Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappe. I couldn’t script it better if I tried. The current best player in the world is taking on the greatest player of a generation. This is what the World Cup is all about. Players will etch themselves into football history, and legacies will be defined. This is the people’s final, and we deserve it.
Let’s start with France. The reigning World Cup champions are the first European side to qualify for the final after winning the previous iteration of the tournament since the 1938 Italy team, the only European nation to defend the title. The greatest teams of all time are often discussed among friends and analysts, and this French side has the potential to cement itself at the top of that list. They’re already in the conversation and now have a chance to be the greatest.
Greatest ever, you say? Well, on the other side of this matchup just so happens to be the greatest player of this generation and likely the greatest of all time. Lionel Messi has his date with destiny. He has won everything there is to win at the club level and finds himself in the form of his life, with five goals and three assists. He is also the odds-on favorite to win the Golden Ball. In 2014, Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Germany. This time, they’re all playing for Messi, and Messi is playing for the memory of an Argentinian legend, his godfather, the great Diego Maradona.
Argentina vs. France Game InformationLocation: Lusail Stadium | Lusail, Qatar
Date: December 18, 2022 | Time: 10:00 a.m. ET | TV: FOX
How have these sides done against each other historically? There’s quite a lot of match history between them. In twelve matches, Argentina has six wins, three losses, and three draws. Both nations have won the World Cup twice, so it’s a battle steeped in football heritage! France will look to repeat their hard-fought 4-3 win over Argentina in the 2018 World Cup Round of 16.
Odds To WIN the World Cup: Argentina (-110) | France (-110)
Well then, dead even. The odds tell us that there’s nothing to split these two teams. Argentina opened as slight underdogs, but that is no more, as the odds have crept slowly to even. It’s a pretty fair assessment of the game. There’s a game-breaker on either side in Messi and Mbappe. There’s attacking talent in Olivier Giroud and Julian Alvarez, and both sides aren’t imperious defensively. There is a mistake waiting to happen for both of these defensive units.
Argentina vs. France Props & Parlays on FanDuel- Lionel Messi OR Kylian Mbappe to score (-135)
- Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combine for 1+ assists (+170)
- Both teams to score (-102)
This is an absolute gimme from Fanduel. This first bet is one of the multiple Messi/Mbappe boosts that Fanduel has set for the final, and undoubtedly my favorite. It’s highly possible that BOTH score. It’s a no-brainer. Slam it.
If one of the two doesn’t find a way to score, it’s almost certain they’ll impact the game in another way. Messi has three assists in the tournament, Mbappe has two, and both have five goals. They’ll be involved in the scoring; I can almost guarantee it. This bet is another beautiful Fanduel boost.
I can’t hide that I want Messi to lift the trophy, but I won’t put my money into it. France is too good a side, with too much experience to bet against. So let’s take both teams to score at (-102). The most common final score is 4-2, so goals are almost always on offer in the final. As I said earlier, a defensive error is possible for both teams. Expect goals to be had.
Will the G.O.A.T. fill the final spot in his trophy cabinet, or will Kylian Mbappe and his French compatriots be too much for Argentina? I can’t wait to find out.
