The eyes of the football world will turn to Quito's Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa to see if the once unthinkable prospect of a World Cup without Messi is to become a stunning reality. Since then in World Cup qualifying games, they have been beaten twice, in 2005 and 2009, before scraping a 1-1 draw in 2013. "A World Cup without Argentina and without Messi would be a catastrophe," Argentina's 1978 World Cup hero Mario Kempes said this week. "The only ones who would be happy if Messi doesn't go to the World Cup would be Maradona fans." One of the most high-stakes games comes in Lima, where Peru will aim to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1982 when they take on Colombia.

Source: The Star October 10, 2017 04:18 UTC