Watch Argentina vs. France in the FIFA World Cup 2022™ Final with Universo

In the months leading up to the FIFA World Cup™, it seemed as if the whole world had already made up their minds about who would immediately be disqualified from the tournament, who would reach the finals, and who would win the trophy. But the Qatar 2022™ hasn’t been for the faint of heart – and its many surprises have left millions of people stunned, including some of the players themselves. However, the only popular prediction that seems to have come to pass is that Argentina superstar Lionel Messi would have one final opportunity to claim eternal glory in the finals before his retirement – though, less expected, Argentina will have to defeat the formidable France to claim that ultimate victory.

Messi vs. Mbappe

Of the many predictions, perhaps the most popular was that Lionel Messi would be facing off against Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the finals. And it wasn’t just fans who put stock in that scenario – an AI supercomputer came to the same conclusion after researching EA Sports FIFA video game player statistics and samples from real-life matches at the last four FIFA World Cup™ tournaments. But then again, such research can hardly account for dark horses.

Enter Team Morocco. Against all odds, Morocco plowed through top teams, eliminating not only Spain and Belgium, but Portugal, too, becoming the first African nation to ever reach the FIFA World Cup™ semifinals. But in the end, defending champion France shut them out, with a 2-0 win.

So now, instead of facing off against Ronaldo, Messi is looking at a fierce battle with another of the world’s best players: Kylian Mbappe.

At only 23-years-old, Mbappe has already established himself as one of the chief players in this next generation of footballers. Faster than Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, rivals would be hard pressed to find a match that could trump the combination of Mbappe’s speed and dribbling abilities.

Yet, as Argentina fans know – and are counting on – Messi comes with his own set of unparalleled skills, such as his ability to expertly weave through packed defenses, dribble with close control of the ball, and complete seemingly impossible passes. There is, after all, a good reason why Messi has been dubbed the greatest player in the history of soccer – and his performance during this FIFA World Cup™ has done nothing but secure his legacy.

Key Players

But, of course, on the field, a legend is only as good as his team. Luckily, for both Messi and Mbappe, both Argentina and France are brimming with talent.

Besides Messi, Argentina fans will want to keep their eyes on four players who have earned their stripes in Qatar 2022™: Julian Alvarez, who teamed up with Messi to achieve three goals against Croatia in the semifinals; Emiliano Martinez, the team’s 6-foot-4 goalkeeper, whose performance saved Argentina during penalty shootouts with the Netherlands in the quarterfinals; Nahuel Molina, whose keen instincts picked up on Messi’s no-look pass to score against the Netherlands; and Enzo Fernandez, whose speed will be depended upon to block Antoine Griezmann in the final.

When it comes to France, the defending FIFA World Cup™ champions will be relying on four key players themselves, besides Mbappe: Antoine Griezmann, whose incredible assists and defense have repeatedly paved the way for his team to score; Hugo Lloris, France’s captain who’s earned the team’s all-time appearance record; Raphael Varane, whose speed has proved crucial in his team’s defense; and Aurelien Tchouameni, whose recovery and scoring skills were vital in France’s win against Morocco.

Who Will Win?

Haven’t we learned better than to make predictions? Of course not!

But because there is no underdog in the FIFA World Cup 2022™ final, experts seem to be divided over who they believe will win. Whichever way you look at it – whether comparing Messi with Mbappe, Argentina players with France players, or the teams’ performances in Qatar 2022™ – both teams are strong and well-prepared for Sunday’s game…which means soccer fans all over the world are about to witness an epic match.

That said, here’s one more fact: It’s been half a century since a team has won the FIFA World Cup™ twice in a row. France is determined to change that. But will Argentina let them?

Find out when you subscribe to the Sling Latino package and tune into the FIFA World Cup™ FINAL on Universo – LIVE THIS SUNDAY at 10 a.m. ET!

DISFRUTA AHORA!