For Lionel Messi, France is perfect challenge as he chases immortality - FOX Sports

AL KHOR, Qatar — This is however it had to be. For Lionel Messi to person it each — the win, the story, the fairytale, the eventual stamp of immortality — this is the one.

This is the game, the World Cup last (Sunday, 10 a.m. ET connected FOX and the FOX Sports app). And this is the close opponent, reigning champion France, and there's nary valid statement to beryllium made otherwise.

There could person been spicier and much tribal finals, similar if the gully and the bracket had lined up to pit Messi and his colleagues against neighborly rival Brazil.

There could person been a much historically edged showdown for the trophy, similar if Argentina had travel up against a erstwhile governmental foe successful England.

And determination mightiness person been a decider that offered, successful astir minds, a higher probability of triumph, had Morocco continued its imagination tally to marque it each the mode to the final.

But this is the astir fitting conflict for the rubric and the close mode for it to play out. Messi, 1 of the astir bonzer idiosyncratic shot talents the satellite volition ever know, volition question his destiny against the imposing battalion of a near-perfect team.

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France, nether manager Didier Deschamps, has cracked the codification connected this mystifying puzzle of however to get players who walk virtually each their clip playing for antithetic clubs to travel unneurotic arsenic a cohesive portion that works with a singular mind.

They did it 4 years agone successful Russia, and they're aft it again, and they're possibly the lone shot lovers connected the satellite with zero involvement successful the sentimentality surrounding Messi's strive for the 1 worthwhile shot accomplishment to person eluded his clutch.

In ending the delightful tally of Morocco astatine the semifinal stage successful Al Bayt Stadium connected Wednesday, they chopped abbreviated this World Cup's astir enjoyable underdog story. 

Messi's march toward adjacent deeper posterity is simply a antithetic benignant of tale, 1 centered astir superstar-level excellence alternatively than against-the-odds pluck.

Kylian Mbappé and France rotation to final

Or is it? For the bookies volition favour France this weekend, specified is Les Blues' level of domination and the mode it seems capable to grip immoderate benignant of obstacle.

Truth beryllium told, if Deschamps is capable to ideate a Messi-stifling crippled program and if his players tin execute it — similar Germany did successful the 2014 showpiece — the European broadside volition merit to clasp its cloak of invincibility, and that chunk of sculpted golden they each play for.

Eight years ago, Messi endured 1 of the astir frustrating nights of his career. He didn't play poorly successful the biggest crippled of all, but the Germans had an reply for everything helium did.

Sometimes it was Philip Lahm crossing his way and slowing his stride. Or Mats Hummels refusing him abstraction to turn, oregon Bastian Schweinsteiger tracking backward to restrict and harry him. When, astatine the extremity of that crippled successful Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium, a Mario Goetze extremity was the lone quality and Messi received the Golden Ball awarded to the champion subordinate of the tournament, it astir felt similar an insult.

France volition anticipation for a akin outcome.

"Messi has been successful scintillating signifier since the opening of the tournament," Deschamps said. "He is picking up the shot a batch and moving with it and is successful large form. Of course, helium is 1 of the champion successful the satellite and has shown that. We are going to effort to antagonistic Messi's menace and halt him influencing the game."

Did Lionel Messi beryllium he's the GOAT?

They volition bash truthful with trade and complexity. Messi, due to the fact that this is astatine the basal of everything helium does, volition look for the same. He knows Deschamps' caput is whirring with ways to halt him, adjacent successful the contiguous hours pursuing France's semifinal victory.

And Messi's encephalon is ticking over, too, imagining, predicting, analyzing with precision truthful that helium tin play escaped and prepared, with the earthy joyousness that makes his crippled truthful globally loved.

Lionel Messi carries Argentina

There volition beryllium speech of different duels wrong the last and, yes, they are a portion of it. But France's maestro program for Messi and whether the small maestro has 1 past World Cup hurrah large capable to conquer it?

Well, determination lies the contest. And the destiny of the World Cup. And whether Messi's vocation résumé volition everlastingly person soccer's biggest prize listed connected it.

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Martin Rogers is simply a columnist for FOX Sports and the writer of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him connected Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the regular newsletter.