After four weeks of intense action in Qatar where the best international teams played for a shot to win the next World Cup title, we are down to the finals. The clash takes place on Sunday, December 18, and a pair of two-time champions take the stage. Argentina comfortably booked a spot in the final following a 3-0 win over 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, while defending champions France ended Morocco’s incredible journey to reach its fourth World Cup final.

But for either team to add another star to their crest, they will need the entire squad to be their absolute best. That said, Nitrobetting guides you through the important talking points of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final.

Argentina vs. France 2022 FIFA World Cup Final Preview

A fierce Argentina armada

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni gets the full potential of his squad. It’s almost rare to see his lineup firing on full cylinders following a grueling, month-long campaign in Qatar. The only questionable players on the list feature veteran midfielder Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala, as the former sat on the bench against Croatia in the semifinal. Meanwhile, the man from Roma saw just 16 minutes of playtime off the bench. Nevertheless, Julian Alvarez has been picking up the slack as he works alongside top goalscorer favorite (odds) Lionel Messi.

There’s almost nothing separating Argentina from France. There are reasons to worry about the South American squad as much as the Europeans. La Albiceleste started their campaign on the wrong side of things and lost to Saudi Arabia. They struggled to take their chances at times and have not been as clinical as some of their results suggest.

The Argentines need to keep the physical aspect of their game to create more chances. Their 12 bookings in the competition are among the highest in the World Cup. Even after a comfortable win over Croatia, they picked up two bookings and a bizarre nine cards in the quarter-final clash against the Netherlands. The speed of the French forwards could force them into sticky situations and clumsy tackles.

As a +182 match winner, there’s a good chance that Lionel Messi completes his portfolio on Sunday. His team needs him more than ever, and we look forward to an amazing performance from the mythical player in possibly his final World Cup game.

The French selection going all-out

France powered through their early injury woes with a deep selection of players. Didier Deschamps is without Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Presnel Kimpembe, Christopher Nkunuku, Mike Maignan, and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema. All aforementioned players missed the competition with pre-World Cup injuries. Adding insult to the injury list was when they lost Lucas Hernandez to a torn ACL in the opening game against Australia.

Theo Hernandez covered for his brother and continues to do well on the pitch, while Olivier Giroud has been a fantastic replacement for Benzema. Topping this all off is top goalscorer (odds) favorite Kylian Mbappe looking good ahead of the final match.

Les Bleus kept the yellow cards to a minimum, but the game that resembles what we may see in the final is their clash against England. France nearly dropped the ball in that contest and picked up three yellow of their five yellow cards in the tournament.

The +182 World Cup final winners have plenty of attacking talent to spare. They have put it on full display in the last few weeks, but Argentina has been a commendable defensive team in the tournament. This will likely keep Kylian Mbappe and company on their toes throughout the match.

Griezmann is also a pivotal component of Deschamps’ squad. He created 21 chances in the tournament, the most of anyone in the World Cup. His creativity in a new role has been simply electrifying to watch. He was sensational against Morocco and played a massive role in France’s offense. Moreover, he wins crucial tackles. His ability to run the attack and win the ball is what the defending champions need to claim that back to back title.

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