Will Messi equal the feat of Argentina icon Diego Maradona while cementing his status as the GOAT? Or will Mbappe and Co. become the first back-to-back champs since Pele and Brazil did it 60 years ago? However it goes down, we cannot wait for Sunday’s showdown at the Lusail Iconic Stadium outside of Doha.
Be sure to check in with ESPN throughout the tournament as we bring you the latest from Qatar. Here’s what you might have missed from Wednesday’s World Cup happenings, and a look ahead as we count down to Sunday’s final.
World Cup final: Messi, Argentina vs. Mbappe, France
Can it already be Sunday? Well, we have three full days before the World Cup final (and two before the third-place consolation match between Croatia and Morocco), and we’ll have plenty to break down and preview before then. But let’s look a couple key points before France and Argentina take center stage:
FiveThirtyEight’s SPI has Argentina as a slight favorite to win the title over France, at 53% vs. 47%.
The hunt for star No. 3: Both France (1998, 2018) and Argentina (1978, 1986) will be vying for their third World Cup title. Only Germany, Italy (four apiece), and Brazil (five) have more these two sides. Les Bleus and La Albiceleste will also be aiming for their second title outside as non-hosts, with both of Sunday’s finalists each having won their first on home soil.
This will be the fourth time the two sides have played in a World Cup match. Argentina beat France in the group stage in 1930 and 1978, while France came out the victors in a round of 16 game four years ago. Overall, Argentina leads the head-to-head series 6W-3L-3D.