Argentina’s phenomenal Lionel Messi is the bookies’ second favourite pick to be the top goalscorer at the 2010 World Cup finals this summer.

Odds on the Golden Boot going to the Barcelona star who many believe to be the best current player in the world, range depending on your bookmaker. The longest odds on Messi at the time of writing appear to be 11-1, which a number of bookies including Extrabet, Sky Bet and Tote Sport will offer you. The worst price at present is 7-1 from bwin, the only major bookmaker aside from Betfred (with Messi at 8-1) who has Messi as their favourite over David Villa of Spain.

Ladbrokes, who seem to be offering some of the worst prices on favourites but some of the best moving further out, are surprisingly bang in the middle on this bet with 9-1.

Messi’s goal scoring abilities are in no doubt, and he has an almost endless list of accolades to his name, including three Young Player of the Year awards, the Player of the Year award last season (both awards issued by FIFAPro), European Player of the Year and UEFA Champions League Player of the year (with his Spanish club) in 2009, and, possibly most relevant here, he was the top goalscorer in both the 2005 U-20 World Cup and the 08-89 UEFA Champions League.

Just why the odds are slightly longer on Messi than on Villa probably have more to do with the teams than the men themselves. Villa’s Spain are the favourites to win, with Argentina fourth at around 8-1, but Spain do have – on paper at least – a much easier group round than Argentina.

Spain face Honduras, Chile and Switzerland, whereas Argentina have drawn Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. Once the cup moves into the knockout stages and games become more evenly matched, scorelines on the whole stay low. Bear in mind also that goals scored in penalty shootouts don’t count. This means that the key to the Golden Boot could be how many these players can put past the weaker opposition in the group stages.

Doubles bets on Messi as top goalscorer and a prediction of the outright winner are available from some bookmakers too. The best odds for Messi and Argentina appear to be 33-1 from William Hill or Bet365. Other offers are lower, with Ladbrokes and Betfred at 20-1.

Combining Messi for the Golden Boot with Spain as champions will get you 66-1, and with England 100-1, both from Paddy Power.