After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar ends on Sunday when incumbent champions France face Argentina in a FIFA World Cup Finals of Argentina VS France at Lusail Stadium. Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in Saturday’s third-place playoff, setting up Lionel Messi’s final showdown with France. Didier Deschamps may become the first coach in the post-World War II era to win back-to-back titles as France’s coach.
France beat Argentina 4-3 in the 2018 World Cup last 16 in perhaps the tournament’s most thrilling match. In the final, Messi, 35, will meet his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, 23. Both players have scored five goals at the World Cup and might leave Qatar with three medals, including the Golden Boot and Golden Ball. Messi saved his last World Cup with one line to go. Messi has lighted up the Qatar tournament while Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo disappointed and went home.
FIFA World Cup Finals | Argentina VS France
Messi, 35, has been the tournament’s hero from Argentina’s first game until their semi-final win over Croatia. Six starts, five goals, three assists led to Sunday’s final versus France. Messi has eclipsed Maradona’s World Cup goals and appearances for Argentina, and on Sunday he’ll surpass Lothar Matthaeus’ joint record 25 tournament appearances.
Messi’s mesmerizing movement and exuberant celebrations have thrilled football fans worldwide. Messi has waited for his moments, using his low center of gravity, astonishing pace changes, and shimmying moves with ball stuck to feet. Kylian Mbappe might become the youngest World Cup winner since Pele aged 21.
Mbappe, who turns 24 two days after the final, is the face of football’s new generation. Messi has one more chance to win the World Cup, while Mbappe and France seek to bring in a dominating era. With a roster devastated by injury and suffering for form, there was concern France would repeat their 2002 group stage exit. France hasn’t set the world on fire en route to the final, but they’ve been masters of the important moments, showing ruthlessness and deadly instinct.
Mbappe, the world’s most feared player, has helped France to within one win of retaining the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. Mbappe broke out in 2018 with a brace against Argentina in the last 16 in Russia. He earned best young player. Mbappe, 19, is the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele, 17, in 1958. He has more World Cup goals than Ronaldo or Maradona. He scored France’s fourth goal in the 4-2 final win over Croatia, his first big tournament goal. Only Just Fontaine scored 13 World Cup goals for France in 1958.
