Position: Midfielder
Born: 24.06.87
Club: Barcelona

It's the hardest tag an Argentine footballer has to live up to - 'the new Maradona.'

Since the immortal Diego Armando left the world's biggest stage in disgrace in 1994 several men have been saddled with living up to his legacy. So far none have succeeded - until now maybe.

For whereas the likes of Ariel Ortega, Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola have been proved to be just great footballers rather than budding legends, one Lionel Messi could be 'the one'.

Still a teenager, this little prodigy is already wowing a captivated audience in one of football's most famous theatres - the Nou Camp in Barcelona.

And since a messy row over his eligibility to play in La Liga was resolved, his bewitching talents have proved worthy of a place alongside the likes of Ronaldinho and Deco.

Messi really sprang to prominence when leading Argentina to success in the World Under-20 Championships in Holland last July. And since then he's been on a fast track towards a World Cup finals place.

He missed the friendly defeat by England in Geneva in November, but was still included in the squad to get used to being a part of his new family.

Some of his displays - particularly one stunning solo show in a Champions League rout of Panathinaikos - have marked him out as a clear rival to Wayne Rooney as the world football's brightest young thing.

His touch, dribbling ability and vision are a constant joy to behold and he'll carry the weight of history and the hopes of a nation on his shoulders here.

It would be asking a lot of him to shoulder all that responsibility at such a tender age. But for a young man whose talents are so out of the ordinary, it might just prove possible.

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• 7 Javier Saviola
• 3 Juan Pablo Sorin
• 11 Carlos Tevez
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