2022 FIFA World Cup Potential Final Matchups (Part One)
Only four teams have a shot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup title and a handful of combinations for the final. One thing’s for sure, it’s not the collection of teams you expected. Argentina and France are the two teams that make sense given their history and current lineup. Then the rest is a curveball.
Although Croatia fought its way to the 2018 finals, no one expected the nation to return to this stage of the tournament. Seeing the team’s significant overhaul and recent achievements on the international stage, teams like Belgium and Brazil were well ahead of Croatia on paper. Meanwhile, Morocco is the biggest surprise of the tournament after sending Spain and Portugal home in the knockouts.
So how do the 2022 FIFA World Cup potential final matchups stack up? Let’s check out the first two possibilities for soccer fans and bettors.
A Look into the 2022 FIFA World Cup Potential Final Matchups
We're down to our final four!
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 13, 2022
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READ MORE: 2022 FIFA World Cup Potential Final Matchups (Part Two)
Argentina vs. France
This is the only potential match that features two World Cup winners and one that replays a Round of 16 meeting at Russia four years ago. We know for a fact that this is a game that will deliver non-stop action as it did in the Kazan Arena. Their previous clash featured seven goals, including the Goal of the Tournament scored by Benjamin Pavard in the 57th minute.
Now, this is a battle of two international soccer legacies. For Argentina, it’s all about Messi and possibly his final World Cup appearance. The World Cup is the only trophy missing from his portfolio, with Maradona’s spirit firing the team up. The FC Barcelona legend and now PSG forward has had a fantastic tournament so far and is a strong contender for the golden ball award. His assist against the Netherlands was one of his finest moments in the knockouts. We can count on Messi playing a critical role on their way to the finals as Argentina takes on Croatia as -116 favorites.
Meanwhile, Messi faces his PSG teammate and 2022 FIFA World Cup leading goal scorer Kylian Mbappe. The 23-year-old is already an international legend following his debut performance in 2018. Although the forward was tame against England in the quarter-finals, his five goals continue to lead in Qatar. The French forward continues to exceed expectations considering the bar he set in his maiden World Cup. Mbappe’s top goalscorer odds lead us to believe that he can fire one past Emiliano Martinez. But, he has to overcome the persistent defense of Morocco in the semis before all of this can happen.
Ultimately, this is the dream final everyone wants to see: a pair of club teammates and superstars fighting it out for the greatest international soccer trophy.
Croatia vs. France
We would love to see Croatia finally get another shot at taking down France. In fact, only once before has there been a rematch in a consecutive World Cup finals when Argentina and West Germany in 1986 and 1990.
Croatia making their way to the final would be considerably more surprising since major lineup changes. They started out as early knockout-stage underdogs but made their way to the semi-finals. This is not a superstar-packed lineup. Zlatko Dalić put together a pack of formidable players that feature a high work rate and defensive capabilities. They survived and held off Brazil and a lively Japanese side in the knockouts. Nevertheless, for a small nation to record such achievements is already a win. Reaching two straight finals would be a good addition to their resume, and doing it by eliminating Brazil and Argentina in a row would be even more of an accomplishment. Before everything else, the Vatreni need to get past Argentina as +402 underdogs.
France has met Croatia four times since winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The advantage goes to Les Bleus as they hold a 2-1-1 record against the Southeastern Europeans. However, Croatia won the most recent meetup in a 1-0 victory thanks to a Luka Modric penalty kick. Things might be tighter this time around. The personnel in that match might be different from what would be on the pitch in this one, but that stands true for both teams. The French squad perseveres as favorites to win this one and is the better side in print.
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