Germany World Cup captain Lothar Matthaus has again spoken highly of Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala.

The 19-year-old for Chelsea and England youth teamer played a key role in driving Hansi Flick's Germany to a crucial point on Sunday as they fought for their World Cup future in a tense 1-1 draw with Spain.

And, while the performances of the four-time world champions in the tournament have been mixed to say the least, Musiala's individual displays have again emphasised what an exciting talent he is.

The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder, who spent much of his childhood in England but opted to play for his country of birth, has been the shining light for Germany in Qatar.

Bottom of Group E on one point, they now need to beat Costa Rica on Thursday and hope leaders Spain beat Japan to avoid a second consecutive first-round World Cup exit.

But former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus says Musiala is key to their hopes now and in years to come.

"He can be the Messi of the future, he is excellent," Matthaus, a World Cup winner in 1990, told BBC Sport. "I have loved him for the last two years, I love his style of football and I love his personality.

"He is 19 years old, he is doing the things that will make him a top footballer. He has great passing, he is clever with his thinking and he loves football.

"Musiala can be the next Messi because when Messi was 17/18 years old, I met him for the first time when he played against Hungary [the team I managed then] and he got sent off after 40 seconds.

"He came on to the field and tried to show he loves football, he has a passion for football. I have been a big fan of him from two years ago when he first broke through."