Can Lionel Messi lead Argentina to the World Cup in Brazil this summer? Argentina great Mario Kempes thinks that he should not have to.
FIFA spoke to the former Argentina international about the upcoming tournament and noted that while Argentina has a chance to win the tournament this summer, it will need a great effort throughout.
"You can put the players on the pitch but they always move and systems change. I think, though, that Messi has to be a special case and that the other nine outfield players should support him," he stated, according to FIFA. "One player on his own is not going to win you the World Cup. That's impossible. He can have an important part to play, no question, but there's no way he can win every game for you by himself."
El Matador, as he was often called, also noted that Argentina's defense is not on the same level as its offense and will need to do a lot of work to compensate and help Argentina in the tournament.
"They have a chance although there's a big difference between the front line and the back line," he stated. "But Sabella has put his faith in these players, in the goalkeeper who's not playing for his club (Sergio Romero, who is AS Monaco's second-choice keeper) and in the defenders, and we should trust him."
Argentina finished first in CONMEBOL qualifying and enters the tournament with arguably the easiest group of any top seed. The South Americans will face Nigeria, Iran and tournament debutant Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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