Messi magic gets Argentina up and running

Lionel Messi scored a trademark individual goal as Argentina opened their World Cup campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over Bosnia-Hercegovina at Rio de Janeiro's renovated Maracana on June 16.

The Barcelona superstar created the third-minute own goal by Sead Kolasinac with which Argentina went ahead, but it took a mid-match tactical shift for him to really start influencing proceedings.

Gonzalo Higuain's half-time introduction afforded Messi more space and in the 65th minute the four-time Ballon d'Or-winner scored a goal befitting the iconic 78,800-seater stadium, which will host the July 13 final.

After collecting the ball just inside Bosnia's half, Messi burst forward and exchanged passes with Higuain before darting past a pair of defenders and slamming home a shot via the base of the left-hand post from 20 yards.

It was only the second World Cup goal of the 26-year-old's career and substitute Vedad Ibisevic's late reply for Bosnia meant that it proved decisive.

"The second goal secured the three points and was special for me for the game I was having," said Messi, who failed to score at the 2010 World Cup.

With tournament debutants Bosnia likely to be Argentina's strongest rivals for group supremacy, Alejandro Sabella's side are firmly on course to reach the last 16 ahead of further games against Iran and Nigeria.

"Perhaps we made an error or two, and I'm sure I got one or two things wrong, but we should cherish these three points because the Bosnians were no pushovers," said Sabella.

Victory was raucously celebrated by the swathes of blue and white-clad fans who had swept into Rio and turned the Maracana -- overhauled for the World Cup -- into an outpost of Buenos Aires, but it was far from...