LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) – Latest World Cup News Final between Argentina and France:
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French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at the Lusail stadium for the World Cup final.
45 minutes before kick-off, Macron spoke in the VVIP section with Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played for four seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, and French midfielder Paul Pogba, who had to watching the entire World Cup on the sidelines due to injury. .
Pogba scored in the final as France won the 2018 World Cup but was not selected for this tournament.
Macron also appeared in the final four years ago when France beat Croatia 4-2, and then celebrated with the players in the dressing room.
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During the closing ceremony of the World Cup, artists from around the world performed songs from the official soundtrack of the tournament in Qatar.
Attendees at Lusail Stadium included Nigerian singer Davido, Qatari songwriter Aisha, Congolese artist James and Puerto Rican reggae singer Ozuna.
The exhibition, which consisted of a fireworks display and a light show, was set to celebrate the world as it came together for a month-long tournament in the Gulf emirate.
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Lionel Messi will lead the Argentina team, which includes Angel Di Maria, who will make his first appearance since suffering a foot injury against Poland in the last group game.
Di Maria replaces Leandro Paredes in midfield as Argentina once again advance in a 4-4-2 style with Messi as one of the forwards. Nicolas Tagliafico is better than Marcos Acuna at left-back.
Kylian Mbappé plays in the France team alongside Olivier Giroud, who has suffered a slight knee injury. Dayot Uppicano and Adrien Rabiot replace Ibrahima Konaté and Youssouf Fofana respectively.
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World Cup final teams:
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Christian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis McAllister; Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi.
France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Condé, Raphaël Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Théo Hernandez; Aurélien Tchouameni, Antoine Griezmann, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappé, Olivier Giroud.
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Blue, white, red and champagne paint is applied to the ice as France drives through, hoping the Blues will clinch a third world title by beating Argentina.
French television broadcast live images of the French team leaving their hotel in Qatar to go to the league match and players arriving at the stadium. Among them, Kylian Mbappé looked particularly relaxed.
In Paris, the metro operator celebrated this great occasion by temporarily renaming one of its stations, changing the station from “Argentina” to “Argentina-France, c’est parti les pleos!”
Former and current players have sent messages of support.
“Playing in a World Cup final is a childhood dream. Let’s go get that third star! Go Blues! Zinedine Zidane wrote on Instagram.
“It’s time. Everything. Let’s go,” said striker Karim Benzema, the Ballon d’Or winner who missed the World Cup with a torn left thigh muscle.
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World Cup final referee Šimon Marciniak is the first Polish referee to officiate a title match.
Marciniak, 41, missed the European Championships last year due to heart problems.
“Only my team and I know how difficult it was for me,” Marciniak said of the recovered tachycardia.
Marciniak led the two finalists in Qatar. He led France to a 2-1 win over Denmark in Group D and Argentina’s 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16.
One of his assistants in the final is following in his father’s footsteps. And Tomasz Listkiewicz will carry the flag as an assistant lineman, just as his father Michel did in the 1990 Rome final when defending champions Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany. the West.
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The world champions will receive $42 million Prize money FIFA, while the team that loses the final will receive $30 million from FIFA’s $440 million fund.
Not all the money goes to the players, but they are expected to receive a large chunk of it. French sports daily L’Equipe reports that French players such as Kylian Mbappe are willing to collect a €554,000 ($586,000) bounty from their federation to win the final.
The third-placed Croatian team received $27 million in prize money, while fourth-placed Morocco will receive $25 million.
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Argentines woke up ready to watch the national team play for a third world title In a feeling of national unity and joy that is rare in a country that has been in economic crisis for years and which has one of the worst inflation rates in the world.
Argentina will face France in the final in Qatar, and “the whole city is carrying a flag”, says fan Guillermo Ortiz.
The last time Argentina reached the World Cup final was in 2014, but they lost to Germany. Everyone in this country agrees that the anticipation and excitement for this year’s game is far greater than ever for a game in Brazil.
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Now or never For Lionel Messi.
The career of Argentina’s one-of-a-kind superstar will be defined – for many – by whether he leads his country to World Cup glory.
At 35, can he finally win football’s biggest prize and secure his place alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona in the pantheon of the greatest players of all time?
On his way are defending champions France and Kylian Mbappe, the best player to replace Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as players.
That is, if he hasn’t already.
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Arguably, Argentina have the most ardent World Cup fans.
Known for their rhythmic singing, relentless drumming and trance-like ferocity, the country’s history of World Cup success is rare.
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 and lost three finals. That fervor will only grow when Lionel Messi leads Argentina against defending champions France in the final in Qatar.
Argentinians pride themselves on their finesse and are proud to be known the world over for it. They care a lot about football and are among the best in the world.
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