As St Petersburg, the Venice of the North, awaits the already sold-out group league match between Argentina and Nigeria tomorrow, there lives an unhappy soul in the La Albiceleste camp.

Every four years, his birthday coincides with the World Cup and he's in no mood to celebrate. Following that gifted goal to Croatia by Willy Caballero, the Argentine goalkeeper, a dejected Lionel Messi, already suffocated by the lack of supply of balls at the right side of the pitch, went into a shell. He knew he had lost a golden opportunity to win a tight game against Iceland by missing another penalty. Argentina will never forgive him for that.