Sixty-four matches were played at the 2022 World Cup - and this Sunday's final is not just the most significant, it is likely to be the most exciting game of the month-long tournament in Qatar.
There are many storylines:
##3 Argentina vs. #4 France
Lionel Messi vs Killian Mbappe
Race for the Golden Boot (highest score in the match)
When the World Cup standings first became known and fanatics noticed the possibilities, the Argentina-France match finally turned into the dream match that many had hoped for. But football is a cruel game that often destroys dreams. Except for this time.
France is the current champion, and no country has won consecutive world titles in 60 years (Brazil turned into the remaining one in 1962). Les Bleus enter this match with willingness and experience.
Let's start with Kylian Mbappe
Scored five goals in this tournament (most in a draw with Messi) and 4 in 2018. He has incredible speed, and his ability to handle the ball and cunning are simply supernatural. Only 23 years old, and comparisons with the mythical Brazilian Pele continue to accumulate (in 2018, Mbappe became the first young man to score in the World Cup final, thanks to the fact that Pele in 1958, and this year he gave Pele a report on goals scored at the World Cup for a player under 24 years old, along with his 9 total wishes). And, unlike Messi, Mbappe has the name of the World Champion (sorry, I had to specify that).
But football is a team game involving ten other players in the sector. While Mbappe or Olivier Giroud (the all-time head coach of the French national team) are of the greatest interest, Antoine Griezmann was certainly one of the most important players of the French national team in Qatar. Formally a striker, but sent to the center of the field after a series of injuries to the French, Griezmann shone - rushed forward, creating scoring chances, and again lost defensively. He brought the band together with his creativity and ingenuity.
Entering this World Cup – each country has hosted this match twice before. France (1998 and 2018) and Argentina (1978 and 1986). For Argentine megastar Lionel Messi, this is the only trophy that is missing in his brilliant career. The 35-year–old athlete is one of the greatest players ever engaged in this sport, however, he can in no way say that he is a World Cup champion. He has already reached the final once – in 2014 – but Argentina lost to Germany. According to forecasts, this will be his final World Championship in sports form.
When Messi leads the sector in the confrontation with France, he will make a FIFA report on the maximum number of matches played at the men's World Cup: 26. Earlier in this match, he scored his 11th goal - the most ever achieved by an Argentine. He also gave an assist at five World Championships - the first guy to do that. Having taken the last place, Messi leads in the Golden Book competition, because the most points are scored in tournaments. While Messi and Neymar scored five goals each, Messi scored in the tie-break (3 assists from Mbappe).
Messi is among the elite - however, despite all his records and achievements, he will usually be in the shadow of super-Argentine Diego Maradona - until he can win the World Cup for his United States of America.
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