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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Andros Townsend

Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe World Cup final has fantastic potential but obvious risk

I'll be honest, I’d love to see Messi against Mbappe in an A-list Final on Sunday.

The fight for the World Cup only comes around every four years and when it does you want to see the biggest players justifying the hype.

Mbappe has scored five times to get France to these semi-finals and Messi has scored four times in five games.

I think both will make it through to a final that would have fantastic sub-plots on either side. France would be looking to become only the third team to successfully defend the world title - and the first since Brazil in 1962.

Messi would be looking to land the only trophy that he has never won. The trophy to sum up his genius that he deserves after doing it on a consistent basis for nearly 20 years.

Both of them need to get past tough teams in their semi-final.

Morocco will defend against France as if their lives depend on it. Their record to get to this stage is exceptional. Four clean sheets in five matches.

At this level that's magnificent. Especially with the pressure on them as the first African country, the first Arab nation and the first Muslim nation to get this far.

Will we get an Argentina vs France final? Have your say in the comments section

Morocco's defenders frustrated Portugal in Doha (Alessandra Tarantino/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

I’ve played in a low block and it is emotionally and physically draining. It can shatter you if you do well for 90 minutes and the opposition grab one in injury time.

But if you can finish the job the momentum you build up putting your body on the line - and these guys love defending - rolls over into your next game and you feel invincible.

I do think, though, France will look to switch the play from side to side. Tire them out, get it wide and get crosses into the box.

Didier Deschamps doesn’t just rely on Kylian Mbappe. He has the aerial power of Olivier Giroud. Antoine Griezmann plays pretty much as a midfielder but knows where the goal is too.

If France are fortunate and score from a set piece or capitalise on a mistake early on. It's going to be a tough old night for the Moroccans.

Morocco have more than just Kylian Mbappe to worry about (PA)

I obviously have to caveat that with the fact that there have been some incredible upsets already.

So yes, there could be a shock here. Especially if they frustrate France and get a goal on the counter-attack.

Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui has had some stick from the media in his country for saying they could win it but they will one million percent believe they can now that they’ve come this far. Why wouldn’t you?

I remember my Everton team playing Boreham Wood in the FA Cup quarter-final last season and we believed we would have too much for them. But they were so confident because they’d got that far that they were superbly drilled. We couldn’t break them down. It wasn’t until the second half that we managed it.

There’s a lot to be said for getting within touching distance of a trophy nobody believes you can win. I take France to just edge it and make Sunday’s Final. But the defending champions cannot allow themselves to become the latest side to underestimate the Moroccans - or they’ll come unstuck.

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