Argentina World Cup 2014 Latest: Every Hero Needs A Villain, And Lionel Messi Meets His On The Pitch On Saturday; Find Out Who It Is!

For those that have read Homer’s "The Iliad," you are more than familiar with the characters of the hero, Prince Hector and his nemesis, Achilles. Hector is the Prince of Troy, a fierce fighter who can destroy any Greek attacker; except for Achilles.

Lionel Messi is the hero of Argentina, and the greatest soccer player in the world. He is considered to be the savior for Argentina and the one capable of ending their eighteen year drought at the World Cup. However, as Homer taught us, every hero needs a villain. What would Batman be without Joker or Superman without Lex Luther? Alas, Messi too has a nemesis, and he is Belgian goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

Messi and Courtois are very familiar with each other. Both play in the Spanish La Liga for FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively. They have clashed on several occasions, most recently in the playoffs for the UEFA Championship. As great as Messi has been over his career, he has been brutally dominated against Courtois. He hasn’t scored against Courtois in almost two years and is goalless in his last eight matches against him.

“I know very well how to play against him.” The 6’6 giant said. “The good thing about getting to know his game so well is that I don’t even have to watch videos of him anymore.” the 22-year-old told ESPN.

The confident Courtois got the better of the FC Barcelona star this past season for Atletico Madrid as they ended Barcelona’s run as champion in the 2013-2014 season. However, just like in Homer’s "The Iliad," Achilles needed motivation for his battle with Hector. Revenge fueled the fight that ultimately killed the hero at the battle of Troy. If Courtois needs motivation, he can find it in the fact that Messi’s friend and teammate, Angel di Maria who scored the game winning goal against Switzerland off of a Messi assist, plays for Real Madrid; the team that defeated Courtois and Atletico in the UEFA Champions League Final.

The stage is set for another showdown on Saturday between the two rivals as Messi’s Argentina takes on Courtois’ Belgium in the quarterfinal of the World Cup. Argentina is undefeated so far in the tournament and Messi has scored a goal or played a part in every game. Courtois is unbeaten as Belgium’s keeper, posting a 12-0 record since manning the pipes for the Red Devils.

This latest duel between the two will play out on the world’s biggest stage and promises to be an instant classic story of the hero and villain. Will this chapter end in tragedy or triumph for the hero? Only time will tell.