Angel di Maria backs Lionel Messi

Real Madrid midfielder Angel di Maria has backed Barcelona's Lionel Messi to lead Argentina to World Cup success this summer.

Messi has been confirmed as the skipper of the South American outfit, with Di Maria insisting that the former Ballon d'Or winner has the full backing of the squad.

"Messi is wearing the captain's armband in our team and we follow him. Hopefully he'll have a great World Cup, he's a fantastic player," Inside Spanish Football quotes Di Maria as saying.

"As a person he's easygoing, a great friend and a great team mate. He's a great captain. We also want everything to go well for the team. The group is very united and we have worked really hard to get here. We want to continue on this path."

The 2014 World Cup begins this Thursday, with Brazil opening the competition against Croatia.