Chris Sutton names three key battles that will decide France vs Argentina FIFA World Cup final  

Chris Sutton has named three key battles that will decide the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday (18 December). France and Argentina, who have each won the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, will lock horns in the final.

The battle between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi is making the headlines as expected. However, Chris Sutton has insisted that three player battles will be key in deciding the outcome of the much-anticipated encounter.

According to Sutton, the first key battle will be between the rejuvenated Antonie Griezmann and wonderkid Enzo Fernandez. He wrote in his column for The Daily Mail:

"Watching Antoine Griezmann against Morocco, if you didn’t know he was one of football’s best forwards of the last decade, you would have thought he was one of the best midfielders. His defensive work was seriously impressive in that semi-final win."

"But Griezmann is lethal with the ball, too, and this will be the ultimate test of the defensive instincts of Argentina’s young breakout star Enzo Fernandez. It’s a midfield battle I can’t wait to watch unfold."

Another player battle that could decide the game according to Sutton is Kylian Mbappe vs Nahuel Molina. He wrote:

"There was so much talk of Kylian Mbappe versus Kyle Walker and England’s right back handled him well in the one-v-ones. Now, it’s the turn of Argentina’s right back, Nahuel Molina."

"Molina will want to tie down French roadrunner Mbappe but he also likes to fly forward himself to add to Argentina’s attacks. Morocco posed France problems down this wing using Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech. Mbappe wasn’t tracking back because, well, he’s Mbappe. But that makes this match-up with Molina so intriguing."

As per Sutton, the final key battle will be between Lionel Messi and Aurelien Tchouameni. He continued:

"Aurelien Tchouameni will be operating in the deep-lying midfield role for France, most likely alongside Adrien Rabiot. That is going to be a key area of this World Cup final when Lionel Messi drifts into that space, as he has been doing at this tournament to excellent effect."

"Messi can be quiet at the start of fixtures when it’s ferocious. But once the game settles down, and small gaps start to appear, that’s when you see him pop up in them and cause carnage. Tchouameni and Co have a big job to do."

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Lionel Messi misses Argentina training session ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France

Messi was absent from Argentina's training session ahead of their 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France at the Lusail Stadium.

Both Argentina and France will be looking to clinch their third FIFA World Cup trophy on Sunday, but Messi's absence will be a major cause for concern for La Albiceleste.

During the semi-final against Croatia, Messi was seen clutching his hamstring, sparking fears of a possible injury.

Argentine media outlet Ole reported that the media were allowed inside the training ground for 15 minutes to observe the training session but Messi was nowhere to be seen.