France, Argentina Set for World Cup Final 阿根廷國家隊 相隔8年再度闖進世足決賽

The 2022 World Cup final will take place on Sunday. Defending champion France will face off with Argentina, which last made it to the final 8 years ago. Many fans are willing to pay US$5000 to ticket scalpers to fulfill their dream of seeing the legendary Messi play for one last time. 
 

Many fans gathered outside the Doha hotel where representatives of Argentina's football federation are staying to ask for more official tickets for the 2022 World Cup Final. It has been 8 years since Argentina got into the final, and fans certainly do not want to miss Lionel Messi's final game for Argentina, and likely his last World Cup title before retirement. Ticket price for the final has been racked up from US$600 to US$5,000, according to the Associated Press. That is over NT$150,000 for one ticket. 

Bruno Migiaro, Argentinian Fan: “It's a lot of money that no one can pay, and official tickets are for 600 (US) dollars but not available so what we want is for them (AFA) to give us official tickets, we don't want AFA to give us anything, only official tickets so that people can buy them and go to the stadium.”

The 2022 World Cup final will be taking place at the Lusail Stadium on the 18th, where two-time champion Argentina is facing defending champion France. The Lusail Stadium's huge bowl shape is a nod to the decorative motifs found on bowls across the Arab world. The stadium holds over 80,000 people and is 20km north of central Doha. This is the fifth time that Argentina has competed in football at the Lusail but it is the first for the French team. Argentinian fans who have not been able to travel to Qatar for the games anticipate anxiously. French fans are filled with confidence that France can become the first team in 60 years to defend their championship title.  

Chams Houmadi, France Supporter: “I'm very happy that we've won, I'm overjoyed, and we're not afraid of Argentina nor of Messi because we beat them four years ago, they will try to beat us but we'll try and keep the trophy.”

After 62 matches among 32 teams for nearly a month, all eyes now fall on France and Argentina to see who is to lift up the World Cup trophy in 2022. Made of 18-carat solid gold, the trophy is 36.8cm high and weighs 6.175kg. Because the trophy had been infamously stolen twice, FIFA decided to stop lending the original trophy to the winning team. Since 2006, the original cup has only been given to the team during the official prize-giving ceremony before being retrieved by FIFA employees. The winning country is then given an exact replica of the original, with the original kept at the FIFA headquarter.

在阿根廷隊下榻的飯店外，大批球迷高喊「我們要門票」。阿根廷相隔8年，再度闖進世界盃決賽。遠道而來的阿根廷球迷，當然不想錯過球星梅西的世界盃最後一舞，更希望能親眼目睹捧起大力神盃的時刻。只是根據美聯社報導，原本票價600美元的門票，已經被喊到5000元，折合新台幣超過15萬元。

阿根廷球迷米吉亞羅表示：「這是很大一筆錢，沒人付得起。官方票價是600美元，但已售罄。所以我們希望阿根廷足協賣我們官方門票，我們不要他送任何東西，只想買官方門票進場看球。」

本屆卡達世界盃，最後決賽18日將登場，由阿根廷挑戰衛冕冠軍法國。決賽將會在路薩爾國際體育場舉行，這座球場在杜哈市中心北方20公里，可以容納8萬人，體育場的外形輪廓，是對阿拉伯人傳統的椰棗碗和琺瑯燈籠致敬。阿根廷已經是第5度要在這裡出賽，法國隊則首度在此亮相。沒能到卡達的阿根廷球迷，在家鄉抱著既期待又焦慮的心情，等待這場決賽；法國球迷則充滿自信，法國隊能成為60年來首支衛冕冠軍。

法國球迷胡瑪迪說：「我很開心晉級決賽，真的很開心。我們不怕阿根廷也不怕梅西，因為4年前我們擊敗他們，他們會試圖擊敗我們，但我們會衛冕冠軍獎盃。」

32支參賽球隊經過將近一個月的激戰，只有法國或阿根廷能捧起象徵冠軍的大力神盃。這座1974年開始啟用的獎盃，重6.1公斤、由18K金鑄成；不過由於先前送給巴西的雷米金盃失竊事件，國際足總修改規則，世界盃冠軍隊也只能保存銅製鍍金的複製品，至於獎盃本尊會永遠保存在國際足總FIFA的總部。