World Cup Final: Argentina vs France Betting Odds & Recap

Legacy Match for Messi

⚽Argentina vs France: Game Recap⚽

Results: Argentina 3-3 France

The 2022 World Cup final can only be described as the most remarkable final of any tournament. Argentina recovered from a tremendous French comeback and earned Lionel Messi a fairytale ending after a 4-2 penalty shootout.

Kylian Mbappe had scored a stunning late double in 90 seconds to force an extra-time that had scarcely seemed likely after the first-half goals from Messi and Angel Di Maria had rewarded Argentina’s dominance.

Messi seemed set to have the final say after all when he bundled an extra-time winner, but an extraordinary game took yet again another twist. Mbappe completed his hat trick with a second penalty to make it 3-3 and send a breathless contest to spot-kicks.

The youthful star and the old master both scored in the shootout. However, France’s Kingsley Coman saw his attempt saved, and Aurelien Tchouameni missed, allowing Gonzalo Montiel to settle the thriller and win Argentina a third title.

Lionel Scaloni’s side has lifted the cup for the first time since 1986! Messi finally matched the late Diego Maradona’s feat and secured the only major trophy that had eluded him in what he has said will be his last tournament.

France had seen their preparations hindered by illness, Argentina showed intent from the off, Messi drifting into early pockets and Alexis Mac Allister drilling into the torso of Hugo Lloris.

Angel Di Maria skied a cutback as Argentina’s dominance continued. Soon after, the Juventus winger went to the ground after an Ousmane Dembele nudge; Messi stroked home from 12 yards to set more tournament records.

Further punishment soon came from Di Maria himself, finishing off a flowing counter-attack after being set up by Mac Allister, and Didier Deschamps hooked Dembele and Olivier Giroud before the end of a half in which his side failed to record a shot.

Mbappe sent a snapshot well over the bar as France sought a way back that seemed implausible until Nicolas Otamendi pulled back Marcus Thuram and their star forward lashed past Emi Martinez.

That set up a grandstand finish, but Mbappe struck a stunning second just 97 seconds later, playing a one-two with Thuram before a swiveling on the volley to spark wild celebrations and extend the contest.

Messi, sensing history on his side, tapped in a Lautaro Martinez shot on the rebound. However, the game lurched away from Argentina again when Mbappe aimed, and Montiel was punished for a raised arm, and France was awarded another penalty.

Another emphatic spot-kick secured the 23-year-old the Golden Boot, but though he held his nerve again in the shootout, Emiliano Martinez denied Coman, and Tchouameni dragged wide.

Montiel made no mistake in ending Argentina’s drought, rendering their Saudi Arabia shock a footnote, and writing Messi’s dream final chapter.

📊 Team Stats 📊

ARG ArgentinaFRA France
54%Possession46%
21Total Shots10
9Shots on Target5
9Shots Wide2
3Shots Blocked3
2Saves6
6Corners5
4Yellow Cards3
0Red Cards0
26Fouls19
4Offsides4
83%Pass Accuracy77%
7Dribbles17
17Crosses24
23Tackles26

Did We Get It Right?

Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on December 15, 2022.

France Vying for Repeat Title

It’s quite incredible that Didier Deschamps and France have managed to reach another World Cup final. They’ve dealt with countless injuries and key players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba had to pull out of the side. In any case, they’ve adjusted well and can become just the third team in history to win repeat World Cup trophies. Their opponents on Sunday, Argentina, are incredibly hungry for a first World Cup win since 1986. Lionel Messi would have a strong case to be called soccer’s “Greatest of All Time” if Argentina pull it off. For a blockbuster final, we’ll preview the match and run through the Argentina vs France betting odds.

Argentina vs France

Date & Time & Streaming:
Location: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
Streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock

Team Standings and Odds:

TeamFIFA World RankingWorld Cup Qualifying RecordGroup Stage StandingsOdds to Win World Cup
Argentina311-6-0, 2nd CONMEBOL2-1, 1st Group C-110
France45-3-0, 1st UEFA Group D2-1, 1st Group D-120

Head-to-Head:

All Meetings:Teams
Jun 1978: Argentina 2-1 France
Mar 1986:France 2-0 Argentina
Feb 2007: France 0-1 Argentina
Feb 2009:France 0-2 Argentina
Jun 2018: France 4-3 Argentina

France and Argentina have met 12 times in their history and three of those have come in the World Cup. In a seven-goal thriller four years ago, France knocked out Argentina in the round of 16. Argentina’s 4-3 loss marked the first time in their history they lost a match despite scoring three or more goals. In the match, France’s Kylian Mbappe also became the first teenager since Pele to score two or more goals in a World Cup match. France went on to win the 2018 World Cup but they’ve lost their other two World Cup matches vs. Argentina. This will be the first opportunity to take the Argentina vs France Betting Odds in a World Cup final.

ARGArgentina: Messi Dominant vs. Croatia

Previous Match: 3-0 W vs. Croatia
Injuries and Suspensions: None Reported

Argentina put in their most complete performance of the tournament vs. Croatia. La Albiceleste took a 34th minute lead as Julian Alvarez won a penalty that Lionel Messi slotted home. With the goal, Messi became Argentina’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup. Alvarez was also involved in all three of the goals in the 3-0 win and added a second goal before halftime. Argentina successfully thwarted Croatia’s attacks in the second half and Messi was sublime. The 35-year old skillfully got past Josko Gvardiol on the goal line and dished out an assist to Alvarez.

Unlike in their previous knockout stage matches, Argentina didn’t concede in the second half. After a dominant win, their World Cup winner odds stand at -110. Argentina are now 5-0 at qualifying for the World Cup final when they reach the semis and La Albiceleste last appeared in a World Cup final in 2014, when they lost 1-0 to Germany in extra time.

It’s stunning to see Messi still playing at such a high level. Still, his supporting cast deserves a lot of credit too. Midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez were by no means guaranteed starters before the tournament. Their performances have been excellent and Fernandez is a -300 favorite to win the Young Player Award.

Rodrigo de Paul has also been excellent in midfield in recent matches. Argentina look like a completely different team from the one that lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opener. The belief and chemistry are palpable and Messi can cement his legacy with a win here. If he’s not the greatest player of all time, he’s certainly close. He’s only without a World Cup trophy to his name and that could change come Sunday. La Albiceleste will need a big effort defensively and will get left back Marcos Acuna back from a suspension. Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi and Nahuel Molina are expected to be the other three starters.

FRAFrance: Keep First Clean Sheet

Previous Match: 2-0 W vs. Morocco
Injuries and Suspensions: D Lucas Hernandez (Out), M Adrien Rabiot (Day-to-Day)

France bent but they didn’t break in the second half vs. Morocco. Theo Hernandez put Les Bleus up with an acrobatic scissor kick just five minutes in. Then, they were on the defensive for a large portion of the match. With Adrien Rabiot out with an illness, Morocco had their way in the center of the park. Despite all of Morocco’s chances, France managed to keep them out and keep their first clean sheet of the entire tournament. Randal Kolo Muani sealed things for France in the second half by scoring with his first touch of the match.

Now, France are in their second consecutive final. The FIFA World Cup odds price France at -120 odds to defend their title and they’ve got the personnel to do it. Kylian Mbappe is level with Messi on five goals in the tournament and has been electric. Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud recently became France’s all-time leading scorer. The veteran has scored four times after failing to register a goal in 2018. Antoine Griezmann has been another standout and has provided some incredible service. He’s registered three assists, which is tied for the most in the tournament.

Despite France’s win, they do have a tendency to drift through matches a bit. With a little more cutting edge in the final third, Morocco easily could have pulled off a comeback. If France go up vs. Argentina, they’ll need to do a better job of killing the game off. The same goes for Argentina, though, who gave up a two-goal lead vs. the Netherlands in the quarterfinal. Regardless, France are looking to become just the third team to successfully defend their World Cup title. Didier Deschamps has done an excellent job of making adjustments and his decisions have often been spot on.

All-Time Record

Argentina Wins: 6
France Wins: 3
Draws: 3

Match Analysis and Odds:

Argentina vs. France is a dream final for many and it features two of the best players in the world. PSG teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe will face off for soccer’s biggest trophy. The Argentina vs France Betting Odds imply that this match will be an incredibly tight affair. Sunday’s World Cup final is listed as a pick’em. Argentina and France show -105 and -115 ATS odds, respectively. France are ever-so-slight moneyline favorites, showing +175 odds compared to Argentina’s +180.

Three of the last four World Cup finals have gone into extra time and a draw comes in at +210 odds here. It’s worth noting that France have never lost a World Cup final in regulation. They won outright in 1998 and 2018 and lost in penalties to Italy in 2006. Argentina are 2-3 in World Cup finals all-time and lost to Germany in extra time in 2014. Lionel Messi will likely become the first player ever to win the World Cup Golden Ball, as the tournament’s best player, on two separate occasions.

Messi, who holds the tiebreaker for most assists, is priced at -110 odds to win the Golden Boot. Meanwhile Mbappe shows +105 odds. Two-goal games from Argentina’s Julian Alvarez or France’s Olivier Giroud could also win them the award.

Messi sits at -400 odds to win and he could complete the Golden Ball and Golden Boot double. He and Kylian Mbappe are both on five goals heading into the final. Messi, who holds the tiebreaker for most assists, is priced at -110 odds to win the Golden Boot. Meanwhile Mbappe shows +105 odds. Two-goal games from Argentina’s Julian Alvarez or France’s Olivier Giroud could also win them the award. They both come in at +1000 odds. Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann both scored in the 2018 final and will be itching to get on the scoresheet once again.

It’s worth monitoring the status of Adrien Rabiot heading into the match, as France’s midfield looked vulnerable vs. Morocco on Saturday. Argentina have often bossed the center of the pitch during the tournament and have shown the ability to pounce on mistakes. Both teams will be concerned about counter attacks. Messi and Mbappe are two of the most deadly players in the world on the break and can create goal scoring chances seemingly out of thin air.

Three of the last four finals have finished with two goals or fewer but over two goals comes in at -120 odds here. Both teams have habitually conceded late goals so closing out the match will be of the utmost importance. Substitutions could be key and both Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps got things right in the semifinal. This is the biggest match of Messi’s life and expect him to be fired up in his last chance to win an elusive World Cup title.

Argentina vs France FAQ

When is the 2022 World Cup final?

The World Cup final between Argentina and France is on Sunday, December 18th at 10:00 a.m. EST.

How many times have Argentina and France won the World Cup?

Argentina and France have both won the World Cup twice heading into the 2022 final. France won in 1998 and 2018, while Argentina took home the title in 1978 and 1986.

How many times has there been a repeat World Cup champion?

France are looking to become just the third team to become repeat champions. Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962 and Italy won in both 1934 and 1938.
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