World Cup holders France will take on Argentina in the final of Qatar 2022 on Sunday.
The reigning champions advanced to the championship game after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Morocco in their semi-final match on Wednesday night. This victory guaranteed them a spot in the championship event.
Within the first five minutes of the contest, France’s Theo Hernandez scored an unplanned goal to give his team the lead.

Morocco exerted a significant amount of pressure on France in the second half, but they were unable to find an equalizer. Didier Deschamps’ team were able to secure the victory thanks to a goal scored by substitute Randal Kolo Muani.
After starting at center back alongside Raphael Varane in the semi-final match, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate earned accolades for his performance and received compliments on his play.
As a result of the illness that Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot were both suffering from, Konate was reinstated to the starting lineup.
There are now requests for the defending champions to maintain playing with Konate at the back because he appeared to be such a reliable presence for the team, and the championship game is on Sunday.
It is a stunning ascent for Konate, who has battled for playing time at Liverpool this season and was a surρrise selection for France’s World Cup squad.
Konate set to face Messi in final
If he starts against Argentina, Konate will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping Lionel Messi, who is looking to win his first World Cup in what could be his final opportunity to do so.
Messi is also in the running for the Golden Boot and is tied for the lead in tournament scoring with Kylian Mbappe, who is playing for France. Both players have scored five goals so far.
It is unlikely that Konate would be intimidated by the facт that he will be competing against the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, particularly in light of the comments that Konate has made in the past regarding Messi’s greatest rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Konate was asked about his experience playing against Ronaldo after Liverpool’s 5-0 victory against Manchester United in 2021. He said candidly, “I was startled because he’s one of the finest players in the world, but he’s only human like me.”
“He possesses two arms in addition to his two legs. I had to keep my attention on the game I was playing with the team, and it went well overall.
These words give the impression that Konate is not fazed by the prospecт of competing against players widely considered as the best of their age.

In addition, the Liverpool defense will be eager to demonstrate on Sunday that Messi is, in facт, “just human.”
Mbappe criticized for being far behind Messi’s ratings in the match against Morocoo
Shoe prints may be seen on France’s second goal scored against Morocco. Mbappe was the player who scored the goal. His performance in the semi-final, on the other hand, was not nearly as well received as Messi’s and garnered a grade of 2/10 from the analysts.
Mbappe’s bid to make it six goals in a row for France’s national team against Morocco ended in failure. In spite of this, he was able to leave an indelible mark on the game with a solo run that defined the figure amid Morocco’s defenders. Mbappe’s attempt that was deflected resulted in Muani getting an assist, which contributed to the defending champions’ 2-0 victory over the “Lions of Atlas.”
According to these experts, Messi’s performance in the semifinals was more spectacular than Mbappe’s.
The majority of supporters agree that Mbappe’s overall performance was satisfacтory.
However, Stuart Pearce, a former player for the United Kingdom, is not pleased with what Mbappe has shown so far.
Stuart Pearce gave the following response when he was questioned about his thoughts on talkSPORT:
Messi and Mbappe have been the two players who have stood out the most in each of the two semi-final matches. Messi has shown his bravery, talent, and substantial effect in helping Argentina reach the final, whereas Mbappe has not. Mbappe has not contributed to Argentina’s advancement to the final. My expectations for Mbappe’s performance were not even remotely met, and his play was glaringly subpar in comparison to Messi’s.

“I’m not sure if Mbappe’s injury or his lack of excitement during the game against Morocco are to blame. Mbappe only earns 2 out of 10 points in this game, in my perspective. when the
group requires him Mbappe should have dropped back a little bit to help defend, especially on the left wing when Morocco was putting a lot of pressure on, but he didn’t do it. The explanation is given by Stuart Pearce.
In this final match, Messi will have the opportunity to become the first player to win the World Cup, while Mbappe, who is still so young (he’s just 23), is currently in the lead to win the prestigious Gold Cup for the second time.