How Uganda can find the next Messi

The number of times Lionel Messi has been named FIFA world player of the year happens to be Uganda's current position on the list of countries with the highest fertility rate.

But as efficient procreators as Ugandans are, what are the odds they will a produce a future Ballon d'Or winner?

In fact, what is the likelihood the next Messi will emerge out of a country desperate to see someone redeem the title for most famous Ugandan ever from a certain theatrical president?

When it comes to the creation of football heroes, the evidence shows South America have by far the largest DNA deposits, with 13 of the 25 FIFA world player of the year winners coming from the Land of Poets.

The data further shows that Brazilians and Argentinians are easily the most predisposed nationalities to world-player-of-the-year greatness.

Five Brazilians have claimed the prize while Argentina's Messi singlehandedly accounts for a record five FIFA world player of the year
awards.

Not to mention Pele and Diego Maradona - voted in a 2000 FIFA Poll as the greatest footballers of all time - hail from Brazil and Argentina respectively.

Still, beyond the geographical conjecture there is really no singular explanation for Brazil and Argentina's dominance of FIFA's top individual award.

It's certainly a combination of several factors, including but not limited to unique player-development structures, a wealth of football philosophies and league systems that have a special way of encouraging the crème to rise to the top.

So where does that leave Uganda? Our football grassroots are virtually non-existent, aspiring football philosophers are dismissed as pretentious dreamers and the less said about our leagues the better.

Still, that does not entirely rule out the possibility that the next Messi will be produced in Uganda. After all, Uganda has a richer football heritage than the country responsible for Africa's sole FIFA world player of the year.

George Weah's Liberia is a genuine football underdog and yet it's among only eight countries represented in FIFA world player of the year winners.

It's a statistical quirk that proves everyone has a chance. The odds may not be in Uganda's favour but they are certainly our only hope of producing a football great. Maybe even the next Messi.