Summary

  • FT: Argentina 3-3 France - Argentina win 4-2 on penalties

  • Two goals for Messi and hat-trick for France's Mbappe; Di Maria with other Argentina goal

  1. Fifteen minutes to kick-offpublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Around 15 minutes to kick-off and the stage is set.

    Who will win the 2022 World Cup?

    .Image source, PA Media
    .Image source, Rex Features
  2. Nine on the bouncepublished at 14:43 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    France have won all seven of their World Cup knockout games since the start of the 2018 tournament. In World Cup history, only Brazil from 1958 to 1970 (9) have ever had a longer winning run in knockout matches at the finals (knockouts exclude first group, second group and final group but include group play-off matches).

  3. How France got to the final...published at 14:42 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Media caption,

    Mbappe and Giroud star in France victory

    Media caption,

    Mbappe double fires France into knockout stage

  4. Lose the opening game and win the trophy?published at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Gelson Fernandes scores against Spain in 2010Image source, Getty Images

    Having lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia on MD1, Argentina could become the second side in World Cup history to lose their opening game of an edition and go on to lift the trophy, after Spain in 2010.

    In 2010, Spain were beaten 1-0 by Switzerland, Gelson Fernandes scoring the goal.

    With Argentina losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia and France losing 1-0 to Tunisia in their respective groups, this will be only the second World Cup final where both finalists had lost a match en route to the showpiece. The other came in 1978 – when Argentina won the trophy after beating Netherlands 3-1 in the final, both having lost once each in their first round groups.

  5. How Argentina got to the final...published at 14:40 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

  6. South America v Europepublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Diego Maradona in action for Argentina against West Germany in 1990Image source, Getty Images

    This will be the 11th World Cup final competed between a South American and European nation; South American sides lifted the trophy on seven of those previous 10 occasions.

    However, Argentina are responsible for two of the three such defeats for South American teams (against Germany in 1990 and 2014), while France are responsible for the other win (3-0 v Brazil in 1998)

  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    #bbcfootball or text 81111 (UK only - standard message rates apply)

    Vikas: Battle is in between Mbape’s speed and messi’s skill

  8. 'Messi is embodying Maradona'published at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Ossie Ardiles, 1978 World Cup winner with Argentina, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's a kind of Maradona style Messi if you want to call it like that. This is something that the Argentinian people were asking him to be all the time, to be the leader, to be much more involved in the decisions with the referee, in everything really.

    "So he has taken the mantle and this is what he has done. This is why they love him so so much in Argentina. They loved him before but now it is much more. The other players want him to win it as well as much as he wants it for himself.

    "Lionel Scaloni has a lot to answer for this change in Messi. He convinced him to carry on playing. When they beat Brazil in Brazil to win the Copa America last year and from then everything absolutely changed.

    "When you have a player of such quality, I played with Maradona for six or seven years, it is the same line of thinking. That's it. He is so so good that you sacrifice yourself a little bit to do what is best for the team. What is best for the team is for Maradona or Messi to have the ball as much as possible."

  9. France making a habit of reaching the finalpublished at 14:38 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Argentina are competing in their sixth World Cup final, with only Germany (8) participating in more. They're looking to win the trophy for a third time along with 1978 and 1986, but defeat would see them with the joint-most World Cup final losses in history (4, level with Germany).

    France have reached the World Cup final for a fourth time, all since 1998 (1998, 2006, 2018, 2022). This is twice as many as any other nation in this period. Les Bleus, the reigning champions, are looking to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).

  10. Fourth World Cup meetingpublished at 14:37 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    This will be the fourth World Cup meeting between Argentina and France. La Albiceleste won two of the previous three, but lost the only such encounter in the knockout stage, a 3-4 defeat in 2018’s round of 16.

    Overall, this will be the 13th meeting between Argentina and France in all competitions, with Les Bleus winning just three of the previous 12 (D3 L6), although the most recent was their 4-3 win at the 2018 World Cup.

  11. The loudest cheer?published at 14:37 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Chris Bevan
    BBC Sport at Lusail Iconic Stadium

    MessiImage source, BBC Sport

    No prizes for guessing which Argentina player got the loudest cheer when their team was read out by the stadium announcer...

    The clue is that it wasn't Nicolas Otamendi...

  12. Double World Cup winner at the age of 23?published at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    France

    Kylian Mbappe does not turn 24 until Tuesday yet he could be the owner of two World Cup winners' medals in the next few hours.

    .Image source, Reuters
    .Image source, PA Media
  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    #bbcfootball or text 81111 (UK only - standard message rates apply)

    Unless Konate is not fully fit after his illness, the decision to play Upamecano is a huge mistake and may cost France retaining the World Cup. Konate has been excellent in all of his appearances and far better than Upamecano who has looked distinctly vulnerable especially against England

    Bob Williams

  14. Postpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

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  15. Calm and relaxedpublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Does a first World Cup await this man today?

    Lionel MessiImage source, Getty Images
  16. 'Much less relaxed this time'published at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Hugh Schofield
    BBC News, Paris

    The atmosphere is hotting up in Le Petit Poucet bar-restaurant on the Place de Clichy, as waiters clear away lunch and fans settle in for the match with a few post-prandial drinks.Plenty of tricolours and a Griezmann shirt or three.

    Fanny, 27, is getting nervous: "We’re much less relaxed this time round than four years ago. Argentina is a country that lives for football, and they’ve got Messi!

    "France has to play together as a group. That’s the only way."

    Damien, 32, says: "There is so much support for Messi and Argentina around the world, this could work against us. Even in the stadium, our supporters will be vastly outnumbered.

    "But luckily our players have plenty of experience of huge marches like this.It’ll be tight."

    Both predict a 2-1 win for France.

  17. 'Argentina will attack Hernandez'published at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Tim Vickery
    BBC Sport South American football expert

    The return of Angel Di Maria means that Scaloni's bluff has paid off. He made everyone think he was going to play three centre-backs and have Di Maria in reserve which never made a great deal of sense to me.

    Di Maria on the right, I would imagine, of a 4-4-2, and Argentina are going to attack Theo Hernandez. He is very good coming forward but he couldn't get close to Saka in the quarter-final and France struggled down that left hand side against Morocco.

    Argentina think they can win the game with Di Maria teaming up with Messi having a go down that French left, the Argentina right.

  18. 'Argentina team represents the fans'published at 14:32 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Argentinian football journalist Nicolás Rotnitzky speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Messi is showing that he is really feeling this and he really wants to win it and that's why the people are behind the team and want them to win.

    "The team plays in a team that the people feel represented by them. You see them running, you see them playing with the ball., trying to attack but knowing how to defend. It's a smart team. We speak about how pragmatic France is but I think Argentina are pragmatic too. They will adapt to the game.

    They have different way to play depending on the game and their rivals so I think that all of that puts Argentinians behind the team and that's why everything is better and the atmosphere is absolutely brilliant."

  19. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    #bbcfootball, text 81111 (UK only – texts will be charged at your standard message rate), or text your comments via WhatsApp on 03301231826

    .Image source, Getty Images

    JM: Probably the most evenly matched final in years. Gonna be a good one.

  20. 'Messi already level with Maradona'published at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 18 December 2022

    Argentina v France (15:00 GMT)

    Shamoon Hafez
    BBC Sport at Lusail Stadium

    Media caption,

    World Cup countdown: Maxi Rodriguez's incredible goal - 2006

    Former winger Maxi Rodriguez played at three World Cups for Argentina, but remained on the bench the last time his country reached the final when they were defeated by Germany in extra-time in 2014.

    But who can ever forget his sensational volley against Mexico in 2006.

    Speaking at Fifa Legends Cup event in Doha, the former Liverpool player said: "Its a final we have to play, it doesn’t matter how we win but we hope to lift the trophy.

    "Winning or losing the game will be decided on the small details and every team has it weaknesses."

    On the Lionel Messi-Diego Maradona debate, he added: "Messi winning today or not, it doesn't matter because he is already on the same level alongside Maradona."