At 18, the career paths of two of the world's most promising players could not be more different.
On Saturday though, John Mikel Obi and Lionel Messi will be on the same pitch, leading their teams when Nigeria face Argentina in the final of the World Youth Championship.
Messi was picked by Spanish champions Barcelona from Argentine side Newell's Old Boys when he was only 13 and brought to Europe together with his family.
He has been slowly nurtured under the Spanish sun ever since and his future is secure with the Catalan club until 2010.
In contrast, Nigerian Obi doesn't know where he will be next, let alone whose shirt he is going to wear.
Chelsea and Manchester United of the English Premiership have been at loggerheads over the player's destination should he leave Norwegian club Lyn Oslo.
When asked where he is heading after Saturday's final, Obi is reduced to an embarrassed giggle.
"I don't know. I really don't know what is going to happen," he said in a whisper after leading Nigeria to an emphatic 3-0 win over Morocco in the semifinals.
"We just have to wait for the tournament to end and then I'll make a decision."
There are no such worries to fatigue Messi. Steadily, the scrawny teen has climbed through the system at Barcelona, blending in with the likes of Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o this past season.
He played in the European Champions League and in several first-team matches last season, becoming the youngest player ever to score for the first team of the storied club.
For the Argentine U-20s, he has scored four goals and directed his team from the first minute to the last, drawing comparisons with Diego Maradona.
"There is no comparison possible, since Maradona is unique," the shy Messi said. Others don't withhold the superlatives.
"He's our jewel," Barcelona President Joan Laporta said.
Mikel meanwhile, is still a diamond in the rough. He also was spotted early, not by a powerful European club, but by local officials.
After appearing in several youth tournaments with Nigeria, he traveled to Europe and this year ended up with Oslo's Lyn, where he tasted European first-division football.
"Playing in Norway is a very good experience for me because I can develop further," he said, arguing it gives him the international experience he needs.
"Playing this tournament is not a very big deal for me because I have been playing in games like this."
The styles of the two teenagers also contrast sharply. Messi appears relatively small at 1.70 meters, but with speed and agility that enables him seemingly to be everywhere, restlessly seeking openings and using his intricate skills to bedazzle defenders.
Mikel is comparatively taller at 1.86 meters and seems slower, but manages to win balls with his long reach and launches long passes before defenders can close him down.
His vision is exemplary. "Mikel is like the man in the middle, slowing the game - and then make it move faster," Nigerian coach Samson Siasia said.
Siasia puts it simple. "He is just a genius."
On Saturday though, John Mikel Obi and Lionel Messi will be on the same pitch, leading their teams when Nigeria face Argentina in the final of the World Youth Championship.
Messi was picked by Spanish champions Barcelona from Argentine side Newell's Old Boys when he was only 13 and brought to Europe together with his family.
He has been slowly nurtured under the Spanish sun ever since and his future is secure with the Catalan club until 2010.
In contrast, Nigerian Obi doesn't know where he will be next, let alone whose shirt he is going to wear.
Chelsea and Manchester United of the English Premiership have been at loggerheads over the player's destination should he leave Norwegian club Lyn Oslo.
When asked where he is heading after Saturday's final, Obi is reduced to an embarrassed giggle.
"I don't know. I really don't know what is going to happen," he said in a whisper after leading Nigeria to an emphatic 3-0 win over Morocco in the semifinals.
"We just have to wait for the tournament to end and then I'll make a decision."
There are no such worries to fatigue Messi. Steadily, the scrawny teen has climbed through the system at Barcelona, blending in with the likes of Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o this past season.
He played in the European Champions League and in several first-team matches last season, becoming the youngest player ever to score for the first team of the storied club.
For the Argentine U-20s, he has scored four goals and directed his team from the first minute to the last, drawing comparisons with Diego Maradona.
"There is no comparison possible, since Maradona is unique," the shy Messi said. Others don't withhold the superlatives.
"He's our jewel," Barcelona President Joan Laporta said.
Mikel meanwhile, is still a diamond in the rough. He also was spotted early, not by a powerful European club, but by local officials.
After appearing in several youth tournaments with Nigeria, he traveled to Europe and this year ended up with Oslo's Lyn, where he tasted European first-division football.
"Playing in Norway is a very good experience for me because I can develop further," he said, arguing it gives him the international experience he needs.
"Playing this tournament is not a very big deal for me because I have been playing in games like this."
The styles of the two teenagers also contrast sharply. Messi appears relatively small at 1.70 meters, but with speed and agility that enables him seemingly to be everywhere, restlessly seeking openings and using his intricate skills to bedazzle defenders.
Mikel is comparatively taller at 1.86 meters and seems slower, but manages to win balls with his long reach and launches long passes before defenders can close him down.
His vision is exemplary. "Mikel is like the man in the middle, slowing the game - and then make it move faster," Nigerian coach Samson Siasia said.
Siasia puts it simple. "He is just a genius."
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