Final Predictions > Dec 18th

[StevieDay1983]

The 2022 World Cup final is finally here and it's an epic encounter between Argentina and France. You have to say that both teams have had their bumps in the round during this tournament but it remains a match that is highly-anticipated by the majority of fans. Will Lionel Messi win the World Cup trophy some have claimed he needs to cement his reputation as the greatest player of all-time? Or can Kylian Mbappe inspire his team to be the first nation since Brazil back in 1962 to win back-to-back trophies? It's set to be a cracker and we want to hear your bets! 

Personally, I have Mbappe as golden boot and Messi as player of the tournament so my ideal scenario would be for Argentina to win it after a riveting performance from Messi with Mbappe bagging a consolation goal for France! I'll get a preview up before the game with my thoughts. 

[888888]

I thgouth Mbappé was nearly invisible against Morocco, considering his skills and status I think he'll come out blazing against Argentina; like NBA superstars usually after a bad performance they bounce back and have a great performance; not saying he'll score but he'll be pumped up to the max.

[Gedkip]

2022 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL

ARGENTINA vs FRANCE 

Odds: (1) 2.80  (x) 3.00  (2) 2.80

Facts about France

In 90 minutes, France has never lost a FIFA World Cup final. It has competed in three finals, winning two and losing one on penalties to Italy.

2018: France 4-2 Croatia

2006: Italy 1-1 France (France lost in penalties)

1998: France 3-0 Brazil

Facts about Argentina

Argentina has competed in five FIFA World Cup finals, winning two and losing three.

2014: Germany 1-0 Argentina

1990: West Germany 1-0 Argentina

1986: Argentina 3-2 West Germany

1978: Argentina 3-1 Netherlands

1930: Uruguay 4-2 Argentina

FIFA World Cup (H2H)  Argentina vs France 

They have met thrice in FIFA World Cup, with Argentina winning two while France won one.

2018: France 4-3 Argentina (France eliminated Argentina in the Last 16 and France became champions)

1978: Argentina 2-1 France (Argentina eliminated France in Round 2 and Argentina became champions)

1930: Argentina 1-0 France(Argentina beat France in Group Stages, Argentina reached the Finals but lost)

Facts about the FIFA World Cup Finals

There have been 21 finals played, and two have gone to penalties. Out of 21 finals, 15 have produced Over 2.5 but only 6 of them produced under 2.5 .

The two games that reached penalties both involved Italy in finals;

2006: Italy 1-1 France (France lost in penalties)

1994: Brazil 0-0 Italy (Italy lost in penalties)

2022 Finals: Argentina vs France 

Argentina started with one shocking defeat against Saudi Arabia in the group stages. However, since then they have shown improvement with Lionel Messi being their focal point, and have won all five on the road, conceding one goal against Australia in the last 16, and conceding 2 goals against the Netherlands in the quarters which was decided on penalties. They  also beat Croatia (2018 finalists) 3-0 to reach the finals.

France has shown consistency and ability to score against any  opponents. Antoine Griezmann has been the focal point, created many chances and provided crucial assists. They have played 6 games so far, one defeat to Tunisia but after booking qualifications for the Round of 16. They have conceded in most of their games except semi-finals which they beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the finals.

PREDICTION

Argentina 3-2 France

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Gedkip
Additional Information

[Gamblor13]

6 hours ago, 888888 said:

I thgouth Mbappé was nearly invisible against Morocco, considering his skills and status I think he'll come out blazing against Argentina; like NBA superstars usually after a bad performance they bounce back and have a great performance; not saying he'll score but he'll be pumped up to the max.

Did you not see France's 2nd goal? He also had a hand in the 1st goal. England did a good job to corral him but he was a menace vs Morocco.

I don't disagree, Argentine defenders will have their hands full.

[StefanBB]

Argentina vs France

Argentina put in a dominating display to cruise through to the Final. Croatia actually started the game on the front foot, but as soon as Argentina got their first goal, there was no looking back for Messi and co. Argentina has had to wait a long time since its last World Cup success, and its fans have been amazing throughout the entire tournament. Obviously, many romantics out there will be routing for the South Americans purely because they would love to see Messi secure the one major tournament that has escaped him for so long, but it's going to be a very close and competitive 90 minutes.

France was given a tough game against Morocco, but the North Africans feared for the worst as soon as that first goal went in early on. France controlled the game for the most part and was happy to sit in and protect their lead, knowing that Morocco would eventually leave too much space at the back, and that is just what happened. Mbappe set up the second killer goal that broke Moroccan hearts, but in truth, France was the deserved winner, and it has set up an exciting final full of potential Golden Boot winners. Both teams are just one step away from glory, and they won't want to miss this chance.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

It is a huge game, and both teams will hit the pitch with a plan to win the game. The encounter might go either way, but we think France has been more stable during the tournament, and they should win back-to-back titles.

Goals Market Prediction

The stake is immense in this game, but both squads are packed with star players. They have incredible attacking potential, and we should see an entertaining final with at least one goal in each net.

France to Win @ 2.95

BTTS Yes @ 2.00

Correct score 1:2 @ 11.50

[Gedkip]

Mathematical Winning probability

Argentina vs France

Opening Odds:  (1) 2.80  (x) 3.00  (2) 2.80

Closing Odds:  (1) 2.70  (x) 3.10  (2) 2.88

FIFA World Cup Finals Appearance

Argentina has played in five finals, losing three and winning two. This accounts for 40% chance of winning the finals.

France has played in three finals, losing one and winning two. This accounts for 67% chance of winning the finals.

 

H2H against opponents in the last 7 FIFA world Cups (since 1998)

Since 1998, Argentina has played 21 games against European teams, winning 8 (38%), drawing 7 (33%), and losing 6 (29%). This accounts for a 38% chance of winning against European opponents.

Since 1998, France has played 11 games against South-American teams, winning 7(64%), drawing 3 (27%), and losing 1 (9%). This accounts for a 64% chance of winning against South American opponents.

 

According to the mathematical probabilities, France has a better chance of winning than Argentina. In football, anything is possible, and the outcome of the game depends on the strategies used by the teams, so aspects like discipline, offense, and defense are crucial. However, I have some misgivings about Argentina's small odds.

My Prediction

Argentina vs France

3-2 FT

[StevieDay1983]

Argentina vs France

The 2022 World Cup final is here and it will see the reigning Copa America champions Argentina play the reigning World Cup winners France in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Sunday afternoon at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. It's a worthy final despite both teams suffering blips on their journey here and the billing of it being Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappe only scratches the surface of this compelling match-up.

Argentina could not have had a worse start to their World Cup campaign when they suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening group game. Strangely, it was probably the best thing that could've happened to Lionel Scaloni's side. It was a massive wake-up call and made the squad realise they could not be at anything less than 100% against any opponent otherwise they'd suffer. A 2-0 win over Mexico was followed up by a 2-0 victory over Poland to help the Albiceleste through to the last 16 as group winners. The 2-1 win over Australia in the last 16 was a little nervy towards the end but it was generally a solid display. Argentina then required a bit of luck in the 4-3 win on penalties against Netherlands in the quarter-finals after a 2-2 draw. The 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-finals was comfortable and suggested that momentum is now with the South American side. This will be the 6th time that Argentina have played in a World Cup final with only Brazil and Germany having more appearances in the final. They could also become just the second team, after Spain in 2010, to lose their opening game in the tournament and go on to win the competition.

France are aiming to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win retain the World Cup after their success in 2018. Didier Deschamps has played a cautious style with mixed performances but there's no denying that it's got them to another World Cup final. Les Bleus started the tournament with an easy 4-1 win over Australia before a dogged 2-1 victory against an out-of-sorts Denmark. Key players were rested in the 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in the last group game but progress to the last 16 as group winners was secured. A 3-1 win over Poland in the last 16 was one of their most convincing displays and the 2-1 win over England in the quarter-finals saw them make the most of limited possession once again. Their 2-0 victory over Morocco in the semi-finals was far from convincing with the tournament's surprise package arguably having the better of the play for large spells but just not being able to capitalise on their possession and chances. Interestingly, France will be making their 4th appearance in a World Cup final since Argentina last won the tournament in 1986. There may well be a lot of attention on Mbappe's performances but the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, and Aurelien Tchouameni have been key in their victories and utilising the limited chances they have created by surrendering possession to their opposition in most games and relying on the counter-attacking pace in the team.

There is a lot of attention on Messi finally winning the World Cup trophy that has evaded him all these years. The sub-plot is that Messi and Mbappe are tied for the golden boot on 5 goals so far. This will be the third time these teams have met in World Cup action. Argentina won both of the group encounters back in 1930 and 1978 but France prevailed victorious in the only knockout meeting which came in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup. I think we all want Messi to win this trophy and for that reason alone I will back Argentina to win but it might go all the way to penalties. Although, I have had a cheeky bet on Messi winning Player of the Tournament and Mbappe to win Golden Boot so we'll see how that goes!

Argentina to Lift the Trophy @ 9/10 with Betfair

First Goalscorer: Lionel Messi @ 4/1 with BetUK

[Gedkip]

Winning Mentality: Coach Aspects

Lionel Scaloni Milestones

Lionel Scaloni, 44 years old  has been in charge for 4 years now, having been appointed to be Argentina's coach in August 2018, in his first task, Scaloni reached the Semi-finals of Copa America in 2019 but lost to  Brazil and won Copa America in 2020 against Brazil. 

In his first spell at FIFA World Cup, he reached the finals which is a great achievement. However, Scaloni as a player never won the FIFA World Cup, played in a few games in 2006, and managed to play also with Messi,Tevez, Mascherano, Mauriccio Pochetino, et al, in 2006 world which they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Didier Deschamp Milestones

Didier Deschamp, 54 years old  has been in charge for 10 years now, having been appointed to be France's coach in July 2012, in his first task, he reached the Semi-finals of the World cup in 2014 and lost to  Germany, won the 2018 world cup against Croatia, and now in 2022, he is in the FIFA world cup consecutive finals. 

In EURO competitions, Deschamp has not attained any achievements, in 2016 he was eliminated in the finals by Portugal and eliminated in the quarter-finals by Switzerland in 2021. However, Didier Deschamp as a player won the 1998 world cup in which he played with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Thiery Henry, Thuram, Petit, Barthez, Viera, et al.

Summary

The two coaches are almost even in a winning mentality, but Didier Deschamp due to experience is a bit ahead of Scaloni.

[harry_rag]

Another where anything can happen. Gut says France lift the prize and I rarely call an outcome wrong when I don't put money on it! 

Draw a default pick for me but could've got better than the 3.15 I took early. Backing Alvarez to score (4/1 with Uni or bit shorter on the exchange) and Mac Allister for a SoT (5/2 365 and similar on exchange). A couple of Glory Hunt section bets; 1.01 for at least one shot on target in the game (be a first for me if that line fails to oblige) and 1/8 for Mbappe to be fouled at least once. (Not a "certainty" but just can't see it not happening and odds are big enough to risk it in the context of a "fun" thread.)

[StevieDay1983]

Well, that couldn't have gone much better for my bets!  Congratulations to Argentina on becoming world champions and here's to Lionel Messi who must now surely have his status as the greatest player of all-time sealed! 

[Heisenberg68]

Being French, I experienced this final with more excitement than you.

I was in a bar with my wife and children. In spite of the disappointment, it is by far the match that has touched us the most physically and morally!

At half time, we were desperate !
at the 85th minute, we believed it !
at the 115th minute we wanted to cry !
at the 118th minute we were crazy !!!

and the rest you know !

personally, i'm very affected by this defeat.
but what we experienced, we will remember all our life.

I'm very happy to have been able to make my children live this moment. If we had won, it would have been exceptional.

But this moment will always be engraved in my children's minds.

 

[Heisenberg68]

I don't know what to make of the first 60 minutes.

Physically some players were affected! Dembele , Giroud , Griezmann .....

deschamp did the job again. we played in the second half with an A/B team.

The players were exceptional at the end of the game. The young players gave everything !

deschamps has a speech that is very well followed by the group.
his players could die on the field for him.

he is an example!

 

[Heisenberg68]

I forgot something.

a big bravo to argentina, the people deserve it !
Messi deserves it !

and I hope that you, english friends, will soon experience the euphoria that we french have experienced since 1998.

it's soon to you