As Qatar 2022 World Cup kicked off, expectations were high for Kylian Mbappé, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, and Lionel Messi to ignite the global showpiece. The trio were part of the starting lineup in Paris Saint-Germain’s last Ligue 1 fixture against AJ Auxerre. PSG is flourishing thanks to the trio’s contribution. The club benefits from a sponsorship deal with HFM, a multi-asset regulated and licensed global broker that uses the Metatrader4 platform.
At the world cup, the stars feature for strong contenders Brazil, France, and Argentina. Mbappé’s France is eyeing a back-to-back world cup triumph. The team has the talent to carry out this mission successfully. However, Messi’s Argentina and Neymar’s Brazil also stand a good chance of making it to the final and clinching the coveted trophy.
So far, the three national teams have managed to qualify for the quarterfinals after sailing through the group and knockout stages. In the round of 16, Argentina beat Australia 2 – 1, while Brazil thrashed South Korea 4 – 1. Mbappé’s France hammered Poland 3 – 1.
Neymar scored a penalty in the 13th minute in Brazil’s round of 16 match against South Korea. Meanwhile, Mbappé scored twice against Poland, and Lionel Messi also scored in the 35th minute against Australia, securing a crucial win for his country.
These victories set the teams up for nail-biting Qatar 20222 quarterfinal encounters. Brazil will be up against Croatia, Argentina goes head to head with the Netherlands, while France faces a fearsome England squad in a battle of the titans.
As it stands, there’s a good chance two of these teams will meet in the semi-finals or the finals. The winner of the ties will earn bragging rights when Neymar, Mbappe, and Messi return to PSG at the end of the tournament.
Mbappé eyeing back-to-back world cup triumph
Kylian’s France could retain the trophy if they can see off contenders. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is keen to clinch the title to complete the final missing piece of the puzzle of his illustrious career. Neymar looks to inspire Brazil to its first title in two decades. Unlike Messi, Neymar could still play in one more world cup in 2026.
As Brazil, Argentina, and Brazil prepare for epic semi-final battles, one thing is clear only one of the Paris Saint-Germain stars will remain standing at the 2022 Qatar world cup.
Kylian has won the world cup 2018 and UEFA Nations League 2021. The striker chose to remain with PSG despite Real Madrid’s lucrative transfer offer. At Paris Saint-Germain, he’s a regular feature on the Ligue 1 Uber Eats scoring charts. He ranks high on the chart alongside Neymar.
With France, Mbappé plays on the left side of Olivier Giroud or Karim Benzema. There’s no denying that the player strives in this position.
Neymar’s club and country record
Up to now, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior has won the Confederations Cup 2013 and Olympic Gold 2016. At the club level, the star plays alongside Messi and Mbappe in PSG’s formidable attacking formation. His record before the 2022 global showpiece boasts 15 goals and 12 assists. Neymar achieved this impressive feat in 19 games.
At the national level, the player plays a critical talisman role. In 10 outings, he scored eight goals and registered eight assists. He also scored a handful of goals in friendlies. Back in 2014, Brazilians panicked when an injury ruled out their dependable talisman. The entire country grappled with the prospect of playing in the tournament without Neymar.
Lionel Messi club and country record
Messi boasts a wide selection of silverware and tiles, including Olympic Gold 2008, Copa America 2021, and Finalissima 2022. Upon arrival at PSG from FC Barcelona, he needed time to settle down. Once he did, the talented striker’s performance peaked as he scored regularly for the French side.
He scored and assisted goals at a fantastic rate of one in every 60.8 minutes of playing time. At the club, he assumed a position deeper than his teammate Neymar da Silva Santos Junior.
Widely deemed one of the best players in the world, Messi has previously failed to impose his presence at the world cup. Elsewhere, he has helped Argentina clinch the Copa America title. He usually features as a number 10 for his country. In some cases, the talented striker plays a key role right up front.