Prediction and odds: Argentina (9/5) vs France (9/5)

We’re backing Draw/France (HT/FT) at 5/1

When: Sunday, 18th December 2022 – 3pm KO (GMT)

Where: Lusail Iconic Stadium

Argentina and France will meet in football’s greatest showcase on Sunday evening in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.

Argentina

For so many years now, Argentina have been waiting for their moment to hold that beautiful trophy once again. They first captured it in 1978 and then, eight years later, they repeated the feat in 1986. The days of Diego Maradona have obviously been and gone but now, the hope amongst their millions of fans is that Lionel Messi will finally be able to lead them back to the top of world football after such a long time away.

They took the long road to get here but after stumbling past Saudi Arabia, they made it through their group unscathed. A few close calls in the knockouts were followed by a semi-final collision with Croatia, which is where this team was able to really shine. They stuck three past the 2018 finalists without response and as a result, they’ll get the chance to right the wrong of their German heartbreak in 2014.

France

The dominant force, the ever-present. France are the reigning world champions after adding to their 1998 triumph by finding similar success in 2018. This is a squad full of natural winners and while they didn’t put up a great account of themselves at Euro 2020, none of that matters now. With Kylian Mbappe leading the charge once again, Les Bleus has the chance to turn this era into a genuine dynasty.

The group stage featured obstacles but after two comfortable enough wins, a defeat to Tunisia didn’t matter a whole lot as their passage through to the last 16 was already secured. They struggled against Poland and England, with some controversy thrown in there for good measure, but still survived. Then, against stubborn Morocco, they showcased their strength in depth to book a second consecutive appearance in the final.

Conclusion

We don’t know this for sure but we do expect Argentina vs France to be one of the best World Cup finals of all time. At the very least, it has the potential to reach that kind of summit. We think the Argentines will take advantage of a slow French start and, probably through the magician himself, will be able to take the lead.

From there, France will wake up and realise what kind of fight they are in. Through patience, quality and composure, they’ll equalise to leave us at 1-1 heading into half-time. The second half will be much of the same with Argentina dwindling and when they’ve got them against the ropes, they’ll score two in quick succession to win 3-1 and conquer the world for the third time.

Our tips (all taken from bet365): Draw/France (HT/FT) at 5/1 + over 2.5 goals at 11/8

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