Graeme Souness feels Lionel Messi can demonstrate his skill in the World Cup final against Hugo Lloris. The Argentina icon meets the Tottenham Hotspur and France star this Sunday.
Lloris is bidding to lift a second World Cup title after captaining Les Bleus to glory at Russia 2018. While Messi is still seeking his first title after losing to Germany in his only prior final at Brazil 2014. The FIFA crown is the only medal missing from the Argentina icon’s cabinet.
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Messi finally lifted an international title with the Copa America in 2021. Argentina won 1-0 against Brazil to shake off the disappointment of losing to Chile in the 2015 and 2016 finals on penalties. While the 2018 World Cup is the only international title that Lloris has lifted.
A second World Cup title for Lloris will deny Messi his first at his final appearance
Lloris could now deny Messi a World Cup crown at the Argentina icon’s last time playing at the FIFA tournament. The 35-year-old told Star+, via TN, ahead of Qatar 2022 that it would ‘surely’ be his final appearance. Messi has been featuring at a World Cup for the fifth time.
Argentina have leant on Messi to guide them into another final, like in 2014. He has hit five goals in six games and produced three assists so far. Only France’s Kylian Mbappe has as many goals. But he trails his Paris Saint-Germain teammate for the Golden Boot on assists.
So, Lloris could also deny Messi a Golden Boot by taking only his second clean sheet at the 2022 World Cup. The Tottenham goalkeeper denied Morocco in the semi-finals for his only shut out so far. He conceded once against each of Australia, Denmark, Poland and England.
Souness: ‘Keep a close eye’ on Lloris to see Messi’s skill in the World Cup final
But Souness believes the matchup of Lloris and Messi offers the Argentina icon a chance to show his intelligence in the World Cup final by beating the France goalkeeper. Messi failed to score in the Brazil 2014 final. But he has 11 goals and eight assists in 25 World Cup ties.
Souness wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: “Keep a close eye on France’s Hugo Lloris when Messi takes aim at France’s goal on Sunday because that will give you another clue to this player’s speed of thought.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times in Messi’s career when I’ve seen a goalkeeper on his toes, getting himself set, bouncing up and down knowing he’s going to shoot. And then, all of the sudden, the ball is in the back of the net and the ‘keeper’s not even dived.
“Messi just takes the ball so early. He’s got that vision in his head. Everything is faster. For 20 years, he’s been operating on a different speed setting.”
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