Almost a month ago, the Fifa World Cup began with hopes that it would be Lionel Messi’s World Cup. On Sunday, it could end as Lionel Messi’s World Cup. International football hasn’t seen a football World Cup with a single star dominating the script since 1986 when Messi’s compatriot – the legendary Diego Maradona – shepherded Argentina to a title-winning triumph and sealed his status as one of the greatest sporting legends of all time. On Sunday, Argentina and tens of millions of Messi’s die-hard fans will be hoping that the talisman leads La Albiceleste to another World Cup victory at Lusail Stadium in Doha and join the pantheons of legends before hanging up his boots. But both Messi and Argentina face a huge challenge in the form of France, the defending champions. While Messi and Argentina will be gunning for glory, Le Bleus will take the field as a team supremely confident in its ability to become the first side in 60 years to defend the World Cup title. If Argentina has Messi, the man many believe is the greatest footballer of all time, then the French have Kylian Mbappe, who is likely to succeed Messi as the brightest star in the footballing galaxy.
A constellation of stars will be in action in the title clash between Argentina and France, making it a fitting finale to a World Cup that had attracted praise and criticism in equal measure. There has been plenty of drama during the 62 games played so far with Argentina at the receiving end of what was the biggest upset of the tournament – a stunning defeat against minnows Saudi Arabia. That loss put a big question mark on Argentina’s World Cup prospects despite the fact that the South Americans had come to Qatar with a 36-match unbeaten run. The defeat came as an early wakeup call for Messi and his men, forcing team manager Lionel Scaloni to come up with ways and means to keep his team’s campaign alive. And whatever he has done has worked quite brilliantly for Argentina. They have snatched the momentum and will take the field for the final after thrashing giant-killers Croatia 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Argentina are likely the crowd favourites with millions of fans cheering for them and not just in the streets of Buenos Aires or other Argentinian cities and villages. Thanks to the exploits of legends like Maradona and Messi, Argentina is a vastly popular team with immense appeal for fans – especially in the Global South, including Pakistan. They certainly have the firepower to win a third World Cup crown but in France Argentina face tough opposition. After ending Morocco’s dream run with a 2-0 win in the semi-finals, France will be focussing on conquering Messi and Argentina in the final. With top notch players like Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud in their line-up, France have the big guns required to win big games like a World Cup final. Didier Deschamps, their manager, has plenty of big game experience having won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and as coach in 2018. The better team should win Sunday night but for many that translates into Messi, who at 35 would be playing his last World Cup game. Eight years ago in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, Messi failed to lift Argentina who were beaten 1-0 by Germany. Will it be a different result this time? It should be. After all, this is supposed to be Messi’s World Cup.