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Arsenal legend Robert Pires has backed France and Brazil to appear in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Doha on 18 December. The Frenchman claimed the two teams have proved their mettle in Qatar, but unsurprisingly tipped France to clinch the gold.
Both Brazil and France have indeed been in excellent form at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Topping Group G by beating Serbia and Switzerland, the Selecao recorded a confident 4-1 victory over South Korea in their round-of-16 clash on Monday (5 December).
Defending champions France, on the other hand, got the better of Australia and Denmark in Group D before recording a 3-1 win over Poland in the last 16.
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The five-time FIFA World Cup winners will take on Croatia in the quarter-finals, while France will face England. Pires has backed the pair to not only come out on top in the quarters but also to overcome semi-final hurdles to set up a rematch of the 1998 World Cup final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Disclosing his World Cup favorites to Scroll.in, Pires said:
“I want to see the same final as 1998. It will be amazing as both teams have some great players. So yeah, France vs Brazil in Doha and the winner will be... France (laughs).”
Les Bleus recorded a commanding 3-0 win over Selecao in the 1998 World Cup final. Zinedine Zidane led the charge with a brace while Emmanuel Petit scored another to take France to their first-ever World Cup trophy.
Neymar admits Brazil are dreaming of winning their sixth FIFA World Cup
Alleviating worries over his ankle injury, Neymar produced an impressive performance against South Korea on Monday, scoring a fine first-half penalty. Vinicius Junior, Richarlison, and Lucas Paqueta scored the other three goals as Canarinho cruised to a 4-1 victory at Stadium 974.
Speaking to the press after the game, Neymar said that he had troubled thoughts when he injured his ankle against Serbia but was now hopeful of a bright future. Confessing his FIFA World Cup aspirations, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar said (via NDTV):
“We are dreaming of winning the title, that's obvious, but we have to go step by step. When I got injured I spent a very difficult night. I was thinking of a million different things.”
