Argentina vs France, Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe... the thrilling heavyweight finish that this sensational 2022 World Cup has deserved.
Match Details:
- Location: Al Daayen, Qatar
- Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium
- Date: Sunday 18 December
- Kick-off time: 8:30 PM IST
- Watch: Jio Cinema App, Sports 18/HD
Argentina vs France: Match Details:
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar concludes on Sunday night as Argentina take on holders France in a mouthwatering-looking final.
Officially by the FIFA rankings, this is No. 3 vs No. 4, but on the whole, the two most deserving teams reached the end of the road.
Despite a host of injuries before the tournament started, France have been sensational, overwhelming teams with a pace and precision on the counter-attack run by Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. Add in the great form of No. 9 Olivier Giroud, and they're a formidable opponent.
Yet Messi and Argentina will be licking their chops after watching the long stretches of pressure Les Bleus faced in their semifinal against Morocco. The Albiceleste are built well to possess the ball against the France setup and deal with the pace on the counter.
So who will lift the trophy? An enthralling, star-studded World Cup final awaits us, so let's break it down.
Team News:
Argentina:
Lionel Scaloni will be able to welcome back Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel after the fullback pair sat out the semi-final through suspension - Acuna will be vying with Nicolas Tagliafico for a starting berth.
Alejandro Gomez is a doubt with an ankle problem and Angel Di Maria has been struggling with muscular issues. The Juventus forward didn't feature at all in the semi-final though could make his first start since the group stages in Sunday's final.
France:
Adrien Rabiot watched France's semi-final against Morocco from the team hotel as one of the multiple players suffering from what Didier Deschamps described as "flu-like symptoms".
Dayot Upamecano made the trip to the stadium but didn't get off the bench while he nursed the bug. However, Deschamps is confident that both players would be available for the final. Kingsley Coman is the third player known to be affected and he's a doubt.
Argentina vs France: Head to Head:
Argentina have a good record against France and have won six out of the 12 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to France's three victories.
Lionel Messi is Argentina's most prolific goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup with 11 goals and could surpass Diego Maradona's tally of eight World Cup assists this weekend. Argentina will play their sixth World Cup final this weekend - only Germany have competed in more World Cup finals with eight appearances.
France have reached the World Cup final four times since they won the trophy in 1998 - twice as many as any other nation has managed during this period.
Argentina have won two of their last three matches against France but did lose their previous meeting against Les Bleus in 2018 by a 4-3 scoreline.
Predicted Line-ups:
Argentina Starting 11 (4-3-3): E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez.
Bench: Armani, Rulli, Li Martinez, Pezzella, Foyth, Paredes, Rodriguez, Palacios, Almada, Correa, Dybala, La Martinez, Tagliafico, Montiel.
France Starting 11 (4-3-3): Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, Hernandez; Griezmann, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Giroud, Mbappe.
Bench: Areola, Mandanda, Disasi, Saliba, Konate, Pavard, Veretout, Camavinga, Coman, Guendouzi, Kolo Muani, Thuram, Fofana.
ARG vs FRA: Dream11 Predictions:
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