In 2006 he was "a kid", in 2010 he still "didn’t have enough experience", and in 2014, at the tournament his coaches had earmarked as his best shot at glory, his dreams were dashed by a painful defeat at the hands of his eternal rivals.
Given the leading roles played by Mario Kempes in '78 and, particularly, Diego Maradona in '86, Messi has been subjected to increased scrutiny. For some, he simply must win the World Cup.
This is his story so far, told by the men who were there.
Gerardo Solario played a vital, and hard-nosed, role in Messi’s development, first as a member of Argentina’s coaching staff at the Under-20 World Cup in 2005, and then with the seniors in Germany a year later.