 "FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi's Argentina in final showdown with Kylian Mbappe's France")
Argentina face defending champions France in the World Cup final on Sunday with Lionel Messi seeking to win the honour that has so far eluded one of football’s greatest ever players. FIFA World Cup: Fixtures  | Results  | Points Table  | Squads  | Records In his way stands the prolific Kylian Mbappe and a France team aiming to win back-to-back World Cups for the first time since Pele’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi, 35, has collected seven Ballon d’Or awards for the best player in the world, but the last time he reached the World Cup final it ended in the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in 2014.It is Messi’s quest that will focus the world’s attention on the 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium in Doha, the most spectacular of the remarkable venues that the desert state have erected to host the tournament, for the 8.30 PM IST kickoff. “I am well aware that Argentina will have a lot of fans behind them,” France coach Didier Deschamps said on the eve of the game. “I know Argentina, many people around the world, and maybe some French people, hope Lionel Messi could win the World Cup, but we’re going to do everything to achieve our objective.” Mbappe vs Messi: One trying to rewrite history, other hoping to add another chapter Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said: “People say the favourites are France. But we have the greatest player of all time.” Deschamps has suffered a difficult few days since France beat Morocco – the first African team ever to reach the last four – in the semi-final. His squad have been battling a mystery virus that is believed to have affected five players so far. Central defenders Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate, and winger Kingsley Coman were forced to miss training on Friday because of the illness. Before that, midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were ruled out of the semi-final. Players, staff and sources close to the French squad have spoken of a range of symptoms including fever, stomach pain and headaches. “We are trying to take as many precautions as possible, to adapt as necessary and get on with it,” Deschamps said.
🥇 The day we've all been waiting for 🏆#ArgentinaVsFrance in the #FIFAWorldCup Final 🙌
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He had cause for encouragement when all 24 members of his squad took to the field at the start of their last team training session before the final, although reporters were ushered away after 15 minutes. Emulating Maradona Captain Hugo Lloris preferred to focus on the match, insisting he was not concentrating solely on Messi and noted how France had shaken off the injury-enforced absence from the tournament of key performers Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. “Lots of people didn’t believe in us but here we are back in the final again,” said Lloris. “We know what Messi represents in the history of our sport but this is a match between France and Argentina. We will do everything to win this last battle.”
2005 ⏩ 2022
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The evolution of Leo Messi 🇦🇷 #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/dwi0PIUAiK
Messi has been brilliant in his fifth World Cup and Sunday’s final is likely to be his last chance to match the achievement of Diego Maradona, who inspired Argentina to victory in Mexico in 1986. But his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe, 23, is aiming to become the youngest player to win two World Cups since Pele achieved the feat at the age of 21. France can also count on Antoine Griezmann, who has been highly influential from midfield in the run to the final. Argentina supporters will dominate in the stadium, with at least 40,000 estimated to be in Doha . Their passionate presence has been one of the features of this unusual World Cup, played for the first time outside of its traditional slot in the middle of year. “We all believe this will be Messi’s day,” Ricardo Schwarz, a teacher from Cordoba, told AFP at the Souq Waqif in the centre of the Qatari capital. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News  and Entertainment News  here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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