P.V.Anandpadmanabhan

A true captain and a true match winner: There can be no finer compliment to Argentina skipper Lionel Messi, who was so influential in his team’s path to the Final. With some questioning just how influential he would be in Brazil after a demanding season for Barcelona and concerns over a troublesome hamstring, he silenced the doubters by simply being his usual inspirational self. He hypnotized the audience at the Maracana by scoring and setting up another in the 2-1 wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He scored against Iran to send the team through to the Round of 16 and then added two in the 3-2 win over Nigeria. But he didn’t stop there. He played the ball to Angel Di Maria, who scored in the 118th minute of the match against Switzerland to send them through to the quarter-finals.

In the semi-finals he stroked home a penalty to help his side defeat the Dutch. And while the personal accolade may be scant reward for a runners-up medal, he can be justifiably proud of his performances at this FIFA World Cup.