After some intense drama, action and thrill packed over a span of 29 days, defending champions France are all set to take on Argentina in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar on Sunday, 18 December.
Both teams have proven themselves to be forces to reckon with throughout the course of the tournament and they will be eager to deliver their best one last time on Sunday to claim the ultimate glory. Argentina faced a little hiccup initially as they lost their opening encounter to Iran but their performance has only gone upwards since then. Their best performance came in the semi-final against Croatia as they registered a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
France, on the other hand, have been pretty consistent throughout the tournament, despite missing some key players in this campaign due to injuries. Les Bleus’ only blip came in the group stage when they lost to Tunisia but they had already qualified for the round of 16 by then. France also registered a clinical 2-0 win against Morocco in the semifinals and they will be eager to carry that form forward to the final to win their second World Cup on the trot.
Probable Starting Lineups
France
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Konate, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Fofana; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Argentina
Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez
Key Players
Kylian Mbappe
He is one of the youngest members of the French team but Mbappe is also their best player. The forward has netted five goals and made two assists in this campaign already and he will be looking to make a big impact in this final against Argentina once again.
Lionel Messi
He has been Argentina’s shining star throughout this campaign and Messi will be expected to deliver once again as they lock horns with France in the final. The PSG star has already scored five goals and made three assists in this World Cup, and he will be eager to add more to his tally to give his team the upper hand in this match.
Prediction
Both teams have quality players on their roster, including a good mixture of youth and experience. But France have looked more settled as a defensive unit in most matches than Argentina and that gives them the upper hand going into this final. So, we are backing Les Bleus to win this game by a 3-2 scoreline.
