It's finally arrived after a long month of almost non-stop football. The Jules Rimet trophy will have another nation engraved onto the gold after Italy and France battle it out in the final of the World Cup tonight.
France, winners in 1998, with the incomparable Zinedine Zidane playing his last ever professional football match have a sense of destiny around them. A final hurrah by Zidane, and a few other great players from that victory last century, would be the victory for the romantic neutral. After an awful World Cup last time around, an unforgettable Euro2004 and a fairly dismal start to the present tournament, this French side of youngsters and creaking veterans have rediscovered the sparkle and authority they last showed in Euro2000 and are on course to grasp a magical farewell for their greatest player.
The Italians however, already rocking with the corruption scandal erupting back home before former-player Pessotto's life-threatening incident, feel they too have destiny on their side. The unmatchable Cannavaro will win his 100th cap tonight and hope to crown it by lifting the trophy itself, while the entire nation believe the parralels between now and 1982, the last time the Azzuri lifted the World Cup, are too similar to be ignored. Revenge for their defeat in the final of Euro2000 at the hands of the French is also a driving factor for the Italians.
Either way, the manner in which these two teams have approached this World Cup so far (Neither side needing penalties to win through and plenty of goals scored) leads us to hope that a classic final may be in store. The stories and narratives are in place, all we need now is the football...
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