Noelle Matthews
- Argentina v France
- Sunday, December 18, 2022, 10:00 ET
- At the Lusail International Stadium, Lusail
The 2022 World Cup Final sees Argentina and France clash in the world’s biggest game for the first time in their history and a classic battle awaits us.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks it is clear that bookmakers are finding it hard to separate the two rivals ahead of this game. Bettors favor neither Argentina nor France, although there are some slight inconsistencies across the bookmakers’ prices. Both Argentina and France is around the +180 mark, while the normal time draw is considered a +210 chance .
| Argentina v France |  |  |
| Argentina | +182 | +180 |
| Draw | +210 | +210 |
| France | +184 | +175 |
World Cup Final Briefing
Two of the biggest soccer nations on the planet, France and Argentina have a rivalry that goes all the way back to the very first World Cup in 1930 when Argentina won 1-0 in Montevideo.
That hasn’t been the story for much of their history, however, as France has won six of their twelve meetings, with three draws and three wins for Argentina.
They met again at the World Cup in 1978, when Argentina won 2-1 thanks to a goal by Leopoldo Luque after Michel Platini had equalized for France. That was the tournament in which Argentina went on to win the World Cup for the first time in its history, but the next time that they met in a World Cup, in 2018, the game took a different course, with France eventually winning 4-3 in a Round of 16 thriller.
Messi On the Verge of Greatest Achievement
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two outstanding football talents of their generation and for both of them, this was their last realistic shot at a World Cup winner’s medal.
Ronaldo’s tournament came to an undignified end, but his great rival has the chance to sign off with victory on the biggest stage and to life the one trophy missing from his resume. He has been here before, in 2014, when he almost single-handedly dragged Argentina to the final, only to lose out to Germany, but if he were to finally win the World Cup at this stage in his career it would be his greatest achievement.
His playing time is carefully managed these days, but he has more help from the supporting cast, most notably from Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez. It was Messi who took Argentina through a tricky semi-final against Croatia and in the big moments, he can always be relied upon.
As a bonus for head coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina will have Gonzalo Montiel and Marcus Acuna back for this game after their suspensions, which gives him more options as he plans his strategy.
Deschamps Close to Making History
For Didier Deschamps, reaching the World Cup final for a second consecutive time as head coach is a major achievement, as well as vindication, and he could make a little history if he can guide his team through to the trophy again.
Brazil holds the record for consecutive final appearances, with three, from 1994 to 2002, but no team in the modern 32-nation World Cup era has won back-to-back trophies.
France has shown all its experience in this competition, coping well with losing three major players on the eve of the tournament, and showing the ability to dig deep and fight, as they did against England and, for a time, against Morocco. Deschamps also showed his tactical awareness in the semi-final, moving Kylian Mbappe into the center and having Marcus Thuram mark Achraf Hakimi.
Strong in defense, dynamic in midfield and almost unstoppable up front, France is the strongest team to attempt to retain a World Cup title for many decades.
World Cup Final Match Betting
In a World Cup that has been full of surprises, this is perhaps the hardest game to predict of them all. Two of the strongest soccer nations with proud World Cup histories, featuring some of the best players in the world competing for the ultimate soccer glory.
Both teams have all the talent required to win a World Cup and both have shown the team spirit and psychological resilience required to succeed at this level.
In terms of experience, France has the edge, both its team and in its coach, but Argentina has Messi, and a sense of destiny. We might hope for a classic end to end final, with plenty of goalmouth action, and who knows, we may get that. But whether it is high scoring or low scoring, it will be tough to separate these two teams and it would be no surprise to see this Final go to extra time .
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the World Cup
Check out the best soccer betting sites below. You can enjoy the most competitive odds with the best World Cup betting sites when you wager with these recommended betting partners.
