
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.
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.