By Oyero Abiodun Yakub
Messi, 35, has a record seven Ballon d’Or awards – given to the world’s best player – but has never won the biggest team prize in football.
Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, but Germany’s Mario Gotze scored the only goal as the Europeans won 1-0 after extra time.
However, the PSG player has been the driving force behind Argentina’s campaign in Qatar. He scored an early penalty in their first match before his South American country lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia, and then scored in the crucial 2-0 win over Mexico. Argentina topped the Group C table with a 2-0 win over Poland, and Messi also scored in the 2-1 Round of 16 win over Australia.
Argentina appeared to be in control of their quarter-final against the Netherlands, leading 2-0 after 82 minutes, but the Dutch equalized to force extra time. They won on penalties and advanced to the semi-finals where a goal from Messi and two from Manchester City’s Alvarez gave them a solid 3-0 win over Croatia.
Argentina has won the tournament twice, once on home soil in 1978 and once in Mexico in 1986, and they will try for a third time today.
“I’m already crying because they’ve given everything sincerely,” manager Lionel Scaloni said. “Let’s hope we win the championship, but even if we don’t, they should be proud because this is a special moment.”
Mbappe, 23, is attempting to win his second World Cup and has been instrumental in leading France to the final. He scored once in a 4-1 win over Australia and twice in a 2-1 win over Denmark as France advanced to the round of 16 with a game to spare.
Despite losing 1-0 to Tunisia, they won Group D, with Mbappe scoring twice more in the 3-1 Round of 16 victory over Poland.
They faced Gareth Southgate’s England in the quarter-finals and took the lead through Aurelien Tchouameni, but Harry Kane equalized with a penalty. France took the lead through Olivier Giroud, and they won 2-1 after Kane missed a second penalty kick.
Didier Deschamps captained France to a World Cup victory in 1998 and then led them to another triumph four years later in Russia, making them the defending champion.
The tournament’s top two goal scorers will compete for the Golden Boot in the final. Messi and Mbappe have both scored five goals in Qatar, with France’s Olivier Giroud and Argentina’s Julian Alvarez trailing on four.
