Argentina vs France updates, kick-off times, highlights; Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi vie for the crown

We’re just a couple of hours away from the World Cup final – and regardless of what happens, the storylines are tantalising.

For France, it’s the opportunity to become the first team to win back-to-back tournaments since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. For Argentina? The chance for Lionel Messi to ascend, finally, to a similar level of deity in the eyes of his countrymen as Diego Maradona.

“Either Lionel will ascend to heaven to stand next to Diego, or Kylian will start that journey to creating history of his own,” former Socceroos captain Craig Foster said.

For Kylian Mbappe to win a second World Cup at just 23 years of age would indeed be extremely impressive.

But who will win? Foster said you can’t predict it. 

“The margins are too small, there’s too many great players on the field,” he said 

“France are too experienced, Argentina have lost once in 42 games – it’s impossible to predict. This is really about either the crowning glory of one of the great sporting talents in human history in Lionel Messi, or the passing of the crown to Messi’s heir apparent, and the next dominant figure of the next eight to 10 years, Kylian Mbappe.”