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: Argentina vs. France head-to-head record

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 17 December 2022

Ahead of Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and France, Sports Mole takes a look at the head-to-head record between the two teams.

A third World Cup trophy will glisten in the cabinet of Argentina or France as the two international titans prepare to clash in the 2022 final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday.

Lionel Scaloni's side are attempting to follow in the footsteps of the 1978 and 1986 luminaries and advanced to the showpiece contest after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-finals.

Julian Alvarez made the net ripple twice following a venomous penalty from Lionel Messi, who is undoubtedly the neutrals' favourite to lift the trophy aloft in his farewell World Cup match.

Meanwhile, reigning champions France denied Morocco another slice of history, eliminating the first-ever African semi-finalists 2-0 courtesy of goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani.

Serial winner Didier Deschamps is out to make his crop just the third team in history to win successive World Cup titles, which has only ever been achieved by Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).

However, the head-to-head column does not favour those in navy blue, as France and Argentina have met 12 times down the years in all tournaments, and Les Bleus have only come out on top in three of them.

France's Franck Ribery in action with Argentina's Javier Mascherano in February 2009 © Reuters

Three stalemates have also been played out, while Argentina can boast an impressive six wins - the first of which came in the inaugural meeting in the 1930 World Cup group stage via a 1-0 scoreline.

La Albiceleste made it two for two against France at the World Cup in the 1978 group stage, prevailing 2-1 as Leopoldo Luque and skipper Daniel Passarella rendered Michel Platini's goal for France inconsequential.

The Jorge Sampaoli-led Argentines sought to make it three from three against France at the World Cup in the 2018 last 16, but Les Bleus would glean revenge by recording an unforgettable 4-3 win, as Kylian Mbappe (2) and Antoine Griezmann netted alongside the best goal that Benjamin Pavard will ever score in his career.

The majority of Les Bleus' other encounters with Argentina have not been worth writing home about, though, with their only other two wins against the South Americans also coming via a 4-3 scoreline in a 1971 friendly, and they also won an exhibition game 2-0 in 1986.

ARGENTINA VS. FRANCE HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

Argentina wins: 6
France wins: 3
Draws: 3
Argentina goals: 14
France goals: 11

MATCH HISTORY

July 15, 1930: France 0-1 Argentina (World Cup)
June 3, 1965: France 0-0 Argentina (International Friendly)
January 8, 1971: Argentina 3-4 France (International Friendly)
January 12, 1971: Argentina 2-0 France (International Friendly)
June 25, 1972: Argentina 0-0 France (Independence)
May 18, 1974: France 0-1 Argentina (International Friendly)
June 26, 1977: Argentina 0-0 France (International Friendly)
June 6, 1978: Argentina 2-1 France (World Cup)
March 26, 1986: France 2-0 Argentina (International Friendly)
February 7, 2007: France 0-1 Argentina (International Friendly)
February 11, 2009: France 0-2 Argentina (International Friendly)
June 30, 2018: France 4-3 Argentina (World Cup)