MESSI V NEYMAR

Let us look back at the times when these two talismans played against each other:

IN INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL:

The first time the two met in a friendly in 2010, Messi's last minute winner helped seal a 1-0 win for La Albiceleste. The following encounter, also a friendly, in 2012, the world witnessed the 34-year-old Barca legend score an outstanding hat trick to secure the victory for his side in a 4-3 thriller. Then Neymar had the upper hand in the following two encounters, the first in a friendly in 2014 where his counterpart missed a penalty and then in 2016 World Cup Qualifier, Neymar's goal contributed to an emphatic 3-0 win over the sky blue and whites. Now fast forward to 2021, the two maestros meet again in the biggest game of their international career so far.

IN CLUB COMPETITIONS:

Before playing as teammates for Barcelona, Neymar and Messi played against each other in a Club World Cup final in 2011 where Messi's Barcelona comfortably won the game 4-0 against Neymar's Santos by displaying a superior brand of football that made them European champions. Messi had scored twice in that game.

Interestingly, the two playmakers have not yet clashed with their current club sides- Barcelona and PSG. Messi and Neymar have met on the field as rivals before, but this will be the biggest game in which they'll do it thus far, with a huge trophy on the line.