France prepared to rip up the script and spoil Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream
The IndependentSign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Luka Modric reacted to Croatia’s defeat in the semi-final by saying he hoped Messi would emerge triumphant, a Real Madrid great getting behind Barcelona’s greatest player. The original and World Cup-winning Ronaldo said he could never support Argentina, but wanted Messi to win. It is good to have an atmosphere like that in a World Cup final but our opponents aren’t in the crowd: they are a team we face on the pitch and they are a good enough team to be worried about them.” It was a matter-of-fact answer that was underpinned by logic: France’s fate could rest on whether they stop Messi, not his fan club. For Argentina, a cause can be wrapped up in a person; for France, despite Mbappe’s prominence, it would represent another achievement in the Deschamps era, rather than the culmination of Messi’s career.