World Cup 2010: Lionel Messi 'Sure' Argentina Will Win The Tournament

Argentina star Lionel Messi says he is positive his country's national squad will win the World Cup in South Africa.

The FIFA World Player of the Year carries on his shoulders the responsibility of guiding La Albiceleste to success in South Africa.

After a disappointing qualifying campaign by Argentina, which saw them secure a spot for the World Cup only on the very last day, Messi believes that it will be very different now. 

"The qualifiers are behind us, for one reason or another we had to make a big effort, but this is totally distinct," Messi told FIFA's official website.

"I think it is normal that Argentina are a title contender, we have great players and we are a big national team that are always fighting for titles."

The Barcelona ace believes that the success of Diego Armando Maradona during his playing days will be crucial in Argentina's World Cup campaign, saying: "Yes, we all know that. That is why I say this competition will have nothing to do [with the qualifiers]. We have a lot of faith and hope, and obviously Diego's experience will be essential."

Argentina are highly favoured to finish at the top of Group B, with Castrol Football's 2010 FIFA World Cup Group Predictor measuring their chances of doing so at 54.7%, but Messi has warned his team-mates against complacency.

"I think that in a World Cup there are no easy teams. I saw Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations. They are a typical team of that continent, with good players, they're strong phisically, similar to the Ivory Coast we faced in Germany," he noted.

"I haven't seen much about South Korea and Greece, but we cannot win matches before playing them. With this said, we trust our talent and we believe we can tranquilly pass the group."

Who has the best chance of winning the World Cup? Check out Castrol Football's 2010 FIFA World Cup Winner Predictor.

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