DOHA, (Reuters) – After a mesmerising month of upsets, when several brash outsiders threatened soccer’s status quo, the World Cup final will have a familiar feel on Sunday when two of the sport’s super-heavyweights go toe to toe, each seeking a third title.
It seems a long time ago that Argentina were on the wrong side of statistically the biggest shock in tournament history when they were beaten by Saudi Arabia, and France, even with a shadow team, were embarrassed by Tunisia. Argentina recovered to top their group, had a nervous finale before seeing off Australia 2-1 in the last 16, then blew a 2-0 lead in the 10th minute of quarter-final stoppage time against the Netherlands before coming through on penalties.
They really found their rhythm against Croatia, sweeping aside a team who had just knocked out Brazil, to march into the final on high.
France looked the best side in the tournament in their first two group games and recovered from the Tunisia blip to turn on the style in beating Poland 3-1. They were tested to the limit by England in a high-quality quarter-final, where their clinical finishing proved the difference in a 2-1 win, and though they created little and had to do a lot of defending in the 2-0 semi-final win over Morocco, they always looked like coming through.
Of course, absolutely nothing that has happened in the previous six games will matter a jot for the team who triumph in their seventh at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium. The storyline underpinning the match for most of the world is whether Lionel Messi can get his hands on the trophy at the fifth attempt to finally lift himself up alongside – never above – Diego Maradona in the hearts of his nation.
If he has not quite carried the team emotionally in the way Maradona did to his country’s second title in 1986, the 35-year-old Messi has certainly delivered magical moments on the pitch, often in key periods.
The final will mark his 26th World Cup appearance, more than any other player, as the stars are seemingly aligning for the mini-maestro.
