Gilberto Silva: Argentina will go to war against France

Gilberto Silva

Kylian Mbappe, 23, is chasing his second consecutive FIFA World Cup title, but former Brazilian stalwart Gilberto Silva reckons that Argentina will make life difficult for France's dynamic striker in the final at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday.

Silva believes that the relentless South American mentality of Lionel Scaloni's men will help them overcome the defending champions. "I think the Argentina players are going to make Mbappe's life very hard. It's an opportunity for them to win as they lost in Brazil against Germany [2014]. Knowing the South American mentality, it's like going to war [for Argentina]. It's do-or-die," Silva, who is a part of Viacom18 Sports expert panel for the World Cup, said during a media interaction on Saturday.

Argentina's title charge has been led by their skipper Lionel Messi, who along with Mbappe has netted the most goals (five) in the tournament so far. The diminutive Argentine has orchestrated their attacking moves and produced flawless moments of individual brilliance that has enabled the team to script a fine comeback after a crushing 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia in their opening fixture.

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"Argentina understand the importance of playing for Messi. They protect him during the game and do the hard work in order to help Messi have glimpses of important moments and make the difference as he has done," Silva said.

He added, "For Argentina, with Messi, there is always danger [for France] but it's not only dangerous when he has the ball but also when he doesn't, because he attracts the attention of more than one player most of the time. This is what we want in the final of a World Cup. The two best teams in my opinion have reached the final."

Silva, a member of Arsenal's Invincible squad in 2003-04, also put aside the intense rivalry between Brazil and Argentina to deliver an honest prediction for the final. "When I look at the rivalry [Brazil-Argentina], it is tough for me to say that Argentina is going to win this. But when I look at the football, the way they are playing, I think they [Argentina] are going to win even though France have a very good team," the 46-year-old signed off.