Argentina v France: team news, preview and how to watch
Argentina saw off a formidable Croatia side 3-0 in the semi-final
France overcame surprise package Morocco to reach the Final
The teams were involved in a memorable encounter at Russia 2018
Argentina and France will contest the Final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Sunday, with both teams on the hunt for a third global crown.
La Albiceleste are looking to lift the prestigious Trophy for the first time since 1986, while Didier Deschamps’ men could become one of the very few national teams to successfully defend their title. Argentina, after an initial slip-up, finished top of Group C. They subsequently defeated Australia 2-1 in the last 16 in a match notable for an outstanding performance from talisman Lionel Messi, prior to beating the Netherlands on penalties in a tumultuous quarter-final encounter that had ended 2-2.
In the last four, the South Americans secured a berth in the Final with a comfortable 3-0 win over Croatia. France, meanwhile, topped Group D and went on to seal a 3-1 success versus Poland in their first knockout test. In the quarters and semis, Les Bleus were pushed all the way by England and Morocco, but they dug deep to pull off 2-1 and 2-0 victories respectively.
18 December, 18.00 Doha time
Lusail Stadium
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland) Assistant referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (Poland) Assistant referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (Poland) Fourth official: Ismail Elfath (United States) Reserve assistant referee: Kathryn Nesbitt (United States) VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has a full complement of players to choose from, with Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel available again after serving their suspensions. France’s Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot, who missed the Morocco match due to a virus, are doubtful but could feature.
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Acuna; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister; Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi.
France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Youssouf Fofana, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe; Olivier Giroud.
The two powerhouses have locked horns 12 times in total, with Argentina winning six and France winning three; the remaining three matches ended in draws.
They have met three times at the World Cup: a 1-0 triumph for Argentina (thanks to a goal by Luis Monti) at Uruguay 1930, a 2-1 win for La Albiceleste on home soil in 1978 (Daniel Passarella and Leopoldo Luque on the scoresheet for Argentina), and a spectacular 4-3 victory for Les Bleus at Russia 2018 (Antoine Griezmann, Benjamin Pavard and a Kylian Mbappe brace for France sealed the win).
This is the second World Cup in a row that these teams have crossed swords.
From that Russia 2018 clash, 15 players remain: seven for the South Americans, eight for the Europeans.
Argentina are playing in their sixth World Cup Final, while this is France’s fourth appearance in the tournament’s showpiece match.
Didier Deschamps, France coach “This is not the same Argentina team that we faced four years ago.”
Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach “Winning is always beneficial, and before a final it’s the best rest and remedy we can get. We’ve been able to give all 23 outfield players some minutes, and that’s fundamental to me.”
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