Football: Which South American side do we want to play the All Whites

Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts during a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Peru. Photo / AP

Chris Rattue and Cameron McMillan on which South American side they want to finish in fifth, booking a home and away playoff against the All Whites.

Rattue: Who I want the All Whites to play...Argentina

Argentina and Lionel Messi to play the All Whites in home-and-away World Cup qualifying games - bring it on.

But I don't think it is going to happen.

The formula which would bring Argentina to Wellington includes the football superpower suffering a draw against Ecuador today, and it's certainly not outside the bounds of possibility.

Argentina have a poor recent record at Ecuador's high-altitude home pitch and are in trouble following a run of qualifier draws. There are reports heavy rain will leave the field in Quito flooded.

Assim está o campo que a Argentina busca sua classificação. E deve chover mais em Quito. Foto @marca pic.twitter.com/t46xj1I2on

— Marcelo Bechler (@marcelobechler) October 10, 2017

Then again, Ecuador are hardly in top form. They sacked a coach just a month ago.
Football aficionados may be the ones leading the charge when it comes to hoping that the All Whites don't play Argentina, believing that would give the New Zealand team no hope of getting to the finals in Russia next year.

But a date with Messi would be one of the great moments in New Zealand sport. And nothing is impossible in football. Look at Iceland, the tiny country which has qualified for Russia, and remember that the All Whites drew with world champions Italy in South Africa during the 2010 finals.

Messi is among the top handful of players in football history. I can't resist his aura, in hoping that the All Whites get to play Argentina. The country would stop for that.

nzherald.co.nz will have a live blog of all the South American qualifying action from 12.30pm

Cameron: Who I want the All Whites to play...Paraguay

Granted playing Argentina at home and having the 'Argentinean Rojas' grace the Westpac Stadium pitch would be something special but hosting the likes of Chile, Peru or Paraguay is still worthy of a big occasion - a probably offers better chance of New Zealand qualifying.

And that's the whole point of this process....qualifying. Be careful what you wish for. Sure it sounds great to watch Messi in the flesh but once he's put three past the All Whites defence maybe the idea of seeing a one of the greats of the game carve up your own nation doesn't sound so great.

So if it's not Argentina, then who?

Of the likely options Paraguay stands out as they've conceded 24 goals so far in qualifying, so they're at least vulnerable. And as we found with Bahrain in 2009, all it takes is one goal to win the tie. They were 2010 World Cup pool opponents of the All Whites so there is at least some history there as well.

Peru might jump out as the other option but an away leg in Lima sounds like one of the more underrated daunting prospects in football.