Argentina vs. France, 2022 FIFA World Cup final: What to watch for

We have reached the biggest match of them all. The World Cup final takes place tomorrow at Lusail Iconic Stadium, and Argentina and France will be the two teams that compete for the right to be called 2022 World Cup champions.

Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images

World Cup rooting guide

We know that most of you already have a rooting interest in the World Cup. But that’s probably just habit. SB Nation has devised a quiz based on your style of sports fandom that will scientifically* decide which team you really should be rooting for. Take it here!

*no actual science was used, your mileage may vary

Both teams have won twice before: Argentina won their two trophies in 1978 and 1986, while France is the current titleholders, having won in 2018. They also won in 1998. The winner tomorrow will become the second team, after Germany, to hoist the current FIFA World Cup trophy 3 times since it debuted in 1974.

But beyond that, there’s a lot of history that will be present on the field tomorrow. For Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain and one of the greatest players of all time, it will be his record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance. He has already broken the record of most World Cup appearances as captain during this tournament. France, on the other hand, could become the first team to repeat as World Cup champions since Brazil did it in 1962.

Finally, the star power that will be on the field will be tremendous: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Julián Álvarez, Olivier Giroud, Emi Martínez, Antoine Griezmann...the list goes on. However, some of France’s team could be missing in action tomorrow, as the team has suffered some sort of viral outbreak that has kept some players out of practice. There was also the rumors that 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who left the team due to injury on the eve of their opening match, could return to be a part of the team, though the French Football Federation has downplayed those rumors.

It all sets up tomorrow’s match, which should be a thriller for all who tune in to watch.

How they got here

Argentina

L (1-2) - Saudi Arabia - 2022 World Cup Group C

W (2-0) - Mexico - 2022 World Cup Group C

W (2-0) - Poland - 2022 World Cup Group C

W (2-1) - Australia - World Cup Round of 16

D (2(4)-2(3)) - Netherlands - World Cup Quarterfinals

W (3-0) - Croatia - 2022 World Cup Semifinals

France

W (4-1) - Australia - 2022 World Cup Group C

W (2-1) - Denmark - 2022 World Cup Group C

L (0-1) - Tunisia - 2022 World Cup Group C

W (3-1) - Poland - World Cup Round of 16

W (2-1) - England - World Cup Quarterfinals

W (2-0) - Morocco - 2022 World Cup Semifinals

What To Watch For

Lionel Messi vs. France’s defense. It will be quite intriguing to see how the French plan to deal with the wizardry of Lionel Messi. He’s going to try and find the holes in the back line to pass through, and sometimes he’ll just pass through holes that aren’t even there. How France contains Messi’s ability to create could be the difference in the match.

Kylian Mbappé vs. Argentina’s defense. On the other side of the field, Kylian Mbappé will look to sprint past Argentina’s defenders to get shots on goal. And he will take shots. With other guys on France being responsible for creating on the attack, Mbappé will look to finish, or find guys like Giroud in the middle to smash it home.

Will this be a track meet? Both France and Argentina like to operate in open space, and their defenses are not known to keep things tight. This could be a match full of actions on both ends of the field, which means fans should breathe whenever possible. There could be a ton of exciting moments in this one.

Prediction

Lionel Messi will walk off the field at a World Cup for the final time with a medal. And that medal will be...

Ha nope! We’re not predicting anything in this one. Let’s just enjoy the ride. Hit the comments and offer your own predictions if you feel strongly about what will happen tomorrow!