Argentine differential factor that has earned a place in the firmament of the most popular sport in the universe. A Rosario flea that is the scourge of his rivals, with that step forward of leadership and dedication that we were all waiting for.

Beyond sympathies or passions of various kinds, he is 35 years old and probably this Sunday will say goodbye to the soccer world cups, in a big way, because no one who loves this sport will be able to skip the brilliant career of, as Argentine narrators repeat, Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.

However, as fair as the title seems to be for this genius of the ball, there is another character who claims to also enter history in the style of Pelé, a boy of almost 24 years born in Paris.

Messi’s teammate, at Paris Saint Germain, Kylian Mbappé already has one of the two stars of France as world champion in Russia 2018. And he does not intend to stay out of another gala party that will turn the glamorous Champs Elysée upside down .

Of course, one of the two will have to give the coup of authority and since there are no ex aequo titles as is usually the case in the cultural field, nor two FIFA Cups, the scepter will remain in the hands of one of both sides.

The Spanish Roberto Martínez, former coach of Belgium, launched into the arena of predictions with an open ending. Draw in regulation time and extended, and decision in the penalty shootout. The winner? I dare not say it, he confessed.

There were many finals with very close slates and some tense matches, others boring. Twice victories for Germany over Argentina 1-0, in Italy 1990 and in Brazil 2014 (in extra time), and the memorable one for Spain against the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time with the famous goal by Andrés Iniesta. Also, two definitions in the penalty lottery, Brazil against Italy 0-0 (3-2) in the United States 1994, and Italy against France 1-1 (5-3) in Germany 2006.

On Sunday in Lusail, a new story will be written.

ef/ro/ft