2018 can still be Messi's WC: Maradona

Starting line-ups for the World Cup third place playoff between Belgium and England in Saint Petersburg on Saturday (1400 GMT kick-off):

Belgium (3-4-3)

Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen; Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Youri Tielemans, Nacer Chadli; Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard (capt)

Coach: Roberto Martinez (ESP)

England (3-5-2)

Jordan Pickford; Phil Jones, John Stones, Harry Maguire; Kieran Trippier, Eric Dier, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Rose; Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane (capt)

Coach: Gareth Southgate (ENG)

Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRI)

Argentina forward Angel Di Maria has snubbed five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in his best eleven of players he has played with throughout his career when he named the lineup in an interview with TYC Sports yesterday. 

2022 World Cup winner Di Maria, fitted former Real Madrid teammates left-back Marcelo and centre-back Sergio Ramos into the eleven but left out Ronaldo, with whom he spent four years at the Santiago Bernabeu following his arrival in 2010 from Benfica. 

The duo played 166 games together across all competitions, with the Portuguese superstar assisting Di Maria three times, while the 35-year-old Argentine returned the favour on 25 occasions. 

A player for the big occasions, Di Maria won the Player of the Match award in Real Madrid's 2013-14 UEFA Champions League final triumph in Lisbon which brought him his first and only UCL winners' medal.

Ronaldo was pivotal in Real's run as he found the net 17 times, the highest by a player in a season. 

Di Maria's eleven was PSG-heavy as he included Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and his Argentine teammate eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. 

Angel di Maria, the World Cup winning Argentina forward, will come to Dhaka in late May or early June, confirmed Kolkata-based sports promoter Satadru Dutta. 

The 35-year-old forward, who now plays for Portuguese club Benfica, will be on a tour of the subcontinent, spending a day and a half each in Kolkata and Dhaka, informed Dutta over phone from Kolkata. 

Dutta had brought Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and retired Brazilian forward Ronaldinho last year, however, those two visits became subject of heavy criticism from media and the mass due to the private nature of the tours and the mismanagement of the events. 

However, Dutta confirmed there will be no such issues this time around.

"Di Maria will spend a day and a half each in Kolkata and Dhaka, between May 20 and June 5," Dutta told The Daily Star. "This time it will be completely different. I have taken the responsibility on myself and will make sure Di Maria makes enough public interaction."

"Di Maria will be involved in a public appearance at a stadium, in meet and greet events, a session with women footballers and a meeting with the Prime Minister," Dutta said. 

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

The sports promoter, who had also previously brought Diego Maradona and Pele to Kolkata, said he is in contact with various agencies and corporates in Dhaka to finalise the deal and itinerary of the visit.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi congratulated the Argentina Under-23 team for their win 1-0 win over rivals Brazil to book a spot in this year's Paris Olympics.

Messi, who won an Olympic gold with the Argentina team in 2008, took to social media to laud the youngsters.

Last month, reports came out that Messi and Angel Di Maria were interested in participating in the Olympics.

Even though Under-23 teams participate in Olympic football, each team can take three over-age players.

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Argentina knock Olympic champions Brazil out of Paris Games

Argentina's U23 team coach and former national team and Barcelona teammate of Messi Javier Mascherano had expressed his interest in having both of them in the team for the Olympic Games, which will run from June 20 to July 14.

"Leo and Angel earned the right to choose; if they want to play in the Olympic Games they can do so. I understand that Angel said that their closing is with the Copa America, although it would also be a nice closing in the Games."

Lionel Messi drew level with Diego Maradona's number of World Cup goals and appearances on Saturday, but the current No. 10 knows that only winning the trophy at long last will earn him the same eternal love of his fellow Argentines.

In the twilight of a career played out in the larger-than-life shadow of Maradona - who won the 1986 World Cup almost single-handedly - Messi is desperate to also lift the trophy on his fifth and final attempt.

The 35-year-old captain has certainly done his share so far in Qatar, scoring two of Argentina's three goals.

One was a penalty in their embarrassing 2-1 upset by Saudi Arabia, the other a trademark low strike to ignite Argentina's tournament with a 2-0 win over Mexico on the day he matched both Maradona's 21 World Cup appearances and his eight goals.

"Today, Argentina's World Cup begins," a relieved Messi said afterwards.

Argentines have often found it harder to love Messi than Maradona given his departure to Spain as a boy, his more introverted demeanour and, of course, his lack of a World Cup.

But the way he has run to celebrate his goals with fans in Qatar, in a joyous release of the obvious pressures on him, shows that love is well and truly in the air on both sides.

Arguably, Messi has had a more productive career than the flamboyant Maradona, whose off-field antics and drug problems eventually overshadowed his talent.

BARCELONA GLORY

Messi is Argentina's all-time top scorer, led them to Copa America glory last year, and has won the Ballon d'Or a record seven times.

At his club from childhood, Barcelona, he scored a record 672 goals and helped win 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, before last year's tearful move to Paris St Germain.

But unless he is persuaded to play another World Cup, which he has said he will not and may anyway be too old for, Qatar is his last chance to add the biggest prize to his trophy cabinet.

In truth, Messi and Argentina have not looked like world beaters yet. Against Saudi Arabia, they succumbed to a simple offside trap all too easily, then collapsed defensively for five minutes in the second half to let in two goals.

Against Mexico, they looked clueless in the first half, outmuscled, out-thought and overrun in midfield.

Mexican fans whistled in derision and the massed ranks of Argentines shook their heads when early in the second half, at 0-0, Messi lined up a free kick at a perfect distance only to sky it over and then seconds later hit a stray pass out of play.

Minutes later, however, normal service resumed with a long, low shot into the net to leave Argentines dreaming of a third World Cup. Thousands of fans stayed behind long after the end, with flags, banners and shirts bearing Messi's face and number.

One showed the great Maradona, who died two years ago aged 60, beaming down on Messi from heaven. The other showed the two of them walking into the sunset, each holding a World Cup.

The dream is still on.