Messi Admits Admiration For Arsenal Midfielder

Lionel Messi has sung the praises of Mesut Ozil by claiming that Germany could go all the way in the 2014 Brazil World Cup thanks to the Arsenal midfielder.

Ozil's move from Real Madrid in the summer was seen as a shock to many and Carlo Ancelotti has since claimed that the Germany international left the Spanish giants because he wasn't guaranteed game time with the club.

But in terms of preparation for the World Cup, Ozil's move to Arsenal has been a positive one on multiple levels, with the star able to link up with fellow countrymen Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker, and he handed plenty of responsability by Arsene Wenger.

Messi believes he will be a standout player for Germany, though the Barcelona man wouldn't go so far as to claim he wants the midfielder at the Camp Nou.

"Germany have a great team loaded with many young players at a high level," Messi said, according to Kicker. "I especially like Mesut Ozil -- although, of course, that does not mean I want him on my team."

While Messi was full of praise for Ozil and Germany the most recent Golden Boot winner will be hoping that it is Argentina who stand strong at the end of the six weeks in Brazil, and he says that he believes his side can go the distance after being ousted by the Germans in the 2010 World Cup.

"Certainly, to win the World Cup is a dream for me, my teammates and all of Argentina," he explained. "We are doing well -- we need to improve a couple of things, but there are still seven months until the tournament starts. Hopefully we can win there, but a lot of nations can do it."

Messi also gave a surprise congratulations to Cristiano Ronaldo who scored four goals over two legs for Portugal to fire the side past Sweden in their final World Cup qualifier.

"I was very happy for him when he scored those goals," he said. "It's just great when the best teams compete in Brazil, and Cristiano has had a great scoring rate for many years now. He plays at an outstanding level.

"I don't know if this is Cristiano's best moment, but he is always there, scoring goals in all the games and playing his part for his club and his country. He has been like that for many years. Whether he is at his best, or a bit below that, there is almost no difference."