Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe, which of dis two superstars go help dia kontri win di tournament
Argentina go play France by 4pm West African time for Lusail Stadium.
Messi, wey be 35 years, don win a record seven Ballon d’Or awards – dis na award for di best player for di world – but e never win di biggest team prize for football.
“Pipo say France na di favourites, but we get di advantage say wey get di greatest player of all time,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez tok.
“We always like to hear say our opponent na di favourite because we no dey feel superior or inferior to anybody.
“But, as I always say, we get di greatest player of all time. And wit a good defence, we get many chances to reach our goal.”
France manager Didier Deschamps wey captain im kontri to World Cup victory for 1998 and then, as boss, guide dem to another success for Russia four years ago.
E say: “I know Argentina, many pipo around di world, and maybe some French pipo, hope Lionel Messi fit win di World Cup, but we go do everytin to achieve our objective.”
Messi go fit help Argentina win World Cup for di first time since 1986?
Di final go sees di tournament top two goalscorers go head-to-head for di race to win di Golden Boot.
Both Messi and Mbappe don score five times for Qatar, while France Olivier Giroud and Argentina Julian Alvarez get four.
Messi bin help Argentina reach di 2014 final for Brazil, although Germany Mario Gotze score di only goal as di Europeans win 1-0 afta extra time.
But di Paris St-Germain player na him be di driving force for Argentina campaign for Qatar.
Him convert early penalty for dia first match before im kontri shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia and then e score for dia vital 2-0 win ova Mexico.
Argentina 2-0 defeat of Poland see dem top Group C, wit Messi also on target for dia 2-1 last-16 win ova Australia.
Argentina bin dey in control against di Netherlands for dia quarter-final wit a 2-0 lead after 82 minutes.
But di Dutch score twice through Wout Weghorst, including an equaliser for 11th minute of injury time to take di tie to extra time.
E eventually go to penalties but Martinez save two spot-kicks as Argentina progress, before a goal from Messi and two from Manchester City Alvarez gave dem a routine 3-0 win ova Croatia for semi-finals.
Argentina don win di tournament twice before, on home soil for 1978 and for Mexico for 1986, and dey look for dia third success on Sunday.
“I’ already deyemotional because dem don give eviritin sincerely,” manager Lionel Scaloni tok. “Hopefully we go win di title and if we no win, dem suppose dey proud, because na moment to enjoy.”
Sickness affect France preparations
Mbappe, wey be 23 years, dey eye im second World Cup success and im dey key in guiding France to di final.
E score once for dia 4-1 win ova Australia and twice for dia 2-1 victory ova Denmark as France reached di last 16 wit a game to spare.
Dat help Deschamps to rest players and, even though dem lose 1-0 to Tunisia, dem win Group D, wit Mbappe on target twice more for di 3-1 last-16 win ova Poland.
For quarter-finals dem face Gareth Southgate England and take di lead through Aurelien Tchouameni, but Harry Kane equalise from penalty.
Before Olivier Giroud put France ahead and dem win it 2-1 afta Kane miss a second penalty.
France beat di tournament surprise package Morocco 2-0 for di semi-final to reach dia fourth World Cup final in seven tournaments.
Dem win di competition for 1998 and 2018 and lose di final in 2006.
But dia preparations get small set back sake of one sickness bug.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot, defender Dayot Upamecano and winger Kingsley Coman dey among those wey dey struggle wit illness.
“We get a few cases of flu-like symptoms,” Deschamps tok. “We dey try dey careful so e no go spread and players don work hard for pitch and obviously dia immune systems dey suffer.
“We dey take all necessary precautions, to try to make sure say e no spread but we don take precautions against am.”
Match facts
- Di two teams don meet three times before for World Cup. Argentina bin win both group matches for 1930 and 1978, but France dey victorious for dia only knockout encounter, dem win 4-3 for di last 16 for 2018.
- Argentina dey compete for dia sixth World Cup final, na only Germany (eight) and Brazil (seven) don take part for more. Dem win for1978 and 1986 and lose for 1930, 1990 and 2014.
- Dem fit become di second side for World Cup history to lose dia opening game and go on to lift di trophy, dem copy Spain for 2010.
- Messi fit become di third Argentine player to win di Golden Boot for World Cup afta Guillermo Stabile for 1930 and Mario Kempes for 1978.
- France don reach di World Cup final for a fourth time, all since 1998. Dis is twice as many as any oda nation for dis period.
- Les Bleus dey look to become only di third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, afta Italy (1934-38) and Brazil (1958-62).
