FIFA president Sepp Blatter has admitted he was surprised that Messi was named player of the tournament, while ex-Argentina star Diego Maradona claimed Messi had been given the award for "marketing reasons".
Kempes: "I think that Messi wasn't up to standard during the World Cup.
"He may have scored four goals in the first few games but I don't believe he showed he was the best player in the world by the end of the tournament.
"Argentina needed Messi like a fish needs water but he needed to be more involved. We lacked his footballing brain.
"Our main concern, which was the defence, ended up being the attack. The world seems upside down."