France legend Patrice Evra is ‘worried’ ahead of his nation’s World Cup final showdown against Lionel Messi and Argentina. The might also be shared by the France players, since they are up against a Messi who has been in the form of his life for Argentina. The 35-year-old has never been so fierce for the La Albiceleste, and has only one thing on his mind right now; the World Cup trophy.
Evra himself has come up against Lionel Messi a number of times during his club football career. Be it with Manchester United in a Champions League final or Juventus, Evra has been on the suffering end almost everytime against the talismanic attacker. However, the former left-back feels this version of Messi is still different than it has been all the years, and that he is worried ahead of the final for his homeland.
Evra heaps praise on Lionel Messi ahead of final against France
Lionel Messi has so far racked by a staggering 5 goals and 3 assists for Argentina at the World Cup. That has him currently tied with France forward and PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot. But that could be settled on Sunday, if either of them lead their nation to glory by scoring a goal or more. Moreover, the two are also the frontrunners for the Best Player award which could be also find a winner after the final.
However, Evra as much as he is confident of France winning it back-to-back and become only the third nation after Italy and Brazil to do so, he is still concerned by Messi’s roaring form. At 35, this is still an angry Lionel Messi who had a feud with the Netherlands players as well as their manager Louis van Gaal, and is ready to cross the line for his nation’s triumph in his last ever World Cup game. Speaking to Football Daily, Evra opined on the same:
“I am worried because Messi it’s his last game, and he would like to show to the world, Mbappe, etc, ‘I am the greatest, hold on kids, I didn’t retire yet. So I will show you my team will win, and I will make the difference.
“We going to have a bad boy Messi, and this is a dangerous Messi; some people talk about him walking, not running enough but actually, he’s still in the game; he’s reading the game, and my worry for this final is the anger that Argentina players have.
“They [Messi’s Argentina teammates] want to die for Messi. They’re ready to eat the dirt for Messi, and that can be the difference because France just want to win it back-to-back, and that is their only motivation; it’s a massive motivation, but I feel the Argentina players, they want to do that for only one person, and that is Messi, and Messi wants to show that he’s the greatest in the world.”
Messi has already announced that this will be his last ever World Cup finals with Argentina and the game against France will be the last time he sets out of the tunnel leading his nation as football’s biggest stage. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would certainly want to bow out with the trophy in his bag to cap-off an illustrious career he has had.