Argentina's fanatical support is one of the glories of any World Cup. The explosion of ticker tape that greeted the team as it emerged to face the Dutch in Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium in the 1978 final is one of the tournament's iconic images, just as stories of the country's fearsome barrabrava hooligan firms are a journalistic staple to every build-up.
So it comes as little surprise that one of the first signs of World Cup fever in Brazil came on Wednesday at Argentina's only training session open to the public. An estimated 10,000 fans queued for hours to watch Messi and company being put through their paces in Belo Horizonte's Independência Stadium, the site of England's humiliation at the hands of the USA in 1950.
But amazingly few of Argentina's travelling support were present. Most of them are congregating in Rio de Janeiro for tomorrow's match against Bosnia in Group F. Instead this impassioned crowd chanting "Argentina! Argentina!" was largely made up of Brazilians. The training session was cut short after 40 minutes as several fans invaded the pitch, most making a line for the Barcelona star. One who managed to reach him reverentially bent down to shine his boots. Messi-fever has reached Brazil.
Argentina might be the rival Brazil loves to beat the most. But the land of such illustrious World Cup winners as Pelé, Rómario and Ronaldinho loves a craque – the player that not only makes a difference to the result but to how the game is played – and is willing to pay homage even when he is an Argentine.
Bright points
Messi experienced this first-hand back in 2008 during his only previous game for Argentina in Brazil. Then he was one of the few bright points in an otherwise dour 0-0 draw that typified Dunga’s stewardship of Brazil.
When he was withdrawn in last minute the Mineirão – venue for Argentina’s second game against Iran – stood to applaud him from the field.
This Brazilian respect is tinged with the knowledge that in Messi, Argentina have a player they lack, or in Neymar, one whose development is at an earlier stage. He has many admirers. The original Brazilian Ronaldo has said he is a player he would love to have played with. His former Barcelona colleague and still close friend Ronaldinho warned that Messi “will give every team a headache at the World Cup” while Neymar said on arrival that he was only in Barcelona “to help” Messi “the best player in the world”.
Only Pelé has resisted entering the debate about Messi’s place among the greatest. “When he has won three World Cups like Pelé then we can talk,” he once sniffed, though given how endlessly vigilant Pelé is of his reputation as the greatest player of them all his defensive stance can be read as a backhanded compliment.
Messi knows that his hand will be immeasurably strengthened in the debate about his place in the football pantheon by a third world title for Argentina won in Brazil of all places. Even better would be victory over a seleção itself, should they meet in the final as is possible should both top their respective groups as expected.
Messi himself has said he wants to meet his team-mate Neymar in the Maracanã on July 13th. A friendly aside or recognition of the historical value of a win over the five-time world champions?
In interviews before the tournament he has dropped some of his usual reticence with the media and made clear he understands that this is his moment.
‘Huge desire’
“I have a huge desire to win this competition. I believe I have learnt from my errors in previous tournaments and I will not repeat them,” he said.
In former Sheffield United and Leeds midfielder Alejandro Sabella he has a manager who has designed the entire team around him. Sabella enters the tournament knowing that whatever happens he is unlikely to face much criticism at home.
By providing a stage for Messi to perform he has done his job. Should his number 10 fail once again to reproduce the best of his club form in a major international tournament it will likely be him that takes the blame, not the manager who despite controversial decisions such as dropping Carlos Tévez has won respect from fans for replacing the chaos of Diego Maradona’s reign with an ordered calm.
Going into tomorrow's game against Bosnia Sabella's only doubt is whether Gonzalo Higuaín will shake off an ankle injury in time to start. If he fails to Ezequiel Lavezzi will start in his place. But all eyes will be on Messi. One of the stories of this World Cup will be how Brazil's initial enthusiasm for the Argentine evolves as the tournament progresses and a possible showdown between him and Felipão's charges looms ever closer.
Should the two countries meet in the dream final, there will be no more chants of ‘Argentina!’ from locals. But though few might admit it,there will likely be a mixture of fear, fascination and respect for the greatest South American of his generation.
