The greatest footballer of our generation but how far will he go?

The best ever? 

Lionel Messi has surpassed almost every record there is in the game but at just 24, just how much more can the ‘magician’ achieve?

Having scored a staggering 72 goals in all competitions this season and becoming Barcelona’s all-time top goal-scorer along the way, just how much further will he go?

Tearing apart defences, embarrassing goalkeepers and obliterating historic records seems to come so easy to the Argentinean.

The football community, in fact, the sporting world has never and possibly will never witness another talent like his.

Season after season he frighteningly develops and is rapidly becoming an invincible talent.

He is a player, who on the run is unstoppable, with a sight of goal is an assassin and with 254 goals in 384 appearances for both club and country has the statistics to settle any argument of who is the world’s best.

The humble gentleman from Rosario is unfazed by all of his plaudits and that adds to his allure.

For someone so breathtakingly arrogant on the field to be as grounded off it, just exemplifies his special allure.

‘Little Leo’ has accomplished almost everything in his astonishing career at just 24 and his stats are truly mesmeric; it leads football fans to ponder what more can he achieve? What is there left?

With Barcelona at his side he has won almost everything the club game has to offer and has been rewarded unduly with every accolade an individual can collect.

An again you ask just what else can he really achieve? His ability is unmatched, he is a genius at work and a once in a lifetime sportsman. You can throw every plaudit his way with ease.

Yet something is missing.

Something haunts and casts a dark shadow over him.

There is no doubt that he possesses the ability to match the likes of Pele and Maradonna but there is still that something that separates him.

That one thing that would put to bed every argument there is to suggest he is not the best ever.

That one thing left for him to accomplish. The World Cup!

On the International stage Messi seems almost incapable of replicating his performances for Barcelona when playing for country.

It is the stage for the World’s best to perform and is arguably the highest level in football and his performances have been far from spectacular. It seems that tournament after tournament he is predicted to light up the football world, but fails.

With just 22 goals in 68 appearances he hardly dazzles with a record like that.

The reason for this is not down to his like of ambition nor to his lack of effort and heart.

Quite simply his failings on the International stage are down to one factor.

His nation’s expectations, they are too great for one man’s shoulders to bear.

In Barcelona he has a squad of world-class players to take the limelight away from him to allow him to flourish.

He disappears in games but produces moments of absolute brilliance and this he can at Barcelona.

But Argentina he cannot, they expect too much of him and the squad rely on him to produce his magic for 90 minutes.

Every year that goes by is heartbreak and in order for his cabinet to be graced with that World Cup medal he desperately needs a world-class squad around him.

It is the pinnacle of world football and to be considered the greatest he must achieve this goal.

However, there is hope!

Brazil 2014 could be the stage and with players like Aguero and Tevez beginning to blossom the expectation and imperative importance decreases.

His talent is doubtless, his stats do not lie, just one thing remains, that World Cup.