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DOHA — Didier Deschamps said on Saturday that France was taking "as many precautions as possible" to stop the spread of a virus that is threatening preparations for their World Cup final showdown with Argentina.

Central defensive pair Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate missed training on Friday due to illness, along with winger Kingsley Coman.

Midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Dayot Upamecano did not play in Wednesday’s semi-final win over Morocco.

“We are trying to take as many precautions as possible, to adapt as necessary and get on with it,” France coach Deschamps said at a press conference in Doha on the eve of Sunday’s match.

“Obviously it would be better if this wasn’t happening but we are handling it as well as possible with our medical staff.”

Deschamps and his captain Hugo Lloris both insisted they could not offer any health updates, with the team set to train again later in the day.

“I am fine. As for the players, I left quite early this morning so they were all sleeping,” added Deschamps, who spoke to reporters at 11:30am local time.

“We are trying to handle the situation as well as possible and remain calm and focused.”

“I’ll get some more information later today and think about that tonight and maybe tomorrow. And of course we’re looking forward to being ready for this important game.”

Players, staff and other sources close to the squad have spoken of a range of symptoms affecting the team in recent days, including fever, stomach pain and headaches.

Measures have been taken at the team’s hotel, including isolating certain players, but COVID-19 testing is no longer imposed by world governing body FIFA.

France are aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup.

They are facing an Argentina side determined to win the trophy in what is likely to be Lionel Messi’s last-ever match at the tournament.

“We are never really prepared for this type of thing but we are trying to prepare in the best way possible,” Lloris said of the illness worries.

“We remain focused and of course we’re very excited about playing in a World Cup final.”

France’s quest for historic back-to-back titles may not earn them the backing of too many neutrals while Messi bids to win his first World Cup at the age of 35.

Argentina will also have far more supporters in the crowd at the Lusail Stadium, with up to 40,000 expected in Doha for the occasion, while French fans are set to number around 6,000.

“As long as we have our supporters and our country behind us, nothing else really matters,” said Lloris.

“We came into this competition looking to go as far as possible. Lots of people didn’t believe in us but here we are back in the final again.”

“We know what Messi represents in the history of our sport but this is a match between France and Argentina. We will do everything to win this last battle.”

DOHA — Kylian Mbappe can on Sunday become the youngest player to win two World Cups since Pele achieved the feat at the age of 21.

Mbappe, who turns 24 two days after the final, is the joint leading scorer with five goals at this World Cup and the face of football’s new generation.

The last World Cup for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the tournament in Qatar surely marks the passing of the baton from the two players who have dominated the sport for nearly two decades.

While Messi has one final chance to claim an elusive World Cup title, Mbappe and France hope to usher in an era of dominance for a nation appearing in a fourth final in seven attempts. 

With a squad decimated by injuries and struggling for form in the run-up, there were genuine concerns France would suffer the same fate they did as holders in 2002 and crash out in the group stage. 

France may not have set the world alight en route to the final, but they have been masters of the key moments — demonstrating a ruthlessness and killer instinct when it matters most.

Much of that stems from Mbappe, the most feared player on the planet, whose goals have helped carry France to within one win of becoming the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.

“There is a great connection between the team. We work together but, when you start to come close to the title in this competition you need your main players at their best,” said goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris.

Mbappe announced himself on the global stage in 2018 with a brace against Argentina in last 16 in Russia, where he won the best young player award.

Aged 19, he became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since a 17-year-old Pele in 1958, and Mbappe already has more World Cup goals than Portugal’s Ronaldo or Diego Maradona.

He bagged four goals in total in the 2018 edition — his first major tournament — drilling home France’s fourth in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.

Only Just Fontaine, who scored an incredible 13 times at the 1958 tournament in Sweden, has more World Cup goals for France.

‘Difficult to see the limit’

Mbappe has scored 250 times in 362 games for club and country, a tally that far exceeds those of Messi and Ronaldo at the same age.

“It’s difficult to see the limit for Kylian. He’s capable of breaking all records. It’s amazing to have a team-mate like him,” said Lloris.

But personal accolades are not the motivation for Mbappe with Les Bleus.

“The only objective for me is to win the World Cup,” he said. 

“That is what I am dreaming of. I didn’t come here to win the Golden Ball. That is not why I am here. I am here to win and help the French national team.

“This World Cup is an obsession for me, it’s the competition of my dreams.”

France are not short on talent, but Mbappe is simply on another level.

So much so that France coach Didier Deschamps has given Mbappe a licence to roam and he often takes full advantage of that liberty, rarely getting back to help in defence at this World Cup.

It is also why Paris Saint-Germain moved heaven and earth to keep Mbappe at the club when Real Madrid looked poised to prise the forward away from the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe signed a new three-year contract to stay in his home country, a decision which President Emmanuel Macron — who flew out for the semi-final against Morocco — admitted he advised the striker to take.

Macron plans to again attend Sunday’s final at Lusail Stadium, where Mbappe has the chance to occupy the stage vacated by Messi and Ronaldo — and make his case for a first Ballon d’Or.

DOHA — France and Argentina are gearing up for a heavyweight World Cup final that pits Kylian Mbappe against Lionel Messi in a hotly anticipated duel, with history on the line.

Defending champions France beat Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday without needing to find top gear and now stand 90 minutes away from becoming the first team for 60 years to defend their title.

Didier Deschamps’ men will approach Sunday’s final at the Lusail Stadium with confidence but Messi has his own date with destiny in his last match on the biggest stage.

Goals from Theo Hernandez and substitute Randal Kolo Muani at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday snuffed out the challenge of Morocco, the first African or Arab side ever to reach a World Cup semifinal.

France are into the final for the fourth time in seven editions and if they triumph on Sunday they will be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.

They were congratulated in the dressing room by President Emmanuel Macron, while supporters erupted in jubilation around the Champs-Elysees in Paris, waving tricolour flags and setting off flares.

“We are in the final. We are in the final,” hundreds of French supporters chanted as drivers sounded horns and anti-riot police lurked in vans lining the area.

Delighted France coach Deschamps, who led the nation to success in Russia in 2018, 20 years after captaining them to glory, said: “There is emotion and pride. 

“Obviously it was another important step today and now there will be another one.”

“We’ve been together for a month. It’s never easy, but here it is — it’s been a joy so far and my players have been rewarded.”

Defeat for Morocco ended their fairytale run in Qatar that captured the imagination of Africa and the Arab world.

“We gave the maximum, that’s the most important thing,” said coach Walid Regragui. “The most important thing is to have given a good image, to have shown the world that Moroccan football exists and that we have beautiful supporters.”

Messi versus Mbappe

The final will inevitably be billed as a battle between Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe.

The two players are joint top of the World Cup goalscoring charts on five goals apiece, with Argentina’s Julian Alvarez and France’s Olivier Giroud just one behind.

The Copa America champions, who produced arguably their best performance of the tournament in beating Croatia 3-0 on Tuesday, will sense vulnerability in a France team that have not found top gear in Qatar.

Messi, playing in his fifth World Cup, has been a man on a mission, desperate to crown his career by leading Argentina to their first win at the tournament since Diego Maradona inspired the South Americans to the title in 1986.

On Tuesday, he produced flashes of genius to help Argentina overcome 2018 finalists Croatia, confirming after the match that he expects Sunday’s final to be his last appearance at a World Cup.

“Being able to achieve this, being able to finish my journey in the World Cups by playing my last game in a final, is something very exciting,” said the 35-year-old Argentine captain.

Deschamps said he would come up with a plan to counter the threat of the “scintillating” Messi, who will seek to exploit France’s vulnerability in the full-back positions.

“He looks in great shape and of course he is one of the best players in the world so we will try to counter Messi’s threat as much as possible, just as Argentina will try to stop the influence of some of my players,” he said.

Deschamps also has another headache in the form of an illness stalking the camp after midfielder Adrien Rabiot missed the Morocco game due to illness.

Defender Dayot Upamecano also dropped out of the line-up for the semifinal, although he was named among the substitutes.

“The air conditioning is on all the time and so we have had a few cases of flu-like symptoms but we will try to avoid it spreading,” said Deschamps.

LOS ANGELES — Jayson Tatum and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics thwarted a furious late rally by the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday to win 122-118 in overtime and snap a two-game skid.

The Celtics bounced back from defeats to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco and the Clippers in Los Angeles, but they needed every ounce of energy and will to avoid their first three-game losing streak this season.

“Oh, man, last game of the road trip, we’ve been going for, like, 13 days, second night of a back-to-back,” Tatum said. “But we found a way.

“We needed that,” added Tatum, whose 44 points included a game-tying turnaround jumper over LeBron James that sent the contest to overtime. “We found a way to get back on track.”

Jaylen Brown added 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Marcus Smart scored 18 points for the Celtics, who appeared headed to victory when they took a 20-point lead on Tatum’s floater with 6:57 left in the third quarter.

But the Lakers, with 37 points from Anthony Davis and 33 from James, roared back, putting together an 18-0 run from late in the third that was capped by a James three-pointer that put Los Angeles up by four with 8:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers pushed their lead to 13 points before the weary Celtics were able to respond.

Russell Westbrook put the Lakers up by four with two quick baskets to open overtime, but the Celtics scored on four straight possessions to take the lead for good.

“It was big,” Tatum said of the win, which pushed Boston’s league-best record to 22-7. “[It] showed the character of our team.”

The Milwaukee Bucks stayed on the Celtics’ heels atop the East, improving to 20-7 with a 128-111 victory over reigning champions Golden State.

The Warriors, coming off their convincing victory over the Celtics, again found themselves inexplicably struggling on the road.

They fell to 2-12 away from home, 14-14 overall, in a testy encounter between the last two NBA champions that saw the frustrated Warriors assessed five technical fouls.

Three of those came in the first quarter, when Stephen Curry was furious at the lack of a foul call when he was shooting a three-pointer and head coach Steve Kerr continued the argument to earn a “T”.

“I was already mad at several non-calls in the paint,” Kerr said. “I felt like we were on the bad end of things to start the game. And then Steph Curry gets hit on the head on a three-point shot.

“That needs to be called,” Kerr said.

Trailing by 14 early in the second quarter, the Warriors pulled within six before the Bucks closed the first half on a 6-0 scoring run on the way to a 12-point halftime lead.

The third quarter brought no relief, the Bucks jumping to a 26-point lead midway through the period.

Milwaukee, led by 30 points and 12 rebounds from Antetokounmpo, out-scored the Warriors 48-30 in the paint and out-rebounded them 55-37.

Elsewhere, Joel Embiid scored 31 points and James Harden and Tobias Harris added 21 apiece as the 76ers thumped the Sacramento Kings 123-103 in Philadelphia.

The 76ers took control with 80 points in the first half and were never threatened after the interval.

Two nights after his 53-point outburst in a win against Charlotte, Embiid connected on 10 of 16 shots from the floor to lead the Sixers to their third straight victory.

The Utah Jazz ended the New Orleans Pelicans’ seven-game win streak, downing the Western Conference leaders 121-100.

Malik Beasley scored 21 points off the bench to lead the Jazz, draining five of their 15 three-pointers.

It was an emotional night in Houston, where head coach Stephen Silas returned to the sideline two days after the death of his father, three-time NBA champion and long-time NBA coach Paul Silas.

The Rockets handed the reeling Phoenix Suns a fifth straight defeat, 111-97.

The injury-plagued Suns got more bad news in that department as starting centre Deandre Ayton and guard Cameron Payne both left the game with injuries.

DOHA — Defending world champions and title favourites France face African history-makers Morocco on Wednesday in what is sure to be a high-octane World Cup semifinal at the Al Bayt Stadium.

France, which defeated England on Saturday, are looking to become the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy but they can expect fierce resistance from the surprise package of the tournament.

Morocco’s giant-killing run to the last four, the first time an African nation has made it this far, has electrified fans at home and delighted the Moroccan diaspora in Europe and beyond.

The Atlas Lions will again be roared on by thousands of passionate supporters in the stadium on the desert outskirts of Doha and can count on local Qatari support too as the first Arab team ever to make it to the last four.

“It’s not over yet, our ambition is to go to the final,” former Morocco international Aziz Bouderbala, part of the 1986 World Cup team that reached the last 16, told AFP.

“We are living a historic moment. We are among the four best teams in the world but it’s fabulous, it’s delirium.”

The game will have added spice given France was Morocco’s colonial power and hundreds of thousands of people with Moroccan roots live and work in the country.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who was born near Paris and spent most of his playing career in the French league, believes his team have become the neutral’s favourite.

“We’ve become the team people feel positive towards at this World Cup,” said Regragui.

“We’re showing the world what’s possible with less talent, less quality, less money, and what you can achieve with desire, hard work and belief.”

France will have fewer fans in the stadium but will be supported in person by President Emmanuel Macron.

On paper Didier Deschamps’ team, packed with talent and experience, should progress with some comfort.

But if the France coach, a World Cup winner as a player in 1998, is worried about complacency undoing his team, he need only remind his players how Morocco got to this stage.

In the round of 16, playing aggressive, hard-running football, Regragui’s team knocked out 2010 winners Spain on penalties before eliminating highly rated Portugal, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo in tears.

Morocco had earlier served notice of their intent by topping Group F, beating Belgium and Canada and drawing with 2018 runners-up Croatia.

The have only conceded one goal in the entire competition but it will require another night of heroic defending if they are to keep out a potent France attack.

Mbappe threat

Kylian Mbappe, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, attacks from the left while Olivier Giroud, level with Lionel Messi on four goals, occupies the traditional centre-forward role. 

Antoine Griezmann has been outstanding in a deeper, creative role.

France defeated Poland and England in their two knockout games and pre-tournament concerns about their injury losses — Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema — have dissipated.

But the French will also have to be alert themselves to Morocco’s swift counter-attacks, with Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech on the right flank and Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri looking to exploit weaknesses in Deschamps’ back line.

Morocco’s willingness to run with the ball and then harry to retrieve should make for a high-energy game.

“Obviously we know they are having an exceptional World Cup and have beaten some big nations, so it is a match we will be taking seriously,” said France right-back Jules Kounde.

“They are no longer a surprise package, they deserve to be here. We hope to make things difficult for them and qualify.”

DOHA — Lionel Messi and Argentina’s World Cup dream remains alive but an indefatigable Croatia side inspired by the enduring brilliance of Luka Modric stands in their way in Tuesday’s semifinal in Doha.

Argentina has recovered from the shock of losing its opening game in Qatar to Saudi Arabia and made the last four with an exhausting win on penalties against The Netherlands at the end of a fractious quarterfinal on Friday.

Having been 2-0 up and cruising after 83 minutes, with Messi setting up one goal in sublime fashion and netting a penalty, they conceded twice late on and had to survive extra time before triumphing 4-3 in a shoot-out.

Backed by an enormous contingent of travelling supporters who have brought the passion, noise and colour of Argentina’s own stadiums to this World Cup, Messi and his teammates are starting to believe this really could be their year.

“We have balls, passion, heart and we are doing this for 45 million people,” said goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, and Argentina’s optimism now has only increased after seeing great rivals Brazil go out in the last round.

Now aged 35, this has been billed as Messi’s last chance to win a World Cup, eight years on from Argentina’s defeat in the final to Germany in Rio de Janeiro.

He is determined to seize the chance and has already scored his first two goals in the knockout rounds of any World Cup, netting against Australia in the last 16 before his penalty against the Dutch.

World Cup glory would complete a wonderful career for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is possibly the greatest club player ever.

After years of being unfulfilled at international level he inspired Argentina to victory at last year’s Copa America, but he knows there are no more dogged or durable opponents than Croatia.

After all, any sense of relief at avoiding having to play Brazil in the last four will be tempered by the prospect of facing a Croatian side who knocked out the favourites on penalties and never know when they are beaten.

“They are a great team who matched up to Brazil and at times were much better,” admitted Messi.

“They have good players across the whole midfield and they have been working with the same coach since the last World Cup, so they all know each other very well.”

‘Safer than money in the bank’

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni switched to a five-man defence against The Netherlands as he brought Lisandro Martinez into his line-up.

But the midfield is always key against Croatia, with Modric still controlling games at 37 and Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic completing a formidable trio.

After reaching the final four years ago, Croatia have beaten Japan and Brazil on penalties to make the semis here.

They have gone to extra time in eight of their last nine major tournament knockout matches and the nation of just four million people has nothing to lose as they eye a place in the final against France or Morocco.

And in Modric they have a master, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner who starred as Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 in the group stage four years ago.

“I think Mateo, Luka and Marcelo are the best midfield in history. When you pass them the ball, it is safer than having your money in the bank,” said Josip Juranovic, another standout at right-back.

“We are so lucky to have them in the team.”

Modric’s history with Argentina goes back to 2006, when he made his international debut for Croatia aged 20 in a friendly between the teams.

Messi scored in that game but Croatia won 3-2. Zlatko Dalic’s team will not be afraid of Argentina or their No. 10 when the sides meet again at Lusail Stadium.

Asked about how they would handle Messi, Croatia forward Bruno Petkovic responded: “We don’t have a specific plan, at least not yet, for stopping Messi and usually we don’t concentrate on one player, but Argentina is not only Messi.”

Two players who will not feature for Argentina, however, are defenders Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna, both of whom are suspended.

DOHA — Morocco became the first African-Arab nation to reach the World Cup semifinals as Youssef En-Nesyri’s first-half goal sealed a tense 1-0 victory over Portugal on Saturday at Al Thumama Stadium.

The Atlas Lions, also the first Arab team to make the last four, added Portugal to their list of European scalps with a resolute second-half performance.

Cristiano Ronaldo has likely played his last World Cup match after making an ineffectual appearance as a second-half substitute, failing to score his first knockout-phase goal at the tournament before departing down the tunnel in tears.

Morocco took a 42nd-minute lead through En-Nesyri’s header as it came on strongly late in the first period.

Portugal piled on the pressure after the break but an injury-hit Morocco, without three of their four first-choice defenders once skipper Romain Saiss was forced off, hung on despite being reduced to 10 men in added time.

“We came up against a really great Portugal team. We’re drawing on all we have, we still have guys injured. I told the guys before the match we had to write history for Africa. I’m very, very happy,” Regragui said.

The partisan crowd undoubtedly helped the North Africans over the line, although Portugal struggled to create many clear-cut chances as they lost a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time.

“I think it wasn’t fair for us to lose, but that’s football,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.

“We’re upset because we thought we could reach the final and win the final as well.”

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was sent on early in the second half by Santos but could not rescue the Euro 2016 winners.

Instead it was another famous day for Morocco, after previous upset wins over Belgium and Spain, on penalties, in Qatar.

Walid Regragui’s men will face holders France in the semifinals at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.

Morocco will believe they can topple either of those sides, having still only conceded once at this World Cup.

Portugal enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening half-hour, but Joao Felix’s fifth-minute diving header, saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, was the closest either side came to an early goal.

Morocco always looked dangerous, though, and Selim Amallah ballooned a shot over and Sofiane Boufal curled straight at Diogo Costa for the Africans.

It was no surprise when Morocco did forge ahead shortly before the interval.

Portuguese goalkeeper Costa came for a cross from left-back Yahya Attiat-Allah he was never going to get to and Sevilla striker En-Nesyri did the rest with a towering header.

Portugal almost equalised seconds later in spectacular fashion when Bruno Fernandes crashed a bouncing ball from the right-hand side of the box against the crossbar.

A crazy few minutes before half-time also saw Attiat-Allah, only playing in place of the injured Noussair Mazraoui, blaze wide after another rapid counter.

Morocco almost doubled their advantage four minutes after the restart as Costa just about managed to prevent Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick from the right from flying all the way in.

Santos wasted little time in summoning for his captain, sending on Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo in the 51st minute.

Morocco, already without injured defenders Mazraoui and Nayef Aguerd, were dealt another blow when Saiss was stretchered off.

Portugal started to lay siege to the opposition goal and Fernandes came close to levelling again when he fired narrowly over from the edge of the box.

Morocco was largely keeping Portugal at bay, but Bounou had to be at his best to tip over Felix’s drive with eight minutes remaining.

Eight minutes of injury time were largely spent with Portugal camped in the Morocco half and Ronaldo almost had his moment when his low strike was kept out by Bounou.

Morocco substitute Walid Cheddira was harshly sent off for a second yellow card in the space of two minutes.

Zakaria Aboukhlal should have put the game to bed only to dink straight at Costa when clean through.

But his team somehow held onto their lead to write their names in the history books as Pepe headed wide from close range right at the death.

Morocco's players carry their coach Walid Regragui as they celebrate after winning their Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final match against Portugal at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha on Saturday

DOHA — Emiliano Martinez came to the rescue for Argentina on a remarkable night of drama by saving two Netherlands penalties in the shootout to send his country through to the World Cup semifinals.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper was barely tested for the best part of 90 minutes as Argentina swept into a two-goal lead before substitute Wout Weghorst engineered an incredible Dutch fightback in the quarterfinal.

Argentina was stunned as Weghorst equalised in the 11th minute of added time, forcing an extra 30 minutes to the astonishment of the 88,235 in attendance at Lusail Stadium — nearly all of those rooting for Lionel Messi and his teammates.

But Martinez seized his opportunity to be the hero just when it looked as if Argentina was set to face more World Cup agony, flying to his right to palm away Virgil van Dijk’s opening effort from the spot. 

After Messi, who had doubled Argentina’s lead during the game with a penalty, coolly rolled home his team’s first attempt, Martinez flung himself to his left to deny Steven Berghuis. 

Enzo Fernandez drilled wide with the chance to win it for Argentina, but Lautaro Martinez made no mistake with their following kick, setting up a clash with 2018 runners-up Croatia.

“I feel the emotion. What I do, I do for 45 million [Argentinians] who are going through a bad economic crisis,” said Martinez.

“Giving joy to people is the best thing that happens to me at the moment.

“The guys were tired, I felt they needed help but I wasn’t able to do anything. Thankfully, I was able to do it later by saving two penalties.”

The win not only kept alive Messi’s dream of finally getting his hands on the World Cup trophy, but came just hours after Argentina’s great rivals Brazil crashed out of the tournament on penalties to the Croatians.

Copa starring role

At 35, Messi knows this will be his fifth and final World Cup — and a winner’s medal would burnish his legacy as one of football’s greatest ever players, placing him right alongside compatriot Diego Maradona and Pele.

But it could all have been over had it not been for Martinez, who also played a starring role in the 2021 Copa America triumph, which ended Argentina’s 28-year title drought.

Martinez saved three attempts in a semifinal shootout victory over Colombia before being named goalkeeper of the tournament after keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 win against hosts Brazil in the final.

“We knew as he’d done against Colombia he could save some penalties,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

Martinez was named goalkeeper of the tournament, but it has been a long and winding road to the top for a player who spent 10 years at Arsenal before finally finding a place to call home.

He conceded five goals on his second appearance for the Gunners in the League Cup, a match best remembered for Arsenal’s comeback from four goals down at Reading in a 7-5 win.

Martinez’s time at the Gunners was mostly spent on loan in the English lower leagues, and he looked destined for a career as a journeyman before fellow Premier League club Aston Villa bought him for a reported £20 million ($24.5 million) in September 2020.

He became Villa’s starting keeper right away and by the end of that season he had emerged as first choice for Argentina, making his debut 10 years after his first call-up.

Over the past year he has entrenched himself as Argentina’s undisputed number one, a reliable presence the Albiceleste were sorely missing four years ago in Russia — and one they hope can lead them to a third World Cup crown.