WORLD CUP FOOTBALL (SOCCER)

Quotes about Messi being the Best Player in the world-maybe of all time!

Manager Arsene Wenger to magnanimously declare that his team had been undone “by the best player in the world – by a distance.”

Diego Maradona, his national team coach, declared this week: “He’s at a select level, the best in the world and a star at Barcelona. Leo is playing kick-about with Jesus. How could I not be happy for Messi to win the World Cup?

He also called him a “PlayStation player” for the ease in which he executes moves only thought possible in a computer game like the double feint and drag back.

“Football’s Picasso,” said the Catalan daily Sport.“We’re going to have to expand the dictionary to find new adjectives, because majestic, magic, incomparable and divine have all been used up.”

“Messi could well become the greatest player of all time,” added the El Digital de Madrid. “His challenge is with history, with Pele and Maradona. In 50 years everyone will be talking about him.”

“Is Messi the greatest player ever?”

Although he has yet to lift a World Cup, the stats give strong support to Messi’s cause. Still only 22, he is already second in Barca’s all-time top scorers’ list in European competition with 27 goals. Only the sure-to-be- eclipsed Rivaldo, with 30, has more.

And on Tuesday, the World and European Player of the Year became only the second Barca player to score four goals in a European game.

A few Questions - Top teams and USA chances

Which teams are favored?

A: Spain, which won the European Championship two years ago, is ranked No. 1 in the world and has one of the planet's deepest rosters. No other country is as balanced from goalkeeper to defense to midfield to attackers, but Spain rarely fares well in the World Cup and has never won it.

Brazil owns a record five titles and tends to perform well in new sites for the tournament. The samba kings won when the event was held in North America for the first time (Mexico 1970) and in Asia for the only time (Japan/South Korea in 2002). Brazil also won in the United States in 1994.

The Netherlands, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and defending champion Italy could be front-runners, and England might be, too, if it can get healthy. Argentina is coached by its greatest player,Diego Maradona, who has yet to prove he's nearly that efficient on the sideline.

Q: How should the United States do?

A: The Americans reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before losing to Germany. But in 1998 and 2006, a lack of chemistry led to infighting that destroyed their chances. This team has two stars (Landon Donovan, Tim Howard), several proven contributors, and an ability to rally against stronger sides. But there are big holes defensively that must be filled before the U.S. team opens against England.

Mexico- World Cup Training Camp Opens

MEXICO CITY (AP) -Mexico coach Javier Aguirre has opened a World Cup training camp for his home-based players, describing them as the best young generation the country has ever had.

Aguirre opened the camp Monday and said there would be no excuses if they don't perform well at the tournament. Mexico will have played about a dozen warm-up matches before opening the World Cup on June 11 against host South Africa.

The 17 players in camp have been drawn from Mexico's Clausura championship, meaning many of the league's top players will miss the rest of the club season. Chivas Guadalajara, the best team all season, has five of it best players in the national team.