Ahead of WC final, fans in Kerala install Messi cutout 100 feet deep In Arabian Sea; WATCH

Indian football fans have gained worldwide prominence for their passion for the sport and the players associated with it. Supporters of Argentine legend Lionel Messi recently made headlines after lowering a life-size cut-out of the 35-year-old footballer 100 feet deep into the Arabian Sea. The cut-out was installed beneath the Arabian Sea ahead of Sunday's FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France.

Messi cut-out installed in Kerala

The 4-meter-high cut-out of Messi was installed on Friday by scuba divers of the Lakshadweep Scuba Adventure. The cut-out has been installed among the rock formations and coral reefs near the Wall of Wonder, which borders the deep sea in the Arabian ocean. A video of the installation process has been shared on social media by vlogger Mohammed Swadikh. A video has also been shared by Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal on his official Twitter handle. 

FIFA World Cup 2022 final: Argentina vs France

Argentina are slated to lock horns against France in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sunday. The match will take place at Lusain Stadium and will begin at 8:30 pm IST. Messi, who has been phenomenal at the ongoing tournament in Qatar, will look to add another major trophy to his cabinet as he has never won a World Cup in his illustrious career. Messi is leading his side from the front as he is presently the joint-highest goal-scorer of World Cup 2022. 

France, on the other hand, will look to become the first side after Brazil to retain the World Cup title. They already matched Brazil's 2002 record when they made it to their second successive final earlier this week. France had won the trophy in 2018 after defeating Croatia in the final. The Blues also have some good players in their lineup, including Kylian Mbappe, who is also the highest goal-scorer in the ongoing World Cup. 

It is pertinent to mention that Argentina advanced to the final after beating 2018 runners-up Croatia by 3-0 in the semifinals. On the other hand, the defending champions defeated Morocco by 2-0 to earn their place in the summit clash. This will be the 13th time in history that Argentina and France encounter each other on the football field. In the 12 games played so far, Argentina have a better win record with six victories. Meanwhile, France have won three games, while the other three games have ended in a draw. 

Image: Twitter/MohammedFaizal