A football fan could not have asked for a better World Cup. Major surprises have occurred, like Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina 2-1. Excellent goals, like Richarlison’s daring volley against Serbia, have consistently appeared.
By defeating Portugal, Morocco became the first country from Africa to advance to the tournament’s final four, making tournament history. Each of the 32 nations gave everything they had, with some of them departing with their heads held high and others having accomplished nothing.
But now, after all the drama, joy, and tears, it comes down to just two countries. In a rematch of their Round of 16 match from 2018, France and Argentina will square off to determine the 22nd World Cup champion.
The hopes of the entire country are contained in Lionel Messi’s dream. In addition to hoping to end the career of their greatest player ever in style, Argentina will be looking to win the World Cup for the first time since 1986. They’ll be trying to stay away from the heartache they experienced at the hands of Germany in 2014.
They have consistently performed well in both the front and the back throughout this competition. In combination with Messi’s technical and artistic brilliance and Julián Lvarez’s precise finishing, they have overcome most obstacles to move closer to winning the World Cup. There is a lot of hope among fans that their team will win the trophy at last.
However, they come up against a foe in France who previously defeated them four years prior. Few people predicted Kylian Mbappé and company would advance this far before the tournament. Many expected seasoned players like N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, and Karim Benzema to exit early, as they did during the Euros last year. However, they were missing.
However, this relatively inexperienced team has gelled under manager Didier Deschamps to bring their country this close to becoming the first to win the World Cup twice in a row since Brazil (1958,1962). With five goals, Mbappe has taken the initiative like Messi did for Argentina, but other players like Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have been just as crucial in helping them overcome difficult opponents.
These athletes will take the field for the most significant 90+ minutes of their lives in a few hours. While for others it will end in heartbreak and tears, for some it will end in happiness and a newfound legacy that will last forever.
Argentina vs France confirmed starting XIs
Argentina XI (4-3-3): Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuña; De Paul, Fernández, Mac Allister; Di María, Messi, Álvarez
France XI (4-3-3): Lloris; Koundé, Varane, Upamecano, Hernandez; Griezmann, Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Giroud, Mbappé
