Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has claimed that it is "written in the stars" for Lionel Messi to lead Argentina to World Cup glory.

Argentina head into Sunday's final at the Maracana as slight underdogs after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the last four, but Hoddle is confident that Messi will prove his quality on the biggest stage.

"The logic says Germany. There should be, by rights, only winner - Germany. They are the better team, but the fantasy lies at the feet of Lionel Messi," Hoddle wrote in a column for William Hill. "It is written in the stars that he will win the World Cup for Argentina.

"Germany are actually by far the better team than Argentina, superior in every department, but sometimes football defies logic and this is the time.

"Messi is a man on a mission to deliver the World Cup."

Argentina are looking for their third title following their triumphs in 1978 and 1986.