FIFA World Cup 2022: Aurelien Tchouameni likely to be assigned to mark Lionel Messi in the final | XtraTime

Xtra Time Web Desk: France coach Didier Deschamps has chalked out his plans to stop Lionel Messi in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final on Sunday. Deschamps is likely to task midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to mark Argentina No 10, a similar move he deployed in 2018 Russia World Cup when Ngolo Kante was used to stop Messi. The move worked wonders as France defeated Argentina 4-3.  

All signs suggest that Deschamps will do the same and in the absence of Kante, it will be Aurelien Tchouameni tasked with shutting down the great number 10.

“It is difficult to mark Messi, but we will have a plan, we will work to win this match,” commented Tchouameni himself.

While some things change, having a Real Madrid midfielder on top of him seems to be a constant in Messi’s life.

It will be a significant challenge for Tchouameni to carry off. He has risen to tricky tasks whenever they present themselves during his short career though.

Equally, Tchouameni has been integral to France’s structure this tournament, providing a presence in the middle, both recovering and retaining the ball. Messi often has absolute freedom to move and if Tchouameni is instructed to follow Messi, it may well leave gaps in the middle to be exploited.