Messi\\\'s star shines brightest in Brazil

Neymar left the World Cup on a stretcher, James Rodriguez in tears. Luis Suarez was thrown out in disgrace. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney failed to sparkle and Zlatan stayed at home.
But Lionel Messi, arguably the biggest star of them all, is still standing, still sparkling and within two victories of cementing his status among the very best to have played the game.
Without ever approaching his unplayable best, the Barcelona forward drove Argentina a step closer to history, as they reached a first semi-final since 1990 with a 1-0 victory over Belgium.
"He was our water in the desert," said Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella. "When the terrain was dry, he, once again, gave us a chance to breathe fresh air."
On the day he won his 91st cap to draw level with Diego Maradona, the last Argentina No 10 to reach this stage of a World Cup, comparisons were understandable.
This performance was not on the same level as his predecessor's the last time these two nations met - in the semi-final in Mexico City in 1986 - but it was more than good enough to draw parallels from all corners.
The image of Messi wriggling away from five Belgians to win a first-half free-kick on the edge of the penalty area brought echoes of that iconic image of Maradona on the ball in 1982, with six Belgians wondering what to do.
As then, Belgium were drawn to Argentina's No 10 like iron filings to a magnet. Kevin de Bruyne and Marouane Fellaini fell foul in the build-up to Gonzalo Higuain's goal. There were many other occasions, too. "Messi was wonderful," Sabella said.- BBC Sports.