It’s been exciting times in football land (that’s soccer for those in the US, still), with the draw for next year’s World Cup taking place in Cape Town a few days ago. New Zealand is in Group F, which has been called an “easy group”. I’m optimistic by nature, but any group that includes the defending World Champions, Italy, along with Paraguay and Slovakia isn’t going to be easy for New Zealand. In fact, there are no easy games at the World Cup, and next year teams will have to deal with the problem of altitude as well, with games in Johannesburg sure to sap the energy of even the fittest teams.
There’s always a star of the tournament too, and next year we’re due to see the newly crowned Ballon D’Or European Footballer of the Year winner on the global stage a little way in to what is already a truly great career. Argentina and Barcelona’s Leo Messi beat his nearest rival Cristiano Ronaldo by more than double in the vote for Europe’s best player, recording the highest ever score in the history of the vote. Messi is the classic made good story: a child from a family of limited means, with a growth hormone deficiency, who only grew to his current size of 5 foot 7 with the help of medical treatment paid for by Barcelona, who brought him to Spain at around 12 years old.
He’s done it all with good grace, humility, and the most sublime skill seen since a certain other Argentine graced the world stage at high altitude in Mexico City. He’s often been criticised for not being as good for Argentina as he is for Barcelona. But if his will is greater than his skill, 2010 is going to be something special for fans of football the world over.
And watch out for one man with real will. Wayne Rooney. England’s next captain.
