Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have arguably been the two best players at Qatar 2022 and the two will come head-to-head in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Millions are expected to watch the clash behind television screens around the world, most desperate for the opportunity to one day see the two superstars in the flesh.
CNN watched both forwards play live at different points of this year’s World Cup and such a privilege helps you understand just what makes these two men so special.
Lionel Messi
Attending a World Cup in which Lionel Messi is playing makes you appreciate just how big a superstar he is.
Walk around the streets of Doha and you’ll see his name everywhere; from billboards to the back of people’s shirts.
Market stalls sell his jersey, with fans from around the world coming to catch a glimpse of the Argentine magician playing in his last World Cup.
The atmosphere steps up to another level on an Argentina game day.
His name is sung by his adoring fans, reaching deafening levels when he leads his team out for the warmup.
Despite being a quieter personality than some superstars of the game, the 35-year-old knows his role and plays it perfectly.
Waving to the crowd he shows his appreciation for their support before switching his attention to the task in hand.
Even as he enters the twilight of his career, Messi still controls games and doesn’t even need to be on the ball to do so.
Every time an Argentine player is in possession, their task seems simple and well-drilled; find Messi.
Even if the diminutive forward doesn’t receive the pass himself, he’s pointing to where he wants the ball played, like a conductor leading his orchestra – something you don’t always see on the television screen.
Much has been made of his tendency to walk around the pitch during games and, although true, it’s important to note that his mind is always working.
While his body language may appear uninterested at times, he’s a coiled spring, waiting for that pocket of space to appear so he can work his magic.
“The difficult thing about him is when we are attacking, he is chilling somewhere in a corner or something,” said Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk ahead of his quarterfinal with Argentina. “You have to be so very sharp in terms of defensive organization.”
High praise indeed from arguably the best defender on the planet.
When on the ball, Messi’s first touch is almost always perfect and the crowd sit a little closer to the edge of their seats.
In truth, he doesn’t have the lightning speed he once had but his mind is still as electrifying and the quality of what he does, if anything, has only improved.
Things he does may appear simple to some watching on the screen, but watch him live and you see that everything is done with such elite pace and precision.
His weight of pass dictates what his teammates do next and the areas he puts the ball cause nightmares for opposition defenses.
Even after the match, it’s still all about Messi.
Journalists gather in the mixed zone, waiting to speak to players as they leave the locker rooms and make their way to the team bus.
Even the most experienced, hard-nosed reporters wait a little longer to see Messi up close, desperate to get even a sentence from the seven-time Balon d’Or winner.
So used is he to his superstar role, Messi stops to talk – even after his side’s humiliating 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening World Cup match – and poses for photos from journalists across the world.
It’s one brief moment in time for Messi, but those moments last a lifetime for the people around him.
