Argentina vs France predictions will be hard to get right. Lionel Messi will look to win his first-ever FIFA World Cup and the first World Cup win for Argentina since 1986, while France will look to win the FIFA World Cup two times in a row. This has only been done twice in the history of the FIFA World Cup. Italy won it in 1934 and 1938 while Brazil won in 1958 and 1962.
The game between these two teams kicks off at 10:00 A.M. ET at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
#FIFAWorldCup Final on @TSN_Sports #ARG vs #FRA
Pre match show begins at
8 am et / 5 am pt pic.twitter.com/dWOOYBx20t— TSN Soccer (@TSNSoccer) December 18, 2022
Argentina vs France Predictions and Best Odds in the Final
Argentina
Form: W-D-W-W-W
Like any FIFA World Cup finalist, Argentina are in good form. The only knockout game where they did not get the win in normal time was against the Netherlands, where Louis van Gaal’s side came back from a 2-0 deficit to take the game to extra time, but were unable to complete the comeback as they lost to penalties.
The main star of this Argentina team is undoubtedly Lionel Messi, and many will feel that the World Cup final will be all about him. Lionel Scaloni said the following about the 35-year-old: “I am honoured to train him and see him play,” said the Argentina head coach. “Every time you see him play, it’s a huge source of motivation for his teammates, fans, and the whole world.”
Messi assisted and scored in the semi-final match against Croatia and won his 10th World Cup Man of the Match Award (fourth in this tournament alone). Messi has the most Man of the Match Awards of any player in the FIFA World Cup.
While Messi is in great form, there is also Julián Álvarez, who has scored four goals for his country. This included two against Croatia in his last FIFA World Cup game.
France
Form: W-W-W-W-W
France have had a near-perfect run to the FIFA World Cup Finals, the only blemish being a 2-1 loss to Tunisia in the group stage. Les Bleus started off the knockout stage dominating Poland 3-1. They then made the semi-finals as Harry Kane’s potential game-tying penalty was off-target. The French then were more efficient in taking advantage of their scoring opportunities and won against Morocco 2-1.
As reported by Chris Jones of CBC News, this is what French left-back from Bayern Munich Lucas Hernandez said:
“Playing two World Cup finals in a row is an incredible moment,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez’s brother Theo scored the critical first goal for his team against Morocco. It would be the only goal in the first half and played a big role in the outcome of the game. He is a player Argentina will need to be aware of.
The two players to watch though are Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud. Mbappé right now has five goals and two assists, while Giroud has four goals and one assist. The defending World Cup champions will hope that Mbappé is France’s answer to Argentina’s Messi.
Giroud played a big role in France’s win against England as he scored the winning goal. Mbappé also stepped up in the semi-finals, paving the way for Hernandez to score the opener.
Head-To-Head
These two teams have only faced each other three times. Argentina have the edge, winning the first two games in International Friendlies in 2007 and 2009. However, it was France who won the more important game. In 2018, the French defeated Argentina 4-3 in the Round of 16 and eliminated them from the FIFA World Cup.
In that game, a young Mbappé played well, scoring two goals. The loss also marked the second-straight time that Argentina lost to the team that would eventually win the FIFA World Cup. They lost in 2014 in the FIFA World Cup Final against Germany.
Argentina vs France Predictions
Argentina 2-3 France
Besides the last game, Argentina had to squeak wins against a lot of their opponents. In particular, they had to battle to get past Australia and let the Netherlands back into the game while leading the game 2-0. There is no room for mistakes though when facing the World Cup champions, France, who will be looking to make their own history.
Yes, it would be a great story for Messi to win his first World Cup in his last-ever appearance in the competition. Les Bleus, though, have been the better team for most of the tournament.
Read More: Will France Win the World Cup in 2022?
Best Odds for Argentina vs France
The odds for this game are very tight. Argentina has a slight edge with 10/11 odds to win the World Cup. This is while France’s odds are at 4/5, according to SkyBet.