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☆ Key match-ups in World Cup final between Argentina and France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Semi Final - Argentina v Croatia - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 13, 2022 Argentina's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring their second goal with Lionel Messi and Nahuel Molina REUTERS/Carl RecineDOHA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Argentina and France meet in Sunday's World Cup final at Lusail Stadium. Here are three of the key match-ups that are likely to have a strong bearing on the result:Kylian Mbappe v Nahuel MolinaMbappe is a candidate for the World Cup's player of the tournament, having led France to their second consecutive final. The jet-heeled 23-year-old forward has scored five times in six games, surpassing his tally from the 2018 tournament, and has now scored nine World Cup goals in 13 appearances across the two editions. Molina arrived at the World Cup having faced criticism after struggling in his first season with Atletico Madrid, but he has been solid during the tournament and started every match. Lionel Messi v Aurelien TchouameniOne of the most anticipated match-ups will be Argentina great Messi against France's rising star holding-midfielder Tchouameni.

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Argentina look set to keep Julian Alvarez in attack for Sunday's World Cup final against France after he scored twice in a devastating combination with Lionel Messi in the semi-final. He scored his first goal for the national side in the World Cup quarter-final against the Dutch, which Argentina won on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Leandro ParedesA defensive midfielder with Juventus, 28-year-old Paredes has featured in four of Argentina's World Cup games - infamously booting the ball at the Netherlands' bench in the quarter-final. Rodrigo De PaulThe tough 28-year-old Atletico de Madrid midfielder has been a stalwart in Scaloni's World Cup starting lineup, even playing through injury against the Dutch. The 35-year-old Paris St Germain forward is on a mission to lift his first World Cup at his fifth and final attempt and has been simply magnificent, scoring five goals while creating others with his dribbling and passing wizardry.

☆ Messi's defensive work not up for debate, says Pochettino
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Former Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has said it is absurd to debate Lionel Messi's defensive work as the Argentina captain gets ready to lead his side into the World Cup final against France on Sunday. "Honestly, I think the debate about Messi's defensive work is stale, almost silly," Argentine Pochettino, who coached Messi at PSG, told The Athletic. "That's the most important thing about this Argentina team and the reason why they are in the final. It's because the players understand their roles perfectly. Messi's Argentina will appear in their sixth World Cup final when they face France, as they look to claim a first title since 1986.

☆ Scaloni heads into final as the coach who made Messi and Argentina smile again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"He can't even direct traffic, how come he will direct the national team. They have since created a bond that has allowed a rejuvenated Messi to enjoy his best years with the national team. It was that which arguably gave them the foundation to regroup after their shock loss to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener. Representing my country is an emotional thing," Scaloni told reporters after Argentina swept past Croatia 3-0 in their World Cup semi-final. Thanks to Scaloni's acumen, Argentina are on the brink of glory - and while Messi will claim the attention, his coach deserves his share of the plaudits.

[1/5] Children play football next to a mural depicting Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi in a football school at Newell's Old Boys club, where Messi played as a kid in Rosario, Argentina December 15, 2022. In the nearby town of Serodino, a huge 12 by 18 meter (40 by 60 ft) Messi No. Sunday's match will be the second World Cup final for 35-year-old Messi, who will be seeking revenge after losing 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 final in Brazil. Because of how up for it these guys are, because of the way they treat each other," said Juan Ibáñez Moroni, father of Pedro Ibáñez, 8, who plays in the youth team at Newell's Old Boys, Messi's old club. "Apart from doing it for Argentina, they are going to do it for him (Messi) too.

☆ France and Argentina bring multiple plot lines to mouthwatering World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Standing in Messi’s way is his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé, as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup trophies. After a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in its opening group game, Argentina’s World Cup campaign got off to the worst possible start. When asked whether Sunday’s game will be his last at a World Cup, Messi replied: “Yes. Like Griezmann, the 36-year-old Giroud has had a renaissance in this World Cup, after failing to score a single goal in 2018. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

☆ A second chance: How Messi's Argentina reached the World Cup final again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Messi scored a 10th minute penalty in the first half where Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside before the Saudis struck twice in the second half to stun the South American champions. If Argentina could take any solace from the result, it was that when they lost their group opener to Cameroon in 1990 they still reached the final. Substitute Enzo Fernandez scored with another sublime strike to seal the points and set Argentina on their way amid an electric atmosphere at Lusail Stadium, the biggest arena in Qatar. "Today starts another World Cup for Argentina," Messi had said after admitting they were poor in the first half. LAST 16: ARGENTINA 2-1 AUSTRALIAThe stars seemed to align for Messi in a physical last-16 clash with Australia as he scored in his 1,000th match to move past Maradona's World Cup tally.

☆ Argentina have worked out where to hurt Croatia - Scaloni
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Argentina will trust their system when they face Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals and believe they have worked out how to hurt the 2018 runners-up, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Monday. I won't mention the key players or their strengths and weaknesses but we've analysed where we can hurt them. "He's a role model for so many of us - not just because of his talent but also his behaviour," Scaloni said. ARGENTINA CRITICISMScaloni was also asked about the criticism directed at Argentina after their players' "unsporting behaviour" following their shootout win over the Netherlands. "The previous game was played the way we had to play... that's football.

☆ Croatia stands in the way of Argentina's dream of a World Cup final spot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While their elimination of the five-time world champions was largely unexpected given Brazil's form, it was still a classic Croatian achievement. With a never-say-die attitude, even when the odds were stacked heavily against them, disciplined Croatia are now deservedly in their second straight World Cup semi-final, and underestimating them would come at Argentina's risk. The Argentines, looking for their first World Cup title since Diego Maradona's 1986 team, have their work cut out. The comparison with Maradona for the title of the greatest Argentine player of all time cannot be complete without a world title, which the late Maradona won almost single-handedly 36 years ago. Croatia came through two shootouts and extra-time to reach the 2018 final before losing to France and have gone to penalties in both their knockout stage matches in Qatar to boast a 4-0 perfect record.

☆ Maradona is watching us from above and pushing us, says Messi
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He is pushing us and I really hope this stays the same until the end," Messi told reporters. From the beginning it was a really tough match, we knew it would be this way. Argentina will take on Croatia for a place in the final, after the 2018 runners-up beat Brazil on penalties earlier. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said despite their second-half collapse, his team had no problem finding players willing to take penalties. This team had experience, pride, young players, and this is key, because we want to fight."

☆ Messi's World Cup chase takes centre stage in quarter-final clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's hopes of winning an elusive World Cup will come up against the tactical scheming of veteran coach Louis van Gaal as Argentina face the Netherlands in Friday’s quarter-final at Lusail. Messi can expect little in the way of sympathy from the 71-year-old Van Gaal, who is determined to give the Dutch their first World Cup title after runners-up finishes in 1974, 1978 and 2010. Messi can expect vocal support from Argentine fans in Qatar, who are set to vastly outnumber their orange-clad Dutch counterparts. On the losing side against Germany in the 2014 final, where Argentina failed to add to World Cup triumphs in 1978 and 1986, Messi was grateful for the support. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is still sweating on the fitness of Angel di Maria, who missed the Australia game due to a left thigh injury but returned to training on Tuesday.

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Qualifying teams, fixtures and schedule
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —We are waiting on two teams to qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals, but six have already booked their places in the last eight. ETWhere: Education City StadiumAccording to Opta, Croatia has a 2.86% chance of winning the World Cup. But this team looks like it could be the first since 2002 to bring the World Cup trophy back to its spiritual home. ETWhere: Al Bayt StadiumAccording to Opta, England has a 18.83% chance of winning the World Cup. Which begs the question: is this the best England team since 1966, when it last won thee World?

☆ Argentina will 'break our backs' to beat Australia, says Scaloni
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Argentina beat Poland late on Wednesday to book their spot in the knockout stages and must play Australia on Saturday, a turnaround time that Scaloni had previously described as "absolute madness". Scaloni and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said they have yet to train, instead focusing on down time and recovery over the past two days. "We will break our backs on this pitch to compete, we know how difficult this World Cup is, this is football. Scaloni said Argentina must shed the "favourites" tag going into the contest, while De Paul said they had analysed the team that beat Tunisia and Denmark in the group stage. "I think it's a very fast team, focusing on wide players, and they have tall centre backs as well.

☆ Argentina must avoid Australia upset to keep Messi's dream alive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Argentina are hot favourites to beat Australia on Saturday in pursuit of Lionel Messi's dream of winning a first World Cup, but they more than anyone have learned not to underestimate an underdog, especially the hard-battling Socceroos. "We've almost got no time to let it all sink in, enjoy it ... it's recovery, recovery, recovery," concurred Australia's assistant coach Rene Meulensteen. Anyone who thinks the match against Australia will be easy is wrong," Argentina's Scaloni said. Reaching the quarter-finals would be dreamland for Australia, but for Argentina it is a bare minimum national expectation as they seek a third World Cup trophy. Messi, on his fifth and final quest to win the World Cup and match his great predecessor Diego Maradona in the No.

☆ Argentina outclass Poland despite Messi penalty miss to advance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Despite the miss, Messi ran the show for Argentina in a match where the two skippers represented Barcelona's past and present. It's a dream come true," Mac Allister told reporters. But Argentina got what they wanted -- leapfrogging Poland to take top spot in the group and avoid an early knockout fixture against the mighty France. Poland, meanwhile, will be relieved to reach the last-16 for the first time since 1986. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Doha, Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Argentina and Lionel Messi face crunch game against Poland
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Argentina was stunned by Saudi Arabia in its first game, before getting its campaign back on track with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in which Messi scored the opening goal. Argentina sits second on three points, a point behind Group C leader Poland, knowing a win in its final game against the Polish will assure its progression. Ariel Schalit/APNext up Argentina takes on Poland, and Robert Lewandowski, pictured celebrating scoring his team's second goal during the Group C match between Poland and Saudi Arabia. Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty ImagesArgentina faces a Poland team spearheaded by its own iconic striker, Robert Lewandowski, who scored his first World Cup goal last time out against Saudi Arabia. “We are still alive.”Mexico’s hopes are much slimmer, needing to beat Saudi Arabia by at least a three-goal margin, with Poland not losing to Argentina.

☆ Messi dances night away after keeping World Cup storyline alive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Though in truth they laboured in the first half against a mediocre Mexico team, they celebrated as if they had won the World Cup itself. After scoring the first goal against Mexico, his second of Argentina's three at the tournament, Messi charged towards fans screaming in joy. Many in fact show the two together, arm-in-arm or Maradona looking beatifically down on Messi from heaven. Should Messi go all the way, he will of course directly match Maradona, who led Argentina to a famous 1986 World Cup win including his famous "Hand of God" and best-ever tournament goals against England en route. Even Messi looked slow and made basic errors prior to scoring against Mexico and relaxing into the player everyone knows.

☆ Lionel Messi helps keep Argentina’s World Cup hopes alive with moment of magic against Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Yet another moment of Lionel Messi magic helped salvage Argentina’s World Cup hopes at Qatar 2022 as La Albiceleste secured a much-needed victory over Mexico. The 2-0 win certainly wasn’t pretty, with Argentina struggling to create many clear-cut chances against a stubborn Mexico team that itself also offered very little threat going forward. Messi came to the fore just after the hour mark to save his team, as he has done on countless occasions, finding the bottom corner of the net with a stunning strike from outside of the box. Though a win against Mexico on Saturday was crucial, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will also have wanted to see a much-improved performance as proof that the loss to Saudi Arabia was nothing more than a blip. However, that performance never materialized with Argentina looking stale and lifeless for much of the game.

☆ Wounded Argentina must put Saudi trauma behind them
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Nov 22, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) plays the ball against Saudi Arabia during a group stage match during the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Yet he and his disconsolate team might take heart from 32 years ago when Argentina began the World Cup in Italy with a shock loss to Cameroon but still went on to reach the final. Of course," said former Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta, citing the 1990 run, although the South Americans were to lose that final to West Germany. 'DO IT FOR MESSI, MARADONA'Coach Lionel Scaloni sent out the same signal. Scaloni must quickly reinstill the meanness and steel that had served Argentina so well on their remarkable unbeaten run since mid-2019.

☆ Messi's Argentina expected to roll over Saudis in Group C opener
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The South Americans are on a 36-match unbeaten run with top scorer and captain Messi playing his fifth and last World Cup in search of the elusive honour that would grant him immortality at home alongside Diego Maradona. "I see him as always ... eager to enjoy the World Cup," said head coach Lionel Scaloni, trying to ease some of the pressure on his main man. Yet they have pedigree too: this is their sixth World Cup, they reached the last 16 in 1994, and they made it to Qatar by topping their group ahead of Japan. Renard's far lesser-known team is entirely home-based, with the financial clout of the Saudi Pro League ensuring few leading players aspire to venture overseas. Argentina will fully expect to beat Mexico and Poland in their other Group C games, whereas the Saudis may have to accept damage limitation in their opening match before a more realistic quest for points in their next two.

☆ Argentina at the 2022 World Cup: who is in Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

* Teams will be able to select up to 26 players for this year's World Cup after FIFA increased the maximum limit for squads by three in June, citing the unusual timing of the tournament as well as the impact of COVID-19. Who is in Argentina's World Cup 2022 squad? * Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, 18, who has made seven appearances for the club this season, misses out. What was Argentina's squad at the 2018 World Cup? * Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).

☆ Injured Dybala named in Argentina's 26-man World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - Injured forward Paulo Dybala made the cut as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni named on Friday his 26-man squad for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar, where Lionel Messi will lead the side. Dybala has not played for his club AS Roma since early October but has been named in the squad as Argentina hope he regains his fitness before their World Cup campaign begins on Nov. 22 against Group C opponents Saudi Arabia. Messi, 35, will be playing in his fifth World Cup and will be accompanied by fellow veterans Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi along with fresh faces who helped Argentina win the Copa America title last year. Dreams do come true, let's go Argentina," Paredes, who did not make the final cut for the 2018 World Cup, said on Instagram. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, one of Argentina's heroes at the Copa America last year, will also be making his World Cup debut this year.

☆ Every World Cup 2022 squad announced: USMNT, Germany, Belgium and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —‘Tis the season for wall charts and fans gathering around to pick their starting teams for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. “It’s always difficult when a guy helps you get to the World Cup, he scores three goals in World Cup qualifying and isn’t going to be a part of the program. Again, it’s more about who we did add that we felt good about.”All but one of the 26 will be making their World Cup debut at this year’s tournament and, according to the USMNT, it will be the youngest team to qualify for the World Cup. Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesGhanaManager: Otto AddoThe final squad has not been announced yet. READ: Meet Otto Addo, the coach responsible for guiding some of Europe’s brightest young talents (2021)—–PortugalManager: Fernando SantosThe final squad has not been announced yet.

☆ Factbox: World Cup 2022: which major football players are missing FIFA tournament?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Following is a list of players who have been ruled out or are doubtful for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup through injury. The 29-year-old resumed training but on Oct. 31 his agent said the midfielder would not return to action for Juventus nor the world champions before the World Cup. PEDRO NETO (PORTUGAL)The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers winger will undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained against West Ham United in October. BOUBACAR KAMARA (FRANCE)The Aston Villa midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury in September that will keep him out until after the World Cup. SADIO MANE (SENEGAL)Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal's squad for the World Cup despite suffering an injury playing for Bayern Munich.

☆ Messi names France and Brazil as favourites to win World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said defending champions France and Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar as they have a core group of players who have played together for a long time. Messi said Brazil, Germany, France, England and Spain are always labelled favourites to win but the 35-year-old forward feels France and Brazil are the best two teams going into the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament. "We always say the same great teams ... but, if I have to choose, Brazil and France are the two great candidates to win the World Cup," Messi told DIRECTV Sports. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"They've had the same group (of players) for a long time, working well. France, aside from the last Euros when they were eliminated (in the last 16) and did badly, they have some impressive players.

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