Perhaps a perfect closing for the authorities of the millionaire country of the Persian Gulf, a generational classic between the figure that holds the reign of soccer for more than a decade and another call to inherit the centrality in the sport of ball number 5.
Messi, 35, in search of his first World Cup, against Mbappé, 23, who will defend the Russia 2018 title in the homeland of powerful businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of PSG.
The Qatari executive, a friend of the emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was the one who proposed the coexistence of the two stars in the Parisian club as an image strategy for a country that endured serious questions for the organization of the 2022 World Cup.
Suspicions of bribery to win the host’s nomination, which uncovered a corruption scandal at FIFA, coupled with criticism of its stance on human rights demanded political and economic action in favor of legitimization.
One of them resulted in the hiring of Messi by PSG, an entity of Qatar Sports Investment, which in turn is a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the sovereign body that manages oil and gas profits.
During his cycle as a Barcelona soccer player, the Argentine began relations with the emirate through advertising and promotion contracts as ambassador of the Aspire Academy, the largest high-performance sports center in the world.
Al-Khelaifi, former director of the QIA, saw the opportunity to advance in that alliance and favor the interests of Qatar when Barcelona dropped the contract of its greatest legend under the argument of financial fair play imposed by LaLiga of Spain.
In August 2021, the executive with a past as a professional tennis player, a friend of Argentine Gastón Gaudio, signed a two-year contract with the Argentine captain and closed the most resonant transfer in football history.
Messi joined a squad that already included Mbappé and his friend Neymar, whom PSG added in 2017 in exchange for 220 million euros after Saudi Arabia and six other countries in the region broke relations with the emirate under the accusation. to protect terrorism.
The tension between the two figures became a topic on the agenda during Messi’s first year in Paris. “Kylian is very happy with Leo’s arrival. He will also help. Some media are looking for problems but there are no problems,” the president responded shortly after the Argentine’s arrival.
The poor performance of the team and the failure in the European Champions League generated rumors of Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid, a move that was very close to materializing but was aborted due to pressure from Qatar and a million-dollar renewal proposal.
“I want to continue winning titles here,” the Frenchman announced in May of this year, embraced by Al-Khelaifi, wearing a PSG shirt that announced: “Mbappé 2025.” The news was taken as Qatar’s triumph through its “club-state” in the World Cup year itself.
In their second season together, now under the technical direction of Christophe Galtier, Messi and Mbappé show a better understanding on the pitch. The Frenchman is the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 12 goals and the Argentine, the main assister with 10.
In the Champions League they await the crossing of the round of 16 against Bayern Munich of Germany, which will take place in February of next year.
The Qatar 2022 final will see them meet for the fourth time. The first happened in the round of 16 in Russia with a 4-3 victory for France, with a brace from Kylian, who also celebrated in a 20/21 Champions League series with a 5-2 aggregate. Mbappé scored four goals and Messi two.
“Argentina and Brazil don’t play high-level matches to get to the World Cup. In South America, soccer is not as advanced as in Europe. And that’s why when you look at the latest World Cups, it’s always the Europeans who win.” , the Frenchman boasted this year after signing the extension of his contract at the club.
Messi will seek to disallow him this Sunday from 12:00 in Lusail, the day of his last match for the FIFA World Cup, which will set a new record of appearances (26) in the history of the tournament.
When will Argentina vs France play?
The final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be played this Sunday, in Lusail, starting at 12 noon.
Where to watch Argentina vs France
The duel between South Americans and Europeans for the World Cup will be televised on TVP, TyC Sports and DirecTV Sports.
Argentina vs France: probable formations
To confirm
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
