With over one billion people tuning in around the globe, Sunday's World Cup final represents the grandest stage in all of sports. For the players, it's a chance to touch immortality by joining the pantheon of winners.
Many on France's team already tasted glory in 2018, but now they're focused on becoming the first nation to successfully defend its crown since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
If you're still rewinding and replaying Lionel Messi's magnificent assist vs. Croatia, this fan footage of it will knock your socks off.
The magic behind the clip is that it shows the play from its genesis and allows you to see how Messi masterminded the sequence with some small talk with Julián Álvarez near the midfield line.
With this year's World Cup being held in the middle of the European soccer season, many questioned the impact it would have on the players’ clubs. While there have been some high-profile injuries, there've also been some players who've written their names among the stars.
For their clubs, this break has helped star players gain global recognition and grow their values ahead of the January transfer window. Whether they cash in and sell high or keep their players, the World Cup has absolutely helped some clubs more than others.
The stage is set. The 2022 FIFA World Cup Final will be a clash of titans — Lionel Messi and Argentina battling Kylian Mbappé and France with both nations going for a third title. Only Brazil (five), Germany and Italy (both four) have won it more.
France, the defending world champions, have a lethal mixture of know-how and individual brilliance, but Argentina, South American champs, have Messi and a supporting cast ready to run through walls for their beloved captain.
No guys, that won’t count as an assist for Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman helped set up an amazing game-sealing goal during France’s 2-0 World Cup semifinal win vs. Morocco on Wednesday.
Trailing 1-0 late in the game, Morocco looked to be getting closer and closer to finding an equalizer until Mbappé produced a moment of magic in the 79th minute.
Receiving the ball at the top of the Moroccan box, Mbappé quickly glided past Soyfan Amrabat and then slithered away from Achraf Dari. In the blink of eye there were five Morocco players converging on the 23-year-old.
With a Lionel Messi penalty, an improbable Julián Álvarez goal off a dribble that started inside his own half and an outrageous Messi assist, Argentina clinched a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final by beating Croatia 3-0 and improved its semifinal record in the competition to a perfect five-for-five.
Lionel Messi showed the world once again that he’s in arguably the best form of his career. Aging like a fine wine, Messi got a goal and an assist vs. Croatia in Argentina’s 3-0 World Cup semifinal victory on Tuesday.
His goal came from the penalty spot in the 34th minute, but the assist. Oh, that glorious assist. That one came in the 69th minute.
Leading 2-0, Messi and Julián Álvarez put the nail in the coffin with about 20 minutes to go. The 35-year-old maestro looked like he was a young 20-something again with a dazzling run.
En su misión de llevar a Argentina a la final de la Copa del Mundo, Lionel Messi rompió otro récord en su condecorada carrera.
Luego de convertir el primero de los tres goles con que la Albiceleste venció a Croacia, el "10" se convirtió en el máximo goleador de su país en la historia del torneo.
La marca de Messi se concretó en el minuto 34, luego de patear el penal que el portero Dominik Livaković le había cometido a Julián Álvarez.
El tiro de Messi fue arriba, cruzado e inatajable.
If you’re a casual soccer fan who tunes in for the World Cup and the occasional game, you probably noticed an odd tactic. “Why does a player lie down behind the wall in soccer?” you may have asked yourself.
The tactic of having a player laying down behind the wall is simple. Having a player lay down behind the wall denies the free kick taker any chance at shooting the ball underneath the wall when the players jump.
DOHA - Croatia will not attempt to stop Argentina superstar Lionel Messi by man-marking him but instead will focus on immobilizing the entire team in their World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, they said.
Croatia are bidding to make it to the final for the second World Cup in a row after losing in the 2018 showcase match to France.
They stunned tournament favorites Brazil in the quarterfinals after going a goal down in extra-time but dug deep to bounce back with a late equalizer and force a penalty shootout that they ended up winning.