Adding to the intrigue of the succession battle to the title of world's greatest player is that Messi and Mbappé go into the final level as top scorers with five goals apiece.
It is not guaranteed that one of the two star attackers or their teams will take the Golden Boot prize.
Messi and Mbappé's highly able tournament attacking foils — France's Olivier Giroud and Argentina's Julián Álvarez — are breathing down the front-runner's necks in second place on four goals each.
What does seem certain is that either Mbappé or Messi will win the Golden Ball award for player of the tournament. That prize is almost certain to be decided by which team wins on Sunday.
World Cup top scorers
1st Kylian Mbappé (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina) 5 goals
2nd J. Álvarez (Argentina), O. Giroud (France) 4 goals
3rd Richarlison (Brazil), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal), Álvaro Morata (Spain), Marcus Rashford (England), Bukayo Saka (England), Enner Valencia (Ecuador) 3 goals
* All the World Cup groups, fixtures and results here
* All the World Cup news here
* All the World Cup squads here
Messi and Mbappé's battle for Golden Boot and Ball epic subplot to final
Image: French Football Federation/Twitter
As if the battle of giants Argentina and France, who have progressed through epic contests to reach the final in one of the most competitive World Cups in memory, were not enough, the personal battle between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé provides an excellent subplot.
Argentina and France clash in Sunday's final at Doha's Lusail Stadium (5pm SA time) to bring to an end a World Cup that has been engrossing for its super-competitiveness and astronomical intensity on the field.
The final will be the last World Cup game for arguably the world's best player — only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo rivalled him — of the last decade, the 35-year-old Paris St-Germain and former Barcelona star Messi.
The pretender to the crown, Messi's PSG teammate Mbappé, can become a double World Cup winner at 24 having lifted the trophy at 19 when France won in Russia in 2018.
Adding to the intrigue of the succession battle to the title of world's greatest player is that Messi and Mbappé go into the final level as top scorers with five goals apiece.
It is not guaranteed that one of the two star attackers or their teams will take the Golden Boot prize.
Messi and Mbappé's highly able tournament attacking foils — France's Olivier Giroud and Argentina's Julián Álvarez — are breathing down the front-runner's necks in second place on four goals each.
What does seem certain is that either Mbappé or Messi will win the Golden Ball award for player of the tournament. That prize is almost certain to be decided by which team wins on Sunday.
World Cup top scorers
1st Kylian Mbappé (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina) 5 goals
2nd J. Álvarez (Argentina), O. Giroud (France) 4 goals
3rd Richarlison (Brazil), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal), Álvaro Morata (Spain), Marcus Rashford (England), Bukayo Saka (England), Enner Valencia (Ecuador) 3 goals
* All the World Cup groups, fixtures and results here
* All the World Cup news here
* All the World Cup squads here
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