DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi’s last chance. Kylian Mbappe’s shot imitating Pele. A third world title for either Argentina or France.
Sunday’s final is rich with stories as the 22nd edition of the World Cup concludes with a match for the title.
Here are five things to know about the finale.
MESSI’S MOMENT
Is Lionel Messi the best soccer player of all time? The debate will forever rage because there can never be a definitive answer. Some, especially young soccer fans, think so, while others point to Pele and Diego Maradona, especially because they won the World Cup, the sport’s ultimate prize. That’s why, for many, Messi needs to win the World Cup to join Pele and Maradona in the pantheon of the greatest players ever, even if the decision of Nos. 1, 2 and 3 comes down to individual choice. Argentinians will still be divided between Maradona and Messi. And there have been striking similarities between them, with Messi displaying the kind of relentless brilliance and fighting spirit that Maradona showed when leading the team to the title in 1986. when he was well contained by Germany except for one chance which he pushed wide in the second half. Can he make the most of his chance this time around, possibly his last appearance on football’s biggest stage?
Is MBAPPE DOUBLE?
Mbappe may not have won club football’s biggest prize, the Champions League, but he is taking the international game by storm and is one win away from winning back-to-back World Cups at the age of 23. He can emulate Pele’s feat. winning his first two World Cups, not only that but leading the team as its star player. Mbappe is the latest soccer superstar to lead the game’s new wave of talent after 15 years of dominance by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It will be considered a real club if Mbappe wins the world championship at the expense of 35-year-old Messi.
THIRD TITLE
Both Argentina and France are looking to win their third World Cup. That would leave the winning team fourth on the all-time list behind Brazil (five), Germany and Italy (both four). Three of the German titles were won by West Germany (1954, 1974 and 1990). A victory for France would mark their status as the dominant national team of this generation, with their previous titles coming in 1998 and 2018. Argentina won their titles in 1978 and 1986. Both countries won their first World Cup title on home soil. the tournament.
DESHAM’S TREBLE
Deschamps has already won the World Cup as a player (1998) and coach (2018), along with Brazilian Mario Zagallo and German Franz Beckenbauer. Neither Zagalo nor Beckenbauer won it twice as a coach, though Zagalo accomplished the feat twice as a player to make him a three-time career champion. History therefore suggests Deschamps, who as a player was a hard-working, deep-lying midfielder once dubbed ‘The Water Bearer’ by France’s Eric Cantona for his ability to stifle opposition attacks and then simply pass the ball on. to the more creative players around him. Pragmatism is also key to his coaching style, with France known at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for compact defending, attacking teams on the break and being clinical with their finishing. Four years ago in Russia, France averaged 48% possession and averaged six shots on goal per game, the second lowest in the tournament. In Qatar, France, hit by injuries to key players, may not have been the best team, but they are the most effective. “I’m not the most important person,” Deschamps said. “It’s the French team.”
GOLDEN SHOE
Four players compete realistically to win the Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer of the World Cup. Of course, Messi and Mbappe are among them. They have five goals so far, one more than Argentina forward Julian Alvarez and France centre-forward Olivier Giroud. According to the tournament rules, if two or more players are tied for goals and have played the same number of games, the award goes to the player with the most assists. FIFA’s technical review panel will decide what counts as an assist. Of the four contenders, Messi currently leads the way with three assists, one more than Mbappe. No player has scored more than six goals in the World Cup since 2002, when Brazil’s forward Ronaldo scored.
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Steve Douglas is on https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP World Cup coverage. https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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