PHOTOS: Did you see how stressed Messi was while Argentina’s anthem played?

Lionel Messi is indeed a man under pressure.

Having won all that there is to win in football domestically, all that’s missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet is the World Cup.

His biggest undoing in his quest to become the ’world’s best player’, that’s if he’s not, is the never-ending comparison to football great Diego Maradona who just like him, won everything that there is to win at club level, and a World Cup.

A 3-0 loss on Thursday to Croatia in the World Cup has compounded Messi to yet another week of bashing and criticism, having failed to ‘carry’ his team like his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Before the match began, as the teams’ national anthems were played, Messi couldn’t hide the stress he had, grabbing his face and rubbing his forehead as the camera came to him.

Perhaps that 10 second gesture from Messi revealed to the world how tense the Barca man could become when he knows all the pressure in on him to perform. Carrying the hopes of millions of football fans worldwide just seemed a little too much for Messi.

Luka Modric, Croatia’s captain, hailed Messi as an ‘exceptional’ player after the match but recognised the five-time Balon D Or winner couldn’t do it himself.

“Messi is an exceptional player. However, he can't do it himself. Argentina needs to help him. In football, you need help from your team. He's phenomenal, but like anyone else, he needs help. I wish Argentina good luck,” said Modric.

Indeed Messi can’t do everything alone. At Barcelona, he had Iniesta, Xavi, Villa, Rakitic – players who could make you shine easily. But at Argentina, he has no one.