No matter how the World Cup final will end on Sunday and which team emerges victorious, one thing is certain: At least one Juventus player will be crowned world champion.

Whether it’s France’s Adrien Rabiot or the Argentine duo of Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria, someone will be joining a long list of black and white stars who lifted the glamorous trophy, with the latest being Blaise Matuidi.

Yet, a large section of the Old Lady’s supporter aren’t exactly thrilled with the outcome, but more or less indifferent to the whole prospect.

The reason? These three players, with all due respect, might be the least popular members of Max Allegri’s current bunch.

While surely more of us would have been emotionally invested if our club was to be represented in the grand finale by a beloved figure like Danilo or Wojciech Szczesny, but we’re just slightly less sympathetic when it comes the aforementioned trio, and for different yet similar reasons.

So let’s study each case on its own in order to understand why some of us are struggling to offer a genuine support for our three final ambassadors on the grandest of stages.

Angel Di Maria

The winger is undoubtedly one of the best and most decorated players in his generation. However, his reluctant stance during the summer negotiations and his insistence on signing on his own terms had already put off a section of Juventus fans, especially the ones who believe that his decision to join Juventus was only fueled by his desire to play in the World Cup and that he’ll eventually return home by the end of the season.

So in order to gain the trust and the support of the fanbase, the 34-year-old needed a string of spectacular performances, but his recurring injury setbacks limited his impact to a couple of memorable displays (his debut against Sassuolo and the Champions League encounter versus Maccabi Haifa).

Now this isn’t exactly his fault, but it surely didn’t help his case with the doubting supporters.

Leandro Paredes

Perhaps we’re passing a negative verdict on Leandro Paredes too early. After all the former PSG had only arrived on deadline day and an injury kept him out for some time.

But then again, the club has unfortunately had its fair share of high-earning midfielders who offer little contribution. So following a few underwhelming displays, it already felt like a déjà vu.

The former Roma man still has time to resurrect his Juventus stint, but for now, he shouldn’t expect too much compassion from the black and white fanbase.

Adrien Rabiot

While one would suggest that Di Maria and Paredes haven’t been afforded enough time to gain the affection of Juventus fans, Adrien Rabiot has been dwelling in Turin since 2019.

During his first three seasons, the Frenchman’s performances left much to be desired, despite being one of the club’s highest earners, and many were hoping to see the back of him last summer.

To his credit, the 27-year-old has took his game up a notch and is finally delivering the type of displays that have been long-awaited from the once-promising youngster.

The problem? It seems to be a case of too little too little, as Juventus will most likely struggle to satisfy the midfielder and his demanding mother/agent once his contract expires at the end of the season.

Some even claim that Rabiot has only decided to improve his game in order to earn more lucrative personal terms.

Although we surely don’t adopt this wild theory, the player’s late renaissance and expected departure are additional reasons for the supporters to care little about his World Cup aspirations.