Argentina prepared to face defending champions France in the World Cup final on Sunday with Lionel Messi seeking to crown his record-breaking career by winning football’s biggest prize for the first time on his farewell to the tournament.
After 63 matches and 166 goals, the month-long footballing showpiece reaches its climax at Doha’s 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on Sunday, with the eagerly anticipated final kicking off at 6:00 pm local time (1500 GMT).
Messi, playing in his fifth and final World Cup, is hoping to lead Argentina to a first title since the Diego Maradona-inspired victory in Mexico City in 1986.
In his way stand 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 his last trip to the World Cup final ended in the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in 2014.
Argentina’s campaign in Qatar has been boosted by the presence of tens of thousands of supporters who have flocked to each of the team’s matches.
“I am well aware that Argentina will have a lot of fans behind them,” France coach Didier Deschamps said on Saturday.
“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.”
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.
Players, staff and sources close to the French squad have spoken of a range of symptoms including fever, stomach pain and headaches.
