Faces of Football

Lionel Messi, Argentinian Striker
Argentinian World Cup legend Diego Maradona dubbed Messi his "successor" and, so far, this soccer phenom is living up to his high expectations. In 2009, at the age of 22, Messi won both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, the two highest honors annually bestowed upon soccer players. With a gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics already under his belt, there's not much left for the young striker to do than to win a World Cup title or two.

• World Cup 2010