The moment we have all been waiting for is here at last. On December 18, 2022, Lionel Messi will have his last chance at World Cup success with Argentina in a massive confrontation against Kylian Mbappe's France scheduled to take place at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
After a 3-0 victory against Croatia, Argentina qualified as the tournament's first finalists. Since this will be Lionel Messi's last World Cup, his team, La Albiceleste, who he captained to a sensational knockout round run, will no doubt be motivated to win the tournament in his honor.
Alternatively, the French national team represents the extreme. After winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they have advanced to the grand finale for the second year in a row, where they will try to become just the third team in history to repeat as winners. This weekend marks the last game of the 2022 tournament, and the final whistle will bring jubilation for the victors and terrible despair for the losers.
Do the medals for the World Cup winners really consist of pure gold?
Although the victorious squad may only take home a gold-plated bronze duplicate of the trophy, each player and the staff member would be honored with their own gold medal. World Cup winners receive the official trophy and medals at the ceremony's climax, which takes place on a gaudy pedestal.
But there is some question as to whether or not the medals are indeed composed of solid gold. Observation suggests that the medals don't have the same luster as a pure 24K gold bar, although this isn't confirmed. The proportion of gold, however, is likely to be more than 50 percent.
Prior to the 1978 World Cup, FIFA regulations stated that only players present on the field during the actual final itself were eligible to win a medal. However, in 2007, this policy was revised, and all medals were awarded posthumously to the recipients or their relatives.
