- Introduction
It’s hard to believe that another FIFA World Cup is already upon us. The 2018 tournament was one for the history books, with exciting matches, breakthrough teams, and surprising results. And now, just two years later, we are gearing up for what promises to be an even more thrilling event. The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar, making it the first time the tournament will be held in the Middle East.
While there are sure to be many amazing moments during the month-long event, the final match is sure to be the most anticipated. So, who will make it to the final? France and Argentina seem to be the frontrunners at this point in time. Both teams have a long history of success in the World Cup, with France winning in 1998 and Argentina taking home the trophy in 1986. They’ve also both been runners-up on multiple occasions. But only one team can win it all this time around. Who will come out on top?
- Background
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. It was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe, and the 11th time that it had been held in Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup ever. This marked a new record for single-sport events, as well as for FIFA itself.
As is customary with host nations of major tournaments, Russia automatically qualified for the World Cup as the defending champions were not among the 32 teams competing. A total of 64 matches were played in 12 venues across 11 cities. For the first time since 1938, Germany did not advance past the first round of the World Cup finals. The other former champions to be eliminated in the first round were Argentina (fourth title), Uruguay (second title) and Portugal (first title).
France won the tournament for the second time by defeating Croatia 4–2 in the final; this was their first appearance in a final since 2006 when they lost against Italy on penalties 1–3. Along with France, Croatia became only the seventh team to make it to a World Cup final after becoming an independent nation (after Yugoslavia’s breakup). Denmark, South Korea and Russia also made their debuts at this tournament as independent nations since 1991; while Serbia and Montenegro participated for the first time following their re-establishment as separate nations in 2006 (formerly part of Yugoslavia
- The Route to the Final
After an exciting journey to the final, France and Argentina are set to battle it out for the coveted title of World Cup champions.
France’s road to the final has been nothing short of impressive, with dominant wins over Uruguay and Belgium in the knockout stage. Their semifinal victory over England was especially sweet, as they avenged their loss in the Euro 2016 semifinals.
Argentina, on the other hand, have had a more difficult time reaching the final. They narrowly defeated Uruguay in their Round of 16 matchup and then needed a late goal from Lionel Messi to get past Holland in the quarterfinals. But they were able to take down European giants Germany in the semifinals, setting up an intriguing final matchup against France.
Both teams have superstar players that will be key to their success in the final. For France, it will be Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe who will look to lead the way offensively. And for Argentina, Messi will need to be at his best if they want to hoist the World Cup trophy for the first time since 1986.
It promises to be an exciting final between two nations with rich soccer histories. Be sure to tune in on Sunday to catch all the action!
- France vs Argentina: Previous Meetings
In their previous meetings, France and Argentina have met each other 7 times. Out of those 7 times, France has won 3 games while Argentina has won 4 games. The most recent meeting between these two teams was in 2009, which resulted in a 1-0 victory for Argentina. Some of the other notable results include a 2-1 win for Argentina in the 1978 World Cup and a 3-2 win for France in a friendly match in February 2009.
Looking at their previous meetings, it is clear that both teams are evenly matched and it is hard to say who has the upper hand going into this game. However, with both teams being strong contenders for the World Cup title, this game is sure to be an exciting one.
- Head to Head Record
In the history of the FIFA World Cup, France and Argentina have met each other five times. Out of those five meetings, France has won three games and Argentina has won two.
The first time that these two teams played against each other was in the first round of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. France won that game by a score of 1-0. The second meeting between these two teams was in the second round of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In that game, Argentina came out victorious by a score of 2-1.
The third meeting was in the Round of 16 at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Once again, France came out on top by a scoreline of 1-0. The fourth meeting was in the Round of 16 at the 1998 FIFA World Cup where France triumphed by a scoreline of 4-3 on penalties after the game had ended in a draw at full time.
The most recent encounter between these two sides was in the Quarter Finals at the 2014 FIFA World Cup where Argentina emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 1-0 to progress to the Semi Finals where they eventually lost to Germany.
- Key Players
In the final FIFA World Cup, France will take on Argentina. This will be a battle between two of the best teams in the world, and it is sure to be an exciting match. Here are some of the key players that will be taking the field for each team:
For France, Antoine Griezmann is one of the stars of the team. He is a prolific goalscorer, and he will be looking to add to his tally in this match. Kylian Mbappe is another player to watch for France. He is one of the most talented young players in the world, and he has already shown that he can perform on the biggest stage. Hugo Lloris will be in goal for France, and he is a very experienced goalkeeper who has been through a lot with his national team.
For Argentina, Lionel Messi is obviously the biggest star. He is arguably the best player in the world, and he will be looking to lead his team to victory. Sergio Aguero is another player who can make things happen for Argentina. He is a dangerous goalscorer, and he will be looking to add to his tally in this match. Gonzalo Higuain is also a player to watch for Argentina. He is a very experienced striker who has scored some big goals in his career. In goal for Argentina will be Franco Armani, who has been solid for his country over the past few years.
- Prediction
France and Argentina have both had impressive World Cup runs thus far, but only one can be crowned champion. Who will come out on top?
We break down the matchup and make our prediction for the final game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina has Lionel Messi, one of the best players in the world. They also have a solid defense that has only allowed one goal in their last four games. France has a balanced attack with plenty of scoring options. They also have a strong defense that has only allowed two goals in their last four games.
So who will win? We think France will take home the title. They have a more complete team than Argentina and we believe they will be able to contain Messi and other Argentine threats.
- Conclusion
France and Argentina will face off in the final FIFA World Cup 2022. This promises to be an exciting match, as both teams are filled with world-class talent. France is the favorite to win, but Argentina has proved time and time again that they should never be counted out. Who will come out on top? We’ll have to wait and see.
Note:
With the help of Sportslive.to you can watch Who will win the FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022.
Download SportsLive.to App and enjoy the trending live sports streams.