KEY POINTS

  • France and Argentina will play the final on Sunday
  • Both Messi and Mbappe are tied on five goals
  • The PSG stars have never won the Golden Boot

Argentina and France have qualified for the World Cup final in Qatar. When the two sides take the center stage Sunday, all eyes will be on Argentina skipper Lionel Messi and France's young forward Kylian Mbappe, who are teammates at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

France defeated Argentina 4-3 in their Round of 16 meeting in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

While the upcoming match in Lusail will be Mbappe's second consecutive World Cup final, it is Messi's final attempt at the prestigious trophy, which is the only missing silverware in his trophy cabinet.

Both France and Argentina did not concede any goal as they bagged 2-0 and 3-0 victories in their respective semi-finals. While Argentina edged past Croatia, last time's runners-up, France defeated Morocco, who were the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.

By scoring against Croatia, Messi took his goals tally in the 2022 World Cup to five. With Mbappe not scoring against Morocco, he is currently on level with his PSG teammate ahead of the big finale.

Kylian Mbappe with Lionel Messi, who had a second-half penalty saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
AFP / FRANCK FIFE

Now comes the big question: What happens if the World Cup's top scorers are tied on goals?

Both Messi and Mbappe have never won the Golden Boot, one of the most iconic awards in professional soccer.

While Messi and Mbappe have joint-most goals (5), France's Olivier Giroud and Argentina's Julian Alvarez are joint-second with three goals each.

If the players are tied at the same number of goals, the one with the least number of penalties will be awarded the Golden Boot, as per FIFA's rules.

At the moment, Messi has scored three out of his five goals from the spot, one each against Netherlands, Croatia and Saudi Arabia, while all of Mbappe's goals are from the outfield.

In case Messi scores in the final on Sunday and Mbappe does not, the Argentinian captain will end his World Cup journey with the Golden Boot.

If the players are tied in the number of penalties and outfield goals, the award would go to the player with the most assists.

Lionel Messi Soccer