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France defender Theo Hernandez claims his side are ‘not scared’ of Argentina star Lionel Messi.
His comments come ahead of the 2022 World Cup final on Sunday, which sees France and Argentina go head-to-head for the prestigious trophy.
Defending champions France have won the competition on two occasions; in 2018 and 1998. Didier Deschamps’ men defeated the Argentines on their way to the former success, winning 4-3 in a thrilling round of 16 encounter.
The South Americans also have two titles, lifting the trophy in 1978 and 1986. Both nations won their first World Cup on home soil.
France ‘not scared of Messi’
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Argentina icon Messi is seeking his first-ever World Cup trophy in Qatar, in what would be a fitting tribute to the legendary forward, who at 35 has confirmed this will be his last appearance on the big stage.
He is enjoying a phenomenal tournament, driving his nation to the final with five goals. That puts him joint-top of the scoring charts, level with France’s Kylian Mbappe.
Despite the stunning form Messi finds himself in, Les Bleus full-back Hernandez insists France are not scared of the forward, as reported by LiveScore.
“Now we must think about the final, I am tired but it’s so good to win a World Cup semi-final,” said Hernandez. “Now we must recover for Sunday, we are not scared of Messi, but Argentina are an incredible team and we have a few days to work.”
Messi ‘an incredible player’
Fellow France star Olivier Giroud has also had his say on the Argentine icon, opting for more positive words for Messi ahead of the game.
The French striker has hailed the PSG man as an ‘incredible player,’ but asserted that Deschamps’ outfit will do their utmost to ensure there is no magical send-off on Sunday.
Giroud played the entire 90 minutes in the aforementioned 2018 World Cup meeting between the two sides, while in the current tournament he has been a regular for his nation, becoming France’s all-time top scorer in the process.
“Messi is an incredible player, but we are not going to let him enjoy the best night he can have,” said Giroud. “We want to win this game. We want to win another World Cup – and we will try everything to stop him.”
France striker aware of Argentina talent
Giroud was, however, careful not to isolate Messi, noting that Argentina’s squad is filled with talented players.
Striker Julian Alvarez, who plays his club football for Manchester City, has four goals to his name in Qatar. Fellow Premier League man Alexis Mac Allister has also been shining in midfield.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea man Giroud also touched on that victory back in 2018, noting that N’Golo Kante was the player tasked with man-marking Messi that day.
The midfielder is missing this time around through injury, but France have been relying on the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot in Qatar, with both players performing admirably.
Talking ahead of Sunday’s final, Giroud said: “But there is not only Messi in that team. They have got great players who work for the team also. I think that is why they are so strong.
“I don’t know if we need a special plan. I remember back in the days of 2018, N’Golo was all the game on his back, behind him. But this time I don’t know what will be the plan. We will see with the manager.”
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