France prepared to rip up the script and spoil Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream

France’s bid to defend their title is at risk of being overshadowed by Messi’s quest to win the World Cup, but Les Bleus are content with their role ahead of today’s final

It seems as though the world has a team it would prefer to win the World Cup final. Lionel Messi’s image feels ever-present in Qatar. Argentina have probably had the largest contingent of fans in Doha throughout the tournament, but Messi’s popularity in Qatar appears to make him the home favourite as well. The irresistible sense that he deserves to win the World Cup, and that it is now or never, has brought a coalition of support.

Luka Modric reacted to Croatia’s defeat in the semi-final by saying he hoped Messi would emerge triumphant, a Real Madrid great getting behind Barcelona’s greatest player. The original and World Cup-winning Ronaldo said he could never support Argentina, but wanted Messi to win. From Luis Enrique to Andriy Shevchenko to even the former France forward Andre-Pierre Gignac, it seems as though everyone would like to see Messi with the greatest prize of all.

Almost everyone, anyway, and not merely because Cristiano Ronaldo may become a supporter of France for one day. Didier Deschamps has no problem with the status of potential party-pooper, anyway. “I am fine being alone; that doesn’t bother me,” said the France manager.

He believes the majority at Lusail Stadium on Sunday will crave an Argentina victory. Certainly a relatively small French contingent in the stands will be outnumbered. “Argentina has great support, I think that is true in all tournaments. You always have a lot in the stadium and we will have French fans as well,” Deschamps said. “Most fans will probably support Argentina because they are Argentinian or will be supporting that team. Argentinians are a very passionate people, they get behind their team and that is a positive thing. It is good to have an atmosphere like that in a World Cup final but our opponents aren’t in the crowd: they are a team we face on the pitch and they are a good enough team to be worried about them.”

It was a matter-of-fact answer that was underpinned by logic: France’s fate could rest on whether they stop Messi, not his fan club. In 2018, when Deschamps’ side won a thrilling game 4-3, N’Golo Kante was pivotal in keeping Messi quiet. Four years on, the France manager believes that match has little pertinence now.

“It is not the same team at all so there is no point comparing,” he argued. “It was a round-of-16 match and the players were completely different. The line ups were different, the style and gameplans.” One of the differences is the absence of the injured Kante; another is the form of Messi. He exited Russia with one goal and two assists. Now he has scored five and created three more.

Unprompted, the France captain referenced the last Argentinian captain to win the World Cup: another diminutive left-footer with a magical left foot and the No. 10 shirt. “Over the years Argentina has always produced some world-class players,” Hugo Lloris said. “Diego Maradona was an example and now we have Messi. They are legends of world football.”

The same description may already be applicable to Lloris himself, and certainly should be if he becomes the first man to captain two World Cup-winning teams but he was in self-effacing mood. “What happens in the past belongs to the past,” he said. Yet the Messification of the World Cup means everyone else is being overshadowed: Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe could join Pele, Paul Breitner and Zinedine Zidane in a select group to score in two World Cup finals. France’s feats should be more celebrated.

Lloris will bid to lift the World Cup for a second time (Getty Images)

“As long as we have the support of our fans and we know the French people are behind us then nothing else really matters,” Lloris accepted. “I believe the event is too massive just being focused on one player, it is a final between two big nations of football, between Argentina and France. Of course, we know what Lionel Messi means in the history of football but this is a match between France and Argentina and it is a match between the two squads.”

It was a salient point. The possibility seems overlooked that the final will not be decided by Messi, or even by Messi against Mbappe. France have the stronger squad, even if the virus that has affected Adrien Rabiot, Dayot Upamecano, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman is affecting their preparation. Nor will there be a remarkable comeback for Karim Benzema, the man who succeeded Messi as the Ballon d’Or winner a few weeks ago.

For Argentina, a cause can be wrapped up in a person; for France, despite Mbappe’s prominence, it would represent another achievement in the Deschamps era, rather than the culmination of Messi’s career. “Both teams have the same objective and only one will come out with a third star,” said Deschamps; as captain in 1998 and manager in 2018, he has helped earn the first two stars. One way or another, it should be a seminal occasion and Lloris concluded: “I hope this match will go down in history: French history in particular.”