Argentina 2-0 France LIVE – Messi closes in on World Cup triumph

It’s World Cup final day. It’s Argentina vs France and it’s Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe. The pair go head-to-head for team and individual glory this afternoon (3pm kick-off). As well as the main show, the duo are locked on five goals in the race for the Golden Boot – with the player who can win the tournament also surely primed to win the Golden Ball to be crowned the best player of the past month. 

Messi is looking to win the World Cup for the first time in his career and is desperate to emulate Diego Maradona by inspiring Argentina’s first triumph at the tournament since 1986. While France can be crowned back-to-back champions in Qatar today. The last nation to do so were Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Les Bleus are the holders of the competition having won the 2018 World Cup in Russia, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final after knocking Argentina out in the round of 16 in a 4-3 thriller. Mbappe scored twice that day and could become a two-time winner by the age of 23 if he helps the French past the South Americans again here.

We’re all set for a classic at the glitzy Lusail Stadium with the two teams fairly evenly split. France are sweating on the fitness of Olivier Giroud and could be forced to start without the four-goal centre-forward due to an apparent knee problem, but are otherwise expected to be fully fit despite an outbreak of camel flu earlier in the week.

Express Sport provides all the live updates of the 2022 World Cup final below.