Mbappe makes an epic showdown with Messi

It’s Argentina versus France in the World Cup final, and that means one story will dominate. Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappe. The best in the world against a potential heir to his throne.

The duo, Paris Saint-Germain teammates, will battle it out for World Cup glory. With five goals at the top of the goalscoring chart, this could also be a showdown for the Golden Boot winner. Maybe even the Ballon d’Or.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, but Messi is undoubtedly the one who needs it the most. And the 35-year-old confirmed after Argentina’s semi-final victory over Croatia that Sunday’s game would be his final World Cup appearance. His last chance to win the biggest prize of all time.

Mbappe, despite being 12 years younger than Messi, knows exactly what it feels like to win after doing so four years ago in Russia. He triumphed again on Sunday and did so twice before his 24th birthday.

It will be a crushing result for Messi, who has been in fantastic form throughout the tournament, fueled by a sense of destiny and delivered his best performance yet in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Croatia in the semis. – Argentinian final.

Meanwhile, Mbappe showed his best performances at the start of the tournament, scoring against Denmark in the group stage and Poland in the round of 16. And against Morocco, like in the quarter-final win over England, he only awoke occasionally.

However, he, like Messi, looks set to take center stage in the greatest game of all time. Will Messi crown his legacy with a first World Cup in his final appearance in the competition? Or will France frustrate him and claim his throne?
Nick Wright

Griezmann redefines his role with dazzling style

Bringing Antoine Griezmann amid France’s World Cup quest in Qatar was hailed as a stroke of genius ahead of kick-off at Al Bayt Stadium. His last stunning performance and the dismantling of Morocco’s history until the semi-finals sent the ratings soaring.

Morocco beat Belgium, Spain and Portugal in a series of tight performances en route to the last four. Their bid could even see the Atlas Lions retain Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud in their pursuit of the Golden Boot, but their performances, fiery as they were, couldn’t explain Griezmann.

Following injuries to Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante before the World Cup, Deschamps was forced to leave. In apparent desperation, the world champions have turned to Griezmann to fill the void left by the two stars after their victory in Russia four years ago. It was described as a gamble but became a huge hit.

How Griezmann, the goalscoring prodigy who won player of the tournament and golden boot awards at Euro 2016 and inspired France to glory at the 2018 World Cup, became a midfielder too capable than him in defence. In attack, it’s a great story of France going to another final.

Against Morocco, Griezmann created twice as many chances as any other player on the pitch (four) and was key in setting up Theo Hernandez’s opening goal with a brilliant corner from behind. But his repetitive defensive performance was equally significant, with three clearances, two tackles and two interceptions, while keeping Morocco at bay.

Mbappe and Messi will naturally dominate the preparations for Sunday’s World Cup final. But if France wants to keep the crown that Griezmann secured in Russia, you can be sure that his fingerprints will remain again, albeit in a different way.
Jack Wilkinson

Morocco is the history of the World Cup

Morocco’s journey to the World Cup is over, but what a ride.

After the final whistle of the Moroccans after the defeat against France 0-2 there was a disappointment. They missed out on a chance to make history and reach the World Cup final, but despite their disappointment they should also be proud of what they achieved in Qatar.

Walid Regragui’s side shocked the world by beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal to impressively reach the quarter-finals. Their great support also turned matches into great occasions, creating a unique atmosphere in the stadiums.

In the end, France proved to be one obstacle too many, especially with injury problems which led to West Ham defender Nayef Aguird dropping out of the starting line-up just before kick-off and Romain Saïss was eliminated after just 21 minutes of play. semi-finals. .

However, when this group of players look back, they made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals, and they will always have that history on their side. Let’s not forget that they can create more history with a third-place finish if they beat Croatia on Saturday.

Morocco is the history of the World Cup. This was shown in the moving scenes after the final whistle on Wednesday night when Didier Deschamps embraced the Moroccan players. He knew how important they were in this tournament.

They were pushed to the finish line by their supporters in Qatar and there is no doubt that they will be champions when they return to Morocco, and rightly so.
Olivier Yu