If Lionel Messi plays up to 50% of his abilities, Argentina will have a chance to make at least the quarterfinals. If he plays at 100%, the Albiceleste have a great shot at winning the World Cup.
Such is the ridiculous dependence that a nation as storied as Argentines have come to place on La Pulga Atomica’s shoulders. A nation that can call upon the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and others should not be so dependent on one player (despite his out-of-this-world talent).
Coach Jorge Sampaoli has been faced with the incredibly difficult task since he took the job last year of designing a system that gets the best out of Messi while at the same time, not being over-dependent on him.
The 3-1 victory over Ecuador (Messi got a hat trick) which got the Argentines a last-minute ticket for the World Cup and the 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Spain in a recent friendly (Messi missed the game through injury) are two of the best examples of Messi-dependence that the team currently faces.
If the Albiceleste hopes to break its international trophy drought at Russia 2018, the other forward players must be willing to put in their share of the work in both defensive/offensive capacities. This would help Messi (who is also the team’s captain) to save himself for the key moments where he alone can be the difference maker.