot of work ahead of me before I can remotely be compared to him,' he says, displaying characteristic modesty.
A muscle injury has put him out of action for two-and-a-half months, and the constant barrage of questions about his fitness is fraying the nerves of the Argentine delegation.
Coach Jose Pekerman has tried to keep the teenage prodigy out of the media spotlight and appealed to the press not too raise expectations too much.
'The whole world expects Messi to be one of the top players of the World Cup, but we have to let him have some peace and quiet,' says the coach.
But Messi is much more at home on the pitch than in front of a microphone. He talks almost in a whisper when answering questions about his footballing skills.
European champions Barcelona signed the teenager on a contract running until 2014 with future transfer fee reportedly fixed at 150 million euros (188 million dollars).
Messi has forged a friendship there with Footballer of the Year Ronaldinho, prompting one local paper to say: 'With his technical ability Lionel could easily be taken for a Brazilian.'
The striker joined Barcelona from his Argentine home of Rosario where a lack of hormones in his bones stunted his growth as a child. His family couldn't afford the 1,000 dollars needed for medical treatment. Neither could his club at the time, Newell's Old Boys.
But word of his precocious talent found its way to Spain through a former co-trainer of Johan Cruyff and the 13-year-old was snapped up despite being only 1.40 metres tall.
Three years later the boy they call La Pulga (the flea) made his debut for the Catalan team at the age of 16. He rose to international prominence at the Under 20 World Championships a year ago, which saw Argentina win the title and Messi awards for top scorer and best player.
He made the first of his six national team appearance as a substitute against Hungary, but was red carded after just 44 seconds for retaliation.
'We had to talk to him a lot in the dressing room after the incident and told him to calm down. After all he's going to play for the national team for many years,' said Captain Juan Pablo Sorin at the time.
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