It was Individual Argentina

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Maracana on June 15, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images

It's a huge sigh of global relief. Argentina scarped through in their opening match with a 2-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina, a team who were playing for the first time in a World Cup.

So, just how poor have been the leading contender for the World Cup?  Argentina have been incredibly poor, and it can be safely dubbed as the worst game of the World Cup so far. Alejandro Sabella's men never played like a team and seemed to have been running around the field listlessly and without any purpose. They never looked like Team Argentina but Individual Argentina. And if not Lionel Messi were there at Maracanã, the result could have gone very well the other way.

Lionel Messi of Argentina scores the team's second goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Maracana on June 15, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images

The Barcelona superstar created the third-minute own goal by Sead Kolasinac and then went on to score a trademark individual goal in the 65th minute. Collecting the ball deep and exchanging passes with Gonzalo Higuain before darting past a pair of defenders, he slammed home via the base of the left-hand post. Brilliant finish and it came moments after he blasted a free-kick miles into orbit!
Messi had penetrated a number of times into the Bosnia box, but he was rarely supported by any team-mate. Still he could demonstrate the world what skills earned him the record four-time Fifa World Player of the Year. Despite the lacklustre team affair, the Little Leo could show he is right on track in rediscovering, at this world stage, the magic he generated for his club Barcelona over the years to be considered for the status of 'greatest of all-time' alongside Pele and Maradona.

The diminutive Barcelona goal-scoring machine has 382 goals off 238 matches under his belt but, before Monday's match, just one goal from his two World Cup appearances in 2006 and 2010, which is a big puzzle to the world football buffs.

The main struggle for successive Argentine coaches was to create a Barcelona condition in the team. Argentina indeed have a large collection of quality midfielders, but none so far could match the skills and chemistry that Barcelona playmakers-- Andres Iniesta and Xavi-- provide Messi. That is possibly why Barcelona mostly operate like a well-oiled machine, but Argentina never seem to be in the right rhythm.   

Sead Kolasinac of Bosnia and Herzegovina scores an own goal past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as Ezequiel Garay and Federico Fernandez of Argentina look on during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Maracana on June 15, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images

Midfielder Angel di Maria, the player of the Champions League final for Real Madrid, showed a lot of promise in the match against Bosnia that he can be an Iniesta for Messi. But Sabella still has to find a Xavi from his midfield choices to get Messi back on Barcelona song.   
Luckily for Sabella, this is a good weak group for Argentina. He can still find the right matches for Messi and turn Individual Argentina into Team Argentina without much risk and before their match against a lowly Iran after a four-day break.

I've no doubt in my mind that Messi would be trying his best to score as many goals as possible and play a pivotal role in a strong run by Argentina, only for coming back to this historic Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, the venue for the World Cup final on July 14.
For now, perhaps, the most important thing is that both Messi and his country are off the mark.