Lionel Messi will not only chase his dream of lifting back-to-back World Cups with Argentina against Spain in Sunday’s final but also Kylian Mbappé’s goals record tally and Golden Boot at the competition.
Messi sits in second place with eight goals in this edition, two shy of Mbappé, who completed a fantastic 10 with a brace against England in the third-place playoff, a game they lost 4-6. Having been awarded the Golden Ball twice and crowned the world champion four years ago in Qatar, Messi awaits his first Golden Boot.
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Messi sits on the cusp of creating history against Spain in his first-ever face-off against them at this tournament. Should he lead Argentina to its fourth World Cup title at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Messi will become a two-time world champion, back-to-back winner at this competition, and make Argentina the first team since Brazil (in 1962) to do so in successive World Cups.
However, for him to have everything on his side, he and the defending champions must click against Spain, which has conceded just one goal in this edition, making it Argentina’s toughest challenge at the grandest stage. While a few goal-scoring records belong to Argentina, including being the first team to score two goals in 13 successive World Cup matches, they go up against a defensive force at the grand finale, and Messi must lead the attack.
Infamous for kicking into gear only after conceding first or around the 80th minute at this edition specifically, Argentina narrowly yet successfully beat teams in tight matches in the lead-up to the final. After beating the tournament’s debutant, Cape Verde, late in stoppage time in the Round of 32, Messi inspired Argentina’s comeback against Egypt despite trailing 2-0 at the 79th minute. Again, against Switzerland in the quarterfinal, Messi’s side completed the win in stoppage time before knocking off England 2-1 in the pulsating semifinal in Atlanta.
In fact, Argentina has created an unwanted history as only the second team after Croatia in 2018 to advance to the World Cup final without leading in the 90th minute in any of its knockout matches.
Meanwhile, with 22 goals in three editions and age on his side, Mbappé would most definitely end up with the most World Cup goals ever. This record might never be broken; regardless, Messi has a chance to either equal it or eventually break it in his last World Cup appearance.