Former Manchester United and Arsenal star Mikael Silvestre believes there is only one way to stop Lionel Messi as France prepare for the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday.

Stopping Messi, as well as Argentina’s other impressive attackers, will be their toughest task to date and will be key if they want to win back-to-back World Cups.

Silvestre, who was part of the Les Bleus’ squad that finished runner-up in the 2006 finals, believes that Didier Deschamps’ side should focus on targeting the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister in order to prevent the legendary forward from getting on the ball.

“First of all you need to stop the feeder to Messi,’ the former defender told bettingexpert.

“And it’s very important to get close to him before he receives the ball otherwise it will be too late because he is too good.

“It’s almost impossible to take the ball away from Messi when his body is turned against the opponent’s goal. Most likely the defender will make a foul, so we have to make sure to close him down before he gets the ball.

“I think France will win because we are very disciplined, so I think we have a slight advantage there but obviously my heart is also telling me that France will win the game.”

The 35-year-old has so far scored five and assisted three across six games and could well finish these finals as both top scorer and top playmaker.