The day of destiny is upon us. The day when we finally find out if one of the greatest players to ever walk on grass can add the one piece of gold to his impressive trophy collection that has been missing for so long.
At the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar, Lionel Messi’s Argentina will face the defending champions, France, in the final FIFA World Cup 2022 matchup for a chance to win the world championship.
When Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, won the right to host the event that is watched by most people in the world, he had no idea that he would have to write a finale with the present and future of the sport as the main characters.
However, the Qatari ruling class has benefited even more from the events that have taken place since FIFA’s decision to grant the Middle Eastern nation the privilege of overseeing the world’s largest sporting event.
The news that Lionel Messi had signed with Paris Saint Germain, a European team owned by Qatar, shocked the world and broke the hearts of Barcelona fans who had no idea their beloved son would leave the Blaugrana.
However, such is life, right?
The circumstance that occurred for the incredible Barcelona Football Club constrained Messi to see as another home and Qatar-supported PSG replied.
PSG had managed to create a frightening forward lineup that included homeboy star kid Kylian Mbappe, Brazilian dazzler Neymar, and the iconic Messi himself after successfully pricing away Barcelona’s favorite son from Spain.
UEFA Champions League
Their immediate objective was to bring the prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy to Parc Des Princes, which is still free of the Parisian club’s grasp.
However, despite the club’s abundance of attacking talent, ego, groupism, and some unspoken infighting proved to be their downfall.
Following their exit from the UCL, the ultras at the club booed Messi and Neymar, but Mbappe’s outstanding performances won over the fans. Messi’s move to the French capital was more challenging than he had anticipated, and his first year there was uneventful except for their league title, which honestly wasn’t much of a hassle.
Then came the exchange window that Real Madrid fans would need to neglect. Before making a U-turn to sign a contract that would keep the Champions League winner at his current club for a few more years, Mbappe had been dragging him along for the entire window.
PSG went to great lengths to keep their star player, offering her what appeared to be a bumper contract that was notable not only for the jaw-dropping sums of money promised but also for the autonomy and internal powers the 23-year-old would acquire.
However, by the time the following season arrived, Messi had established himself in France and was collaborating particularly well with Neymar, who was playing with renewed enthusiasm as the World Cup approached. And once more, the Argentine was getting more support in the polls because Messi got all the attention because he let his performances speak for themselves.
Mbappe allegedly had the “Argentine contingent” shipped out of Paris due to growing dissatisfaction with the spotlight shifting away from him and the team’s apparent prevalence of groups.
Ander Herrera and Keylor Navas, who were quite close with the seven-time Balon D’Or winner, were also shown the exit door. Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes were sent packing.
Worst of all, Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino was also leaving the team.
The time when Mbappe allegedly threw a shoulder at Messi during a Ligue 1 game and the football community chastised him for disrespecting one of the greatest players of all time exemplifies the relationship between Mbappe and Messi as having been strained at best and pretty icy at worst.
There was a sense of unease among the two main stars as the Parisian team left for international duty that was seemingly unaffected by money or domestic success.
After PSG’s most recent exit from the UCL, Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was seen as furious because yet another year had passed without them winning the continental championship.
However, before the end of the very same calendar year, the nation would have the opportunity to boast about the presence of the two biggest players on the planet right now on the most significant occasion, but this time, on opposite ends of the field.
There is certain to be some animosity from the fervent French supporters, most notably from the boy from the Parisian suburbs who is representing them on the international stage, Mbappe, as the entire world rallies behind the likes of Messi and his beloved Albiceleste for one final hurray in national colors, wishing the 35-year-old on to footballing immortality with a World Cup title.