Former Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has said it is absurd to debate Lionel Messi's defensive work as the Argentina captain gets ready to lead his side into the World Cup final against France on Sunday.

The Qatar World Cup has delivered a rich feast of soccer for the past month, with shocks, great goals, incredible celebrations and record-breaking feats served up by the assembled cast.

Szymon Marciniak will be the first referee from Poland to officiate a World Cup final when France take on Argentina on Sunday, a dream come true for the Pole who was forced to step away from his duties a year ago due to a heart illness.

At a soccer academy near Rabat, 100 young Moroccans hope to emulate the success of alumni who took the national team to a World Cup semi-final and will play in a third-place game on Saturday.

In Rosario, the Argentine city where Lionel Messi grew up, hope and excitement are rising that their hometown star can guide the country to a first soccer World Cup since 1986, repeating a trick by one Diego Maradona 36 years ago.

Reports in Spain suggest that France striker Karim Benzema could be in line for a shock return to Qatar to play in the World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday night.

Several France players have caught colds, the French Football Federation said, as they prepare for the World Cup final against Argentina, with Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate the latest to fall ill on Friday.

FIFA looks set to revise plans to introduce three-team groups for the 2026 World Cup, world football chief Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

Argentina fans staged a second day of demonstrations Friday outside a Doha hotel demanding that their country’s national federation help them to get tickets for the World Cup final.

As if he had not made enough fairy-tales, Argentina’s little genius Lionel Messi has saved the potentially most magical script for his last World Cup - with one line left to write.

Following morale-shattering defeats in their semifinals of the World Cup, Croatia and Morocco have the unenviable job of picking themselves up and getting prepared for the third-place decider on Saturday.

As Lionel Messi dreams of getting his hands on a maiden World Cup trophy in Qatar, his fans struggle to get theirs on jerseys of the Argentina team as sportswear giant Adidas grapples with a global shortage of stock due to the extraordinary demand.

In Rosario, the Argentine city where Lionel Messi grew up, hope and excitement are rising that their hometown star can guide the country to a first soccer World Cup since 1986, repeating a trick by one Diego Maradona 36 years ago.

Former Argentina international Gabriel Batistuta said he was happy to see Lionel Messi overtake him as the country's top scorer at the World Cup in Qatar, where the South Americans are preparing to fight for the title against France on Sunday.

I must say that I did never much hold to the World Cup’s third-place decider.

Lionel Messi's former club-mate Ousmane Dembele has warned that there would be no emotional mercy shown to the Argentina legend when Les Bleus take on Albiceleste in the World Cup final on Sunday.

No coach has ever won the World Cup twice in the post-World War II era and France’s Didier Deschamps is one victory away from entering the record books when they take on Argentina in the final on Sunday in Qatar.

The following is a look at Argentina captain Lionel Messi's career by the numbers:

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, on Friday, hailed the Qatar World Cup as the best one ever.

The stage is set. The greatest show on earth is nearing its end and the protagonists are all but ready for the climax as Lionel Messi prepares for his last chance at footballing immortality with Argentina against a formidable France,