Messi? Mbappé? Or can Griezmann tip balance in France Argentina World Cup final?
Three and a half weeks on from the defeat to Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium, Argentina's players will stride onto the pitch at the same venue for the 2022 World Cup final against France. Much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth followed the loss to Hervé Renard's side on 22 November. The humiliation. The degradation. The point of Lionel Messi? The end. Diego Armando Maradona.
Issued on:
Messi will lead the Argentina team out on Sunday evening at the 88,000 seat arena for what will probably be his last appearance at a World Cup.
The game will be a chance to provide the only bauble missing from his vast array of medals and to step out of Maradona's overbearing shadow.
The World Cup has not adorned the trophy cabinet at the Argentina football federation since 1986 when Maradona's heaven-sent hands and divinely gifted feet bedazzled the mortals around him to conjure up the prize.
With seven Ballon d'Or titles among the lines of Champions League and championship crowns with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during a career spanning the best part of two decades, a question remains: has Messi really not eclipsed Maradona?
All still debatable, apparently without the World Cup.
"Any team with Messi is a totally different proposition," said France striker Antoine Griezmann, a former teammate of Messi at Barcelona.
"We know how Argentina play," Griezmann added. "They're a difficult team to take on and they seem to be on top form."
Hardly anybody's talking about the prowess of his peers. Messi is the word.
He struck his fifth goal of the World Cup in the 3-0 defeat of Croatia in the semi-final.
But it was his bewitching assist that brought a torrential gush of drooling.
It was a mercilessly twisting demolition down the right wing of Josko Gvardiol who hitherto had been regarded as the defender of the tournament.
The 20-year-old can at least console himself that he joins a long list of similarly seared souls.
"It isn't only Messi," added Griezmann. "Argentina have a strong side around him. We know it's going to be a tough game."
It would be a surprise if he said a waltz were in the offing.
In advancing to the final, Argentina have highlighted the vicissitudes of tournament football.
They have been in "must-win" mode since the game against Mexico on 26 November.
And they have emerged triumphant with Julian Alvarez adding goals to Messi's magic.
Scintillating form
"Messi has been in scintillating form since the start of the tournament," said France coach Didier Deschamps.
"Four years ago things were different. He played as a centre forward, whereas now he is playing in a front two or just in behind the striker.
"He looks in great shape and of course he is one of the best players in the world so we will try to counter Messi's threat as much as possible, just as Argentina will try to stop the influence of some of my players."
Olivier Giroud entered the competition as the lucky man in the France squad following the withdrawal of Karim Benzema whose goals had helped Real Madrid to the 2022 Champions League and the La Liga title in Spain.
But Giroud has more than proved his worth with four strikes to surpass Thierry Henry as France's record goalscorer.
Giroud's feats are likely to be superseded within the next few years by Kylian Mbappé.
The 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward has attracted the attention for his five goals – especially the spectacular brace against Poland in last-16. But the role of Griezmann has been no less crucial.
The 31-year-old has flitted around making merry. Foiling opposition attacks in midfield with judicious fouls or popping up behind his own defence to clean up a loose ball or providing the cross or pass for a goal from the right or from the left.
He morphs like the eponymous hero of Woody Allen's film Zelig: taking form in all manner of positions.
In future, players will be assigned the Griezmann role: play where you feel it is important to be.
Fantasista? Sure. Regista? And why not. Super sweeper? Right on. You the Griezmann.
"Four years ago after beating Belgium in the semi-final, I was crying," Griezmann admitted.
"But now I'm already more focused. Instead of celebrating getting to the final, we're keeping our feet on the ground. We're focused on recovering well and preparing for the game."
History in the making
That's because for many of the team this stage is nothing new. France are attempting to become only the third side in the 92-year history of the World Cup to win back-to-back titles.
Deschamps, 54, already bears the honour of being only one of three men to have won the World Cup as a player and as a coach.
Should France win, he will emulate Vittorio Pozzo. Back in 1934 and 1938, Pozzo steered Italy to successive triumphs.
Only Lionel Scaloni – the youngest manager at the tournament – can stop Deschamps' accession to that pantheon.
It will give the former Argentina international the most impressive line on his CV following the Copa America victory in 2021 and allow him to join César Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo who guided Argentina to their World Cup crowns in 1978 and 1986 respectively.
Saudi Arabia ended Argentina's 36-match unbeaten run at the Lusail. Very few saw that horror coming.
Odds are if Argentina beat France, not too many will remember that, they'll be too busy in dreamland.
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