Maradona hugs Messi after the match on Saturday. (AP)

Argentina, down all the decades, has managed a football miracle in producing exponents of the highest class. Not merely good footballers, not merely outstanding footballers but elite footballers, even great ones. Now they parade one more who perpetuates that lineage.

Leo Messi left his native Argentina for Barcelona at the tender age of 13 but even then he knew the historical lexicon of his nation’s sporting passion backwards.

In the 1930s, Bernabe Ferreyra; in the 1940s, Juan Manuel Moreno, “rebel” centre-forward Adolfo Pedernera and long-lasting Angel Labruna; in the 1950s, the great Alfredo Di Stefano — who revolutionised European football with his leverage of the European Champions Cup — plus Italian-bound Omar Sivori, Antonio Valentin Angelillo and Humberto Maschio, the so-called “Angels with dirty faces”’.

Later came Mario Kempes, then the supremely turbulent Diego Maradona… the same Maradona who, as coach of Argentina, rolled up and down the Ellis Park touchline in almost unconscious rhythm with Messi’s every burst and balletic slalom on Saturday.

One genius directing the talent of another; inspiration and successor.

Messi is at the heart of one of the most eagerly anticipated sub-texts of the 2010 World Cup: the clash of the superstars. For, South Africa today presents the world game with a decisive comparative moment in the careers of some of the modern game’s most exquisite magicians: Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

Messi was not only first to take the stage, as Argentina defeated Nigeria by that minimal 1-0 in Ellis Park, Johannesburg, he was first to live up to his status.

The Barcelona forward who is World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year and Golden Boot-winning European top scorer, was at the apex of all Argentina’s most menacing attacks.

Twice in the first half he was foiled superbly by the aerial gymnastics of Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama and once he created an opening from which Gonzalo Higuain should have scored. Also, it was following a Messi contribution that Gabriel Heinze headed the double former world champions in front in the sixth minute.

Messi had a shot saved for a corner by Enyeama and Heinze powered into the penalty box to head home Juan Sebastian Veron’s kick.

In all, Messi might have finished the match with five goals to his credit. Just after half-time he was wide with a most delicate touch to a Veron cross, then he was inches wide after a wonderfully explosive break down half the pitch by Carlos Tevez.

Later, he was foiled yet again by the courage and alacrity of Enyeama and, still going right to the end, he had a shooting chance jabbed off his toe by a despairing late tackle.

Argentina did end up with all three points to reward Messi’s ingenuity and some patches of flowing football though Nigeria may reflect with regret on the twists of fate which denied them a late equaliser.

Still, on a personal level, Messi had thrown down, dramatically enough, the gauntlet to challengers to his kingly crown. Who dare pick it up? Who can pick it up? Who will pick it up?

Bring on the next challengers… Kaka and Ronaldo, both on Tuesday.