Patrice Evra has come to the defence of France manager Didier Deschamps, pedalling a theory that FIFA gave Lionel Messi and Argentina the World Cup back in 2022. Evra, speaking on RMC

Argentina are set to resume the World Cup Qualifiers without Lionel Messi, and another key player could also miss the match against Uruguay. The World Cup Qualifiers resume this weekend, with Argentina are scheduled to face two of their biggest rivals,

Patrice Evra has defended Didier Deschamps’ record as France manager and suggested FIFA “gave the World Cup to [Lionel] Messi” in 2022. Messi went into the tournament in Qatar with the World Cup the only missing piece on his glittering CV and played a key role as Lionel Scaloni’s men clinched their first global crown since 1986.