DIARY MESSI’S GREAT... BUT ENOUGH OF THE HERO-WORSHIPPING PLEASE

KYLIAN MBAPPE collected his third man of the match award in three games and, for the first time, made it to the press conference designed to promote the award, thus sparing the French FA (FFF) another fine from FIFA.

‘I will pay it because I don’t think the FFF should pay on my behalf,’ said Mbappe. ‘It is nothing against you journalists in particular, I just want to concentrate on my football.’

LIONEL MESSI’S genius and the narrative unfolding around him in Qatar can have a captivating effect but there is no excuse for journalists in the overflow seats at Argentina’s game against Australia on Saturday who were singing and clapping along with the Argentina fans and doing the ‘we’re not worthy’ motion when Messi did something magical. They weren’t even from Argentina.

NOT much consolation for Germany as they watch the last 16 on TV but no team had more attempts at goal during the World Cup group stages than their 67 in three games. They had 15 more than France and Brazil on 52, according to numbers collated by FIFA’s technical study committee. England were in the middle with 38. Costa Rica had the fewest with 11. Jurgen Klinsmann, who is on the committee led by Arsene Wenger, says it emphasises their failure to replace Miroslav Klose with a true No 9.