World Cup 2022 final: For Lionel Messi, it all comes down to this

Sign 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. Read our privacy policy In the Argentina camp, there’s an encouraging line they’ve now heard from Lionel Messi a lot through this World Cup, but that has some lament to it. He is now one of a distinguished group of players to get a second chance at a World Cup final after losing a first, although “chance” is perhaps the wrong description given that the Argentina captain has done more than anyone on this list – and more than almost anyone in history – to deliver his team to this greatest of stages. Luis Monti, Argentina/Italy, 1930 1934: Yes Horst-Dieter Hottges, West Germany, 1966 1974 : Yes Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany, 1966 1974: Yes Wolfgang Overath, West Germany, 1966 1974: Yes Jan Jongbloed, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Ruud Krol, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Wim Jansen, Netherlands, 1947 1978: No Wim Suurbier, Netherlands, 1974 1978 : No Wim Rijsbergen, Netherlands, 1974 1978 : No Arie Haan, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Johan Neeskens, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Johnny Rep, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Rob Rensenbrink, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Rene van de Kerkhof, Netherlands, 1974 1978: No Harald Schumacher, West Germany, 1982 1986: No Karlheinz Forster, West Germany, 1982 1986: No Hans-Peter Briegel, West Germany, 1982 1986: No Karl Heinz Rummenigge, West Germany, 1982 1986: No Felix Magath, West Germany, 1982 1986: No Pierre Littbarski, West Germany, 1982 1986 1990: Yes Thomas Berthold, West Germany, 1986 1990: Yes Andreas Brehme, West Germany, 1986 1990: Yes Lothar Matthaus, West Germany, 1986 1990: Yes Rudi Voller, West Germany, 1986 1990: Yes Roberto Carlos, Brazil, 1998 2002: Yes Rivaldo, Brazil, 1998 2002: Yes Ronaldo, Brazil, 1998 2002: Yes Denilson, Brazil, 1998 2002 : Yes Miroslav Klose, Germany, 2002 2014: Yes As respected as all of these names should be, none faced a final that was so much about them, not even Ronaldo. open image in gallery Lionel Messi has one final chance to win the World Cup “Like few others on Earth, he has a gravity,” says Paddy Steinfort, performance director for Football Australia.