It's Messi versus Mbappe in the battle of the superstars as Argentina take on France in Qatar to decide who takes home the World Cup trophy.
Lionel Messi will look to strengthen his case as the greatest footballer of all time by leaving the Middle East with a monumental victory, however Didier Deschamps and Les Bleus are looking to carve out their own piece of history by being crowned champions of the world for the second consecutive tournament. All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe as the Paris Saint-Germain star looks to prove he is the best footballer on the planet at the age of just 23.
Despite the big names dominating the talking points going into the final showdown of Qatar 2022, there is plenty of other players who can make their mark on the showpiece occasion with tactical tweaks from Deschamps and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni potentially deciding the fate of the game.
What are the key battles for the World Cup final? Record Sport takes a deep dive on the finalists performances so far.
France - The defending champions
It says a great deal about France that so many people spent Wednesday night - and much of Thursday - talking about Morocco, the team they’d just beaten to give themselves a chance of becoming the first back-to-back World Cup winners since Brazil in 1958 and ’62. That wasn’t just because Morocco were everyone’s favourite fairytale team. But because the first African side to go so far in the tournament had, for long spells, completely outplayed the French.
But inspired by Antoine Griezmann’s transformation from second striker to all-action midfielder, Didier Deschamps and his players found a way. Just as they did against England. Do they have one more defiant victory in them? It feels as if Deschamps really wants his team to play in a 4-2-3-1, with Griezmann – No. 7 – playing in behind Olivier Giroud. But needs must.
So Griezmann has regularly dropped into a more out-and-out midfield role in this tournament, most notably in the second half against Morocco, when France were under pressure. Their first-choice starting XI obviously carries enormous danger on the flanks, with Ousmane Dembele wide right and Kylian Mbappe on the left. So, will they pose their main threat from wide?
FIFA’s own technical analysis group, led by Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klinsmann, report that – as a direct result of teams staying really compact when out of possession - increasing numbers of chances at the tournament have been created by deliveries from the wider areas. France can do that. They put in 22 crosses against Poland and caused England all sorts of problems from out wide in the quarter-final.
In their semi-final win over Morocco, however, the French put in a total of … wait for it … two crosses. And one of those was really more of a cut-back from inside the box. Deschamps adapts to circumstance. With Mbappe and Dembele in the team, their preferred option is to play through the lines and get defenders turned.
It’s hardly a revelation to point out that Griezmann’s first look, when he gets the ball in that quarterback position, is for his No. 1 receiver. Mbappe’s movement and, of course, sheer pace, makes him an obvious threat running in behind or off the shoulder of the last defender.
Nobody has been playing with a high-energy pressing game way up the pitch at this World Cup. Well, nearly nobody. Like their opponents on Sunday, France can harry and hassle defenders when circumstances are right.
But they prefer to set up in a mid to low block without the ball. And look at how compact they were – and how deep they were sitting – against Morocco.
Danger zones for France
If Messi gets as much time and space between the lines as Azzedine Ounahi did in the semi-final, Les Bleus will be French toast. They can’t let Argentina’s playmaker work in that space. Theo Hernandez will probably have a great game at left back for France now. But it hasn’t been his tournament so far. The penalty concession against England when the ball was in a different postcode. A couple of very sloppy passes that caused panic in the ranks.
And, because he gets very little help from Mbappe. or substitute Marcus Thuram against Morocco, he can get isolated in done by a simple two-v-one.
France's key player?
Obviously Griezmann has been phenomenal in this tournament. He dictates play for France, covers gaps, finds holes in the opposition lines and brings an air of general menace to proceedings. Olivier Giroud has also enjoyed some spectacular moments in Qatar. If Adrien Rabiot plays, he has the tools needed to really unsettle Argentina’s midfield.
But it’s Mbappe who Argentina will fear. So much more than just another quicksilver attacker, his game intelligence and spectacular skillset make him the man capable of breaking through Scaloni’s well-drilled block. Tied with Mess in the race for the Golden Boot, with five goals in six appearances, the 23-year-old has already achieved plenty. And shows no signs of resting on his laurels.
France's strengths and weaknesses
They keep finding a way to win. Mbappe and Griezmann are good enough to beat most teams on their own. Dembele and Giroud are hardly mugs. Deschamps, often unfairly described as not really an “elite” coach, has done all of this before. He’ll hold his nerve.
Argentina - Inspired by genius
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni was thrust into crisis after just one game of this World Cup, with that shock opening loss to Saudi Arabia effectively meaning they’ve know played five all-or-nothing ties on the bounce. He’s tweaked his formation, chopped and changed his personnel – with one obvious exception – and appears to have hit on a formula that might deliver Lionel Messi the one major trophy to have eluded him in a glittering career. How do Argentina beat you? By stealing into that golden zone just in front of the opposition defence, getting on the ball – and relying on a blend of brilliance and wit to punch holes in the back line, forcing defenders into full-on recovery mode. With a dash of panic thrown in for good measure.
In their semi-final win over Croatia, Argentina ended up back where they started, tactically speaking, returning to the narrow but flexible 4-4-2 formation that almost worked against the bold Saudis. But Scaloni has deployed his men in a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1, even switching up dramatically to a 3-5-2 for the quarter-final against the Dutch, in response to different challenges along the way.
The graphic above shows Argentina’s line height and team length in possession. What does it tell us. It shows that they inevitably get quite condensed in building up through the middle of the park, with the opposition block forcing them wide. In the final third, though, they really open up the space between their deepest “sitter” and most advanced attacker – who could be a centre-forward, a central midfielder … or even an attacking full-back.
Using width to create gaps
Like most teams in the modern game, Argentina will use the entire width of the pitch – the full five-lane approach, as the analysts call it – when in possession. Unlike most teams at this World Cup, however, Scaloni’s men don’t simply progress down the flanks and look to deliver.
They put in just six crosses (to Croatia’s 16) over the entire 90 minutes in their semi-final win. It doesn’t appear to have held them back … All of their key players like to show for the ball either in between the lines or in a movement that will take them beyond the defence. They’re constantly looking to play through the defensive block. Like Spain? Yeah. But with much more of a cutting edge.
All of this is designed to push and pull opposing defences out of position. Look at the photo below, from Argentina’s dramatic quarter-final against The Netherlands. You wouldn’t think there is any way through this Oranje wall of defenders late in extra time. The Albiceleste will just have to find a way around the Dutch block.
Even in this example, however, Argentina don’t panic. Instead, they prod and poke, drag a body out of what has become a five-man Dutch back line and, within half a heartbeat, Messi has the ball in his favourite place of business. On the half turn, in the half space, turning and driving at petrified defenders.
Although their preference is to play through the lines, Argentina can still take advantage of any lax defending with a more direct ball, as shown when Enzo Fernandez put Julian Alvarez through to win a penalty, converted by Messi, against Croatia.
Argentina's key player
It’s obviously the little fella in the No. 10 jersey. The Greatest of All Time, putting on a show for his fans in this farewell to the World Cup. In every attacking statistic measured at this tournament, Lionel Messi is either at or near the very top of the rankings. And that doesn’t begin to explain his influence on Argentina.
Dropping deep, drifting wide, producing moments of absolute genius, he’s the undisputed star of the show. Consider, for instance, the “assist of the World Cup.” Ah, right. Which one?
Well, there’s his interplay with right wingback Nahuel Molina for the opening goal of against the Netherlands. Nobody’s expecting a goal. And fewer still saw the Messi pass coming.
And then came the assist to end all assists against Croatia. You’d swear that Josko Gvardiol has turned Messi back away from the danger area, done his job, given his team a chance to reset and regroup.
Poor guy. Quicker than he could possibly have imagined, the best young defender at this World Cup was turned, left trailing – and forced to watch as Messi cut the ball back for Alvarez to make it 3-0.
Argentina's strengths and weaknesses
With the patience of saints but the ability to pounce quickly on any mistake, Argentina will create chances. Scaloni might be tempted to revert to the 3-5-2 that worked well against the Dutch … until it didn’t. Despite the loss of late goals, the shape actually looked very effective in negating the Netherlands midfield.
They have Messi in the mood to do whatever he feels like. And there’s not a damned thing most teams can do about it. Their midfield has a nice balance, with Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes all aware of their roles and responsibilities.
However, They do sit off teams, preferring to set up camp just either side of the halfway line. France will get all the ball they need to have a crack at the Scaloni block.
If they to a back three, expect Oliver Giroud to mercilessly target Lisandro Martinez – brutally exposed by Wout Weghorst in the quarter-final – in the air. Croatia managed a dozen shots – most of them off target, admittedly – in the semi-final. Nicolas Otamendi, Argentina’s most effective defender, can’t fend off everything on his own. In a system that allows both full-backs to go bombing forward, he and Cristian Romero are occasionally left exposed.
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