Mbappe sends Messi home, Di Maria and Pavard screamers, Aguero heads home final tournament goal – Argentina and France meet again in Qatar after seven-goal thriller in 2018

Argentina and France will go head-to-head in the 2022 World Cup final and it looks set to be a thrilling affair if their last meeting is anything to go by.

Les Bleus beat Morocco in their semi-final after Lionel Messi and co breezed past Croatia to set up a huge clash at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

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This will be the second tournament in a row that the countries have met and with the stakes much higher this weekend than in their previous tie, we could be in for a real treat yet again. 

Mbappe’s lightning speed

Four years ago in Russia, France and Argentina faced each other in the last 16 after progressing through their groups. 

Didier Deschamps’ side headed into the game following a somewhat underwhelming group stage but this was where their tournament burst into life. 

A line-up including rising star Kylian Mbappe took on an Albiceleste team spear-headed by Messi and Angel Di Maria. 

After only 11 minutes, 19-year-old Mbappe made a sublime run from the halfway line, leaving the Argentine midfield in the dust before being brought down by Marcos Rojo in the box. 

Antoine Griezmann stepped up to score the opener from the penalty spot to give Les Bleus an early lead. 

Di Maria and Pavard score screamers

Argentina would equalise a few minutes before half time thanks to a superb long-range strike from Angel Di Maria. 

The winger picked the ball up around 30 yards out and fired a left-footed rocket past Hugo Lloris and into the top corner.

Albiceleste turned the game on its head after the break, as Messi’s shot was deflected into the net by defender Gabriel Mercado. 

France right-back Benjamin Pavard then took matters into his own hands to score one of the greatest goals seen at a World Cup. 

He caught the ball perfectly as it fell to him on the edge of the box, slicing across it and sending it floating past Franco Armani. 

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Mbappe sends Messi home and joins Pele

France then ran away with the game thanks to new star Mbappe who announced himself on football’s biggest stage. 

The teenager scored a rapid brace to send Messi home from a World Cup empty-handed yet again. 

He fired the first in with his left foot before latching onto Olivier Giroud’s pass to finish first-time as he added his second. 

The goals meant that he became the first teenager to score two in a World Cup match since Pele netted twice for Brazil against Sweden in the 1958 final.

After the game, he said: “It’s flattering to be the second teenager to score twice in a World Cup match after Pele but let’s put things in context. Pele is another category, but it’s good to be among these people.

“As I’ve already and always said, at a World Cup you have all the top-level players, so it’s an opportunity to show what you can do and what your abilities are. There’s no better place than a World Cup.”

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Aguero’s last dance 

Sergio Aguero scored a 93rd-minute consolation for Argentina as he headed in Messi’s cross to cut the deficit to one. 

He didn’t know it at the time but that would end up being his last World Cup goal. 

The striker unfortunately was forced to retire last year after it was revealed that he has a heart problem. 

Aguero missed this World Cup but has been in Qatar to support the Argentina squad on their journey so far.

He will be hoping that Albiceleste will come out on the other side of the result this time around.