Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were the central figures in one of the greatest games in soccer history, the 2022 World Cup final that saw Argentina claim the trophy over France in a penalty shootout. Now with the 2026 edition underway, Mbappe has made clear he would welcome another shot at the Albiceleste, saying he would like to “change the course of destiny.”
In an interview with Le Parisien, France teammate Warren Zaire-Emery asked Mbappe which moment of his career he would choose to relive, and the answer left little room for interpretation: “There are many. Especially the defeats, because if you relive them, maybe you can change the course of destiny. For example, I would change Argentina 2022. That final comes to my mind more than the one we won.“
Mbappe went on to reflect on the particular cruelty of losing a World Cup final, noting that many of his current France teammates were not even part of that squad in Qatar. “The cruelty is right there, meaning we did all that just to lose on penalties. I don’t believe in luck; penalties are not a lottery. It is a technical action, but it remains the cruelest way to lose a World Cup final,” the striker added.
Had France won, they would have become the third nation in history to claim consecutive World Cup titles, following Italy in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Mbappe also opened up about his emotional state in the immediate aftermath. “I am often asked why I didn’t cry in 2022. Simply because the tears wouldn’t come, I was stunned. If I could have cried, I wouldn’t have held back my tears. It’s just that I was knocked out!,” he explained over the final.
Kylian Mbappe of France walks past the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2022.
“If we win the World Cup tomorrow and I have to cry, I will cry. If only because it’s every four years. You don’t know where you will be in four years. Now, for example, there are only 10 or 11 guys left from 2022,” Mbappe concluded. As he noted, of the 26 players who reached the final in Qatar four years ago, only 12 remain in this year’s squad, with the other 14 having departed through retirement or omission.
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Winning that final would have been a personal crowning moment for Mbappe, who also claimed the Golden Boot with eight goals and became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, after Geoff Hurst. Despite that extraordinary individual performance, the loss to Lionel Messi‘s Argentina is clearly something that continues to occupy his thoughts.
Is another Mbappe vs Messi final possible at the 2026 World Cup?
With the 2026 World Cup now underway, Mbappe enters the tournament at 27 and in the prime of his career, while Messi, 38 and set to turn 39 in the coming weeks, carries the weight of defending the title. While an exact replica of the 2022 final is not possible, the bracket has been drawn in a way that a late showdown between the two nations remains very much on the table.
According to FIFA’s bracket structure and rules, if both Argentina and France advance as group winners from their respective sections, they would be placed on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. That means the only scenario in which they could meet would be a final, giving the 2026 World Cup the potential for a dream rematch on the biggest stage.
Should either team advance as group runners-up, the two nations could end up on the same side of the draw, in which case a meeting in the semifinal becomes a possibility. Either way, the bracket has left open a path for Mbappe and Messi to cross swords again before this tournament is over.
