World Cup

[monks data]

World Cup | Final

Dec 18, 2022 at 3pm UK

Lusail Iconic Stadium

Argentina
3 - 3
France

Messi (23' pen., 108'), di Maria (36')
Fernandez (45+7'), Acuna (90+8'), Paredes (114'), Montiel (116'), Martinez (126')

FT
(aet)

Mbappe (80' pen., 81', 118' pen.)
Rabiot (55'), Thuram (87'), Giroud (90+5')

Argentina win 4-2 on penalties

World Cup 2022: Reasons for France to be confident of beating Argentina

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 17 December 2022

Ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and France, Sports Mole looks at three reasons for Les Bleus to be confident of marching to successive titles.

Reigning World Cup champions France will endeavour to become just the third nation in history to win back-to-back titles when they take to the turf against Argentina in Sunday's final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Les Bleus booked their spot in the final for the second tournament running after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals, as Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani made the net ripple either side of the half-time whistle.

Didier Deschamps is dealing with an internal crisis as a virus sweeps through his squad at the worst possible time, but as the holders, Les Bleus still have plenty of reasons to feel confident of ending the Argentinian dream on Sunday.

Here, Sports Mole looks at three factors which could work in France's favour in Sunday's highly-anticipated showpiece event.

Unbeaten South American record

France players react to reaching the World Cup final on December 14, 2022 © Reuters

France are yet to meet a nation from South America at the 2022 World Cup, but when Les Bleus have tackled CONMEBOL outfits in the past, they have ended up on the correct end of the scoreline more often than not.

Indeed, France head into Sunday's final having avoided defeat in each of their last 10 World Cup matches with South American nations, winning six and drawing four against teams from the continent in that time.

Coincidentally, the last South American nation to overcome Les Bleus at the World Cup was Argentina in the 1978 group stage, but France have since gone 44 years without losing to their neighbours from across the Atlantic.

That run also includes a thrilling 4-3 win over Argentina in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup - one of only three wins for the holders in 12 previous meetings with La Albiceleste - and France are also one of two European sides to have ever beaten a South American team in a World Cup final, seeing off Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 edition.

Fantastic firepower

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for France on November 26, 2022 © Reuters

Tunisia may have quelled a shot-shy France attack in their final Group D match, but Les Bleus' previous ruthlessness had already seen them wrap up qualification for the knockout stages, and their first-choice attackers have returned to their merciless ways since.

Deschamps's men have amassed a tournament-high 13 goals across their six matches so far - only quarter-final opponents England also hit that apparent unlucky number during their run to the last eight - and they have struck at least twice in all five games where they have found the back of the net.

Such a clinical nature is hardly a surprise considering that the current France XI boasts their highest-scoring male player of all time in Olivier Giroud, and Kylian Mbappe, whose five goals sees him lead the way at the top of the Golden Boot charts alongside Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi.

Furthermore, Mbappe has now started 11 World Cup matches for France, and Les Bleus have won all 11 of them, with his two appearances off the bench ending in that 1-0 loss to Tunisia and a 0-0 draw with Denmark in 2018.

Keeping the 23-year-old free of infection is therefore of paramount importance to Deschamps, who also possesses one of the tournament's best performers in Antoine Griezmann, who has created more chances for his teammates than anyone else in Qatar - 21 to be exact.

Deschamps's World Cup penchant

There is just something about Didier Deschamps and winning at the World Cup. From the tough-tackling midfielder who won the tournament as a player in 1998 to the wily manager who joined a rare handful of coaches by steering Les Bleus all the way in Russia four years ago.

Only Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer have also won the World Cup as both a player and manager, and few had France down as their favourites to win given their challenging period on and off the field in their build-up to the World Cup, but Deschamps has faced the adversity head on and led his side through the rut.

Of the 18 World Cup matches that Deschamps has taken charge of, 14 have ended in victory at a win percentage of 78%, which is a record for coaches who have overseen at least 10 games at the finals.

Italian luminary Vittorio Pozzo led Italy to World Cup glory in 1934 and 1938, and he is the only man to have won more than one World Cup as a manager to date, but Deschamps certainly possesses enough know-how to become the second member of that exclusive club.