International Football
Key match-ups in World Cup final between Argentina and France
Argentina and France meet in Sunday’s World Cup final at Lusail Stadium. Both countries are bidding for their third title with the French having the chance to become the first back-to-back champions since Brazil in 1962.
Here are three of the key match-ups that are likely to have a strong bearing on the result:
- Kylian Mbappe v Nahuel Molina
Mbappe 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.
Mbappe’s explosive pace and technique were a nightmare for Morocco’s defenders Achraf Dari and Achraf Hakimi, who tried in vain to stop him getting down France’s left channel in their semi-final.
Now Argentina right back Molina will be tasked with marking Mbappe.
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.
The potential match-up could lead coach Lionel Scaloni to deploy a three-man defence like he did in their quarter-final against the Netherlands, to provide Molina with support.
That would likely pit Tottenham Hotspur centre back Cristian Romero against Mbappe
- Lionel Messi v Aurelien Tchouameni
One of the most anticipated match-ups will be Argentina great Messi against France’s rising star holding-midfielder Tchouameni.
They have faced each other once before, as Paris St Germain and Monaco played in the French league in the 2021-22 season.
Messi got the better of Tchouameni in that encounter, with PSG winning 2-0 and the Argentinian delivering an assist for one of the two goals Mbappe scored.
However, the 22-year-old Tchouameni has been brilliant since joining Real Madrid in August, where he immediately replaced the long-serving Casemiro and is regarded as one of the most talented box-to-box midfielders.
His task in slowing down Messi on Sunday should be crucial for France’s success.
- Enzo Fernandez v Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann’s combination of hard graft and guile at both ends of the pitch have caught the eye and made his role as a floating midfielder one of the most-fascinating stories of the World Cup so far.
While Kylian Mbappe could win the tournament’s Golden Boot, Griezmann has been the cornerstone of France’s success in the tournament, creating several chances while also dropping deep and breaking up play.
Playing a similar role for Argentina is rising star Enzo Fernandez, who had not even made his debut six months ago but has become an intrinsic part of Scaloni’s system as a box-to-box midfielder.
With both being the heart and soul of their teams’ midfield, the one who manages to gain control could be responsible for dictating the pace of what should be a balanced clash on Sunday.
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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