Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, teammates at PSG, will meet face to face in the most anticipated match for all soccer fans worldwide, the Qatar 2022 World Cup Grand Final.
The predictions, in part, came true. Argentina, the reigning champion of America and the Finalissima, and France, who wants to retain the title of Russia 2018, will meet in a final unprecedented in the history of World Cups.
Of the 32 teams that started this World Cup on November 20 with the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador, two remain in the race to lift the trophy of world champions.
Weeks went by and fatigue accumulated. But there is less and less time left to find out who will lift the most coveted cup of all.
Thus, the first rival in the history of World Cups will be the last in Qatar 2022 for Argentina, which will seek its third star and close the brilliant international career of Lionel Messi after 17 years, four months, and one day.
France was present in Uruguay in 1930 and shared the group with Argentina, who have since faced each other 12 times. Nevertheless, the South Americans have managed to win six, draw three and lose three games (the last at Russia in 2018, in the Round of 16). And it will be the fourth match in the World Cup.
When:
Sunday, December 18 at 10:00 AM ET at the Lusail Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Argentina +182
France +173
Draw-Offs:
+204
Where Can I watch it?
Why Bet on France
France confirmed their tag of favorites to go to the end of this World Cup to defend their title won in Russia 2018. We do not doubt that French soccer has been making waves in the last two decades, winning two titles and one runner-up from France 98 to Russia 2018.
France’s road to this Final has not been that complicated. In the Group Stage, they reaffirmed their favoritism by leading Group D with a 2-1 record, losing their last match of this phase to Tunisia, playing with a team full of substitute players.
In the Round of 16, they crushed Poland with a score of 3-1, with a spectacular Kylian Mbappé scoring 2 of his team’s three goals. Then they had a great match against England, winning 2-1.
In the semifinals, they faced the big surprise of the tournament, Morocco, and were very close to being stoned by this African team. Although they conceded no goals in the match, Morocco had the opportunity to score goals on more than one occasion.
Although France won the semifinal 2-0 against Morocco, they did not show the power they have been accustomed to in recent years.
Mbappé, at 23 years of age, wants to win his second consecutive World Cup and the third for the French national team.
Why Bet on Argentina
On the other hand, we have Lionel Messi’s Argentina, a team that, in addition to having outstanding players, plays with heart and with the support of a tireless fan base that does not stop shouting for a single second in every game played by the national team.
Argentina’s road to the Grand Final began after an unexpected defeat against Saudi Arabia in the first match of the group stage. However, this conditioned the Argentine team tremendously, which then had to play two do-or-die games against Mexico and Poland to qualify in the first place of Group C.
In the Round of 16, they faced Australia, another team that caused surprises in the Group Stage, whom they defeated with an excellent score of 2-1.
This allowed them to reach one of the best matches we have seen in this World Cup, Argentina vs. Netherlands, in the Quarterfinals. This match did not disappoint, and even though Argentina was leading 2-0 with 10 minutes to play, the Dutch managed to even the score and send the match to penalties.
With an outstanding performance by Dibu Martinez, Argentina beat the Netherlands and qualified for the semifinal against Croatia.
The Croatians arrived emboldened after eliminating the favorite, Brazil, in the quarterfinals. Still, Argentina played a spectacular game and won 3-0, thanks to two goals by Julián Alvarez and one by Leo Messi.
Final Betting Analysis: Argentina vs. France
It is the most awaited final because it pits the best teams, two of the first favorites, and the tournament’s highest scorers.
At MyBookie.ag, we can see that there is a Moneyline that favors France at +173, while Argentina starts at +182.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé come in as the top scorers of the World Cup (5 goals), and it will be a clash of the best.
It could be Messi’s icing on the cake: winning a World Cup to be the undisputed best in history. Or it can be the consolidation of Mbappé’s legend: like Pelé, to have two World Cups before the age of 25.
That said, our selection for this great Final is a victory for Argentina with a score of 2-1.
Look for a straight win on the Moneyline Argentina. For example, if you put $100 on Argentina at +182, you’ll be looking at a $182 win with a total payout of $282.
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