Fifa World Final; Argentina v France
Where: Lusail Stadium, Lusail; when: Monday 4am [NZ time]
Live coverage: Sky Sport 1, Sky Summum 7, Primus, live updates on Stuff
Both France and Argentina will aim to lift their third World Cup when they meet in the final at Lusail Stadium on Monday (NZT).
Blues defending champions after four years of triumph in Russia. They also won the title on home soil in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.
France will become the first nation to host the World Cup since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, surpassing Argentina, winners in 1978 and 1986.
La Albiceleste he is playing in his second final in three tournaments – and his sixth overall – losing 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 decider.
They bounced back from a first-up loss in Saudi Arabia to win their next five games (a 2-2 draw on penalties) in Belgium and advance to the title match.
France, meanwhile, was pressed by both Morocco and England in an urgent way to find a way, although the possession and territory had been granted.
Didier Deschamps’ side scored 13 goals in their six games (a tournament-high against England) but kept just one clean sheet in the final. Argentina, on the other hand, scored 12 and kept their opponents three times worse than Qatar.
Expected to be tight, the cage final was nothing like the free-for-all show four years ago when France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow. The error or the importance of individual shiners probably determined the outcome – or perhaps even the dreaded penalty.
Key people
Lionel Messi: This 35-year-old Argentine icon will have his last shot at World Cup glory as he has confirmed that he will not be at the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico in four years time.
Messi has been the best player in Qatar for some time, scoring five goals and providing three assists to his team-mates to almost single-handedly lead Argentina to the final.
Can he become the strongest player in the world, like the late idol Diego Maradona?
Kylian Mbappe: Messi’s club team is a man who is likely to lose his World Cup dream and claim his second title in 23 years.
Mbappe has been in relentless form in Qatar and like Messi has five goals to his name to lead the way for the Golden Boot. However, the relatively quiet Paris Saint-Germain striker was kept out by England and Morocco and did not find the net when he failed to find the brace in the round of 16 draw against Poland.
But if anyone can rise to the occasion, it’s Mbappe, who was in attack against Croatia four years ago as a teenager. Do not repeat the fraud against him in Lusail.
Predicted lineups
France: Hugo Lloris, Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez, Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembele, Antione Greizmann, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud
Argentina: Emi Martinez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis McAllister, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez
form
Argentina: Beat Croatia 3-0, beat Belgium 4-3 on penalties after trailing 2-2, beat Australia 2-1, beat Poland 2-0, beat Mexico 2-0, beat Saudi Arabia 2-1.
France: Beat Morocco 2-0, beat England 2-1, beat Poland 3-1, lost Tunisia 1-0, beat Denmark 2-1, beat Australia 4-1.
Alex Grimm / Getty Images
Lionel Messi aims to emulate his late idol Diego Maradona by leading Argentina to World Cup victory.
History
Argentina and France have played each other three times at the World Cup, in 1930, 1978 and 2018.
Argentina won their first two group stage matches (1-0 in 1930 and 2-1 in 1978), but were defeated in the last 16 four years ago.
In the 12th overall meeting, Argentina takes the part with six wins and three of France, with three sets of matches. They have not met since the 2018 World Cup.
A story
Lionel Messi: “[I feel] I’m happy to get it. To complete the career of My World in the last game to play finally. Everything I’ve experienced in this World Cup, what people have experienced and how much people have brought back in Argentina, it’s all very emotional.
France in part Didier Deschamps: “The emotion is there, the pride is there, it will be the last step.”