Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni is in a "dream position for every Argentine" as his nation prepares for a sixth FIFA World Cup final.
La Albiceste face reigning champions France at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday after overcoming Mexico, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands and Croatia, following a historic blip against Saudi Arabia, en route.
After defeats to West Germany and Germany in 1990 and 2014, the South American nation will be keen to add their third World Cup title to the collection, which will take them ahead of their opponent in the rankings.
Lionel Messi's last hurrah?
The fixture will be seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi's 26th appearance in the competition and potentially his last on the international stage.
Millions across the globe will be hopeful that the 35-year-old will at last gets his hands on the trophy, having come so close in 2014, and Scaloni is alike the others and insists it's important to enjoy the forward's brilliance while it's possible.
"We hope he can lift this trophy. It would be wonderful. But the most important thing is to just enjoy Messi. And this is the best occasion possible: the World Cup final.
"Let's hope that if it's Leo's last game, that he can win the title. It would be great and the important thing is to enjoy it. What better scenario than [to retire] in a World Cup final," Scaloni added later on.
Mbappe vs. Messi
In the build-up to the match there has been an emphasis on the battle between Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe, with both top the scoring chart with five apiece, but the 44-year-old coach contests this notion as the fixture is "more than just Messi versus Mbappe".
The Frenchman has once again showcased his brilliance on the world stage, having already scored nine World Cup goals in 13 appearances, and will be an instrumental figure if Didier Deschamps' side are to retain their title.
"To stop Mbappe you need a collective effort. But France is more than just Mbappe. We need to focus on making a good game collectively."
Despite two of the best footballers on the planet gracing the pitch at the same time in Lusail, both teams have the weapons at their disposal that if the primary misfires, then there are capable deputies to fire them to glory.
For Argentina Julian Alverez, who scored twice in the semi-finals, including a brilliant solo effort, has four goals to his name and is in contention for the golden boot alongside his opposite number Oliver Giroud.
"We both have the necessary weapons so that the game can be decided by other players and not necessarily the two of them. Let's hope it falls on our side, but there are plenty of players who can decide the game," Scaloni told the media.
Strategy to defeat France
Since their shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening game of Group C, Argentina have proven to be difficult team to face given their ruthless antics and desire to unsettle the opposition.
Scaloni was tight-lipped during his press conference about how he plans to defeat France in Sunday fixtures but stated that he believes he has the formula that will that inflict a lot of damage.
"We already decided the strategy and we will play in a way in which we think we can hurt our rivals the most and suffer the least.
"We have our game plan, we know how to play them and now we just have to execute, and I hope we can play a similar game as we did against Holland in the quarter-finals, but win the match without having to go through the pain of a penalty shoot-out."