Argentina vs France – World Cup final: Live score, lineups and updates
Argentina vs France LIVE: Lionel Messi bids to finally win the World Cup final against the defending champions who could be without fitness doubts Olivier Giroud and Raphael Varane
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Follow Sportsmail’s live blog for the World Cup final between Argentina and France.
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Yes, just the three – despite this story going back to the very start of the competition. The first came in the first edition in 1930, with Argentina winning a group stage clash 1-0, the second didn’t happen for another 48 years when they met during the finals hosted by the South American side. Nothing had changed though, with Argentina winning this group stage match too, triumphing 2-1 (below).
Captain Daniel Passarella opened the scoring with a penalty in Buenos Aires on half-time before Michel Platini equalised on the hour, only for Leopoldo Luque to give Argentina the lead again in the 73rd minute.
Paul Pogba WILL be at the World Cup final, cheering on his France team-mates from the stands after meeting with Rio Ferdinand and Laura Woods in Doha, while Karim Benzema stays in Madrid
CHARLOTTE DALY: France have secured a place in the World Cup final without Pogba – who was ruled out of the tournament with a thigh injury after recovering from his knee surgery.
Read more here
The spectre of Maradona looms large over this World Cup Final pic.twitter.com/8SUry6QtI8
OLIVER HOLT: In his last dance on the big stage, Lionel Messi must find a way to carry Argentina across the line and become world champion if he wants to join Pele and Diego Maradona among football’s most exalted
Sunday at the Lusail Stadium in the northern suburbs of Doha, where the city starts to think about giving way to the desert, a great odyssey, a quest which will define the sporting element of this most controversial of World Cups, will draw to a close when Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest footballer for much of the last two decades, tries to win the one prize that has eluded him.
En route into the stadium.. it’s #FIFAWorldCup final day!
?? vs ?? pic.twitter.com/H7lLum4fIs
On the Msheireb station in Doha, some bright spark has decided to change the routeway system including the escalators ahead of the World Cup final and it’s causing manic problems right now.
Let’s hope this is sorted out sooner rather than later…
キックオフ3時間30分前のMsheireb駅RedLineホーム。見たことないくらいに混雑しております。超絶カオス。#Qatar2022 #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/ID7ZlQY6hI
ITV’s trio of star pundits have arrived in Lusail
Big smiles as usual from Ian Wright and Gary Neville… and I guess that’s about as close we will get to one from Roy Keane!
Join us for the World Cup Final ??v?? on @itvfootball 1.30pm if you like ?? ⚽️❤️ pic.twitter.com/NFRCCoxVjY
Messi and Mbappe make up an all-star attack, two Spurs stars play at the back but there’s no wingers… who makes it into Sportsmail’s combined France-Argentina XI ahead of the World Cup final?
Sportsmail‘s Max Mathews lays out his joint France-Argentina team ahead of this weekend’s tournament showpiece.
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Lots to go at here. Let’s start by saying this is already wrong as Messi is now 35 years old.
But is this such a big prediction even if it was from seven years ago? By then we knew this would be a winter World Cup and it’s not a total surprise to see Argentina in a final is it?
I’ll throw this one out there for you to chew over.
Can never be too careful I guess – thankfully though we haven’t seen much use of them during these finals.
They’ve played together since they were kids, and today they could all land a mutual dream together despite having gone their separate ways in their professional careers.
Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez ❤️
?? They've been on quite the journey together. pic.twitter.com/SYEmjNVxUA
Karim Benzema ‘REJECTS French president Emmanuel Macron’s offer to take his private jet to the World Cup final’, with relationship with boss Didier Deschamps BROKEN after he had to be sent home
Karim Benzema emerged as a shock contender to return from injury for the World Cup final this week having missed the entire tournament.
But if you hoped to see him in the final at some point today, well, you’ve probably got more chance of seeing England there…
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A group of gibbons in Zagreb zoo have been predicting results all tournament but in what looks like being a very tight final to call, it appears even they are split on who will win in Lusail.
Paul the Octopus wouldn’t have stood for this ‘sitting on the fence’ nonsense.
Is this too petty or just a laugh? A Paris metro station has reportedly changed its name from Argentina to France just for the World Cup final.
Not too sure if it is really necessary myself. I mean it does little for less regular users of the service who may not even be aware or care for the World Cup final and just leave them potentially confused, but then maybe I’m just flexing too much for the fun police.
?????? En París, la estación 'Argentina' de subte pasó a llamarse 'Francia' ? pic.twitter.com/uqdLdRUxZF
‘Messi carries the whole side on his shoulders’: Mario Kempes carried Argentina to World Cup victory in 1978… as Sunday’s final against France approaches, he reminds the current generation ‘the runner-up is forgotten’
I’d say on balance the big narrative today is on if Lionel Messi can finally win the World Cup and follow past great forwards for the country to have done just that including Diego Maradona and Mario Kempes.
The latter has recently spoken to the Mail on Sunday’s Rob Draper and warns Argentina that unless they win they will quickly become forgotten.
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Putting aside all the politics that have hung over this tournament, judging this edition of the World Cup on its sporting merits it’s been a cracker hasn’t it?
I won’t go as far as saying ‘the best of all time’ but I’ve certainly seen worse (cough, cough, South Africa 2010).
Here’s a snapshot of the knock-out stages that show France and Argentina’s route to the final after topping their respective groups.
Only one can prevail as one of the greatest players of all time looks to win the World Cup with his likely final chance, while France look to create history by becoming the first team to defend their status as world champions for the first time since 1962.
Either way it’s going to be a seismic day in the football calendar as I welcome you to our live coverage of the World Cup final.
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