🏆 World glory at stake as Argentina and France face off | OneFootball

After 63 games and 30 teams exiting, it is now down to Argentina and France to fight it out for World Cup glory.

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What did I miss yesterday?

The third place play-off between Croatia and Morocco which saw the 2018 runners-up add a bronze medal to their roll of honour in this competition.

Mislav Oršić bent home a beautiful strike for the winner in an exciting contest filled with thrills and spills.

I’m free today, what can I not afford to miss?

The game that everything has been building towards. It is time for the World Cup final.

Both Argentina and France have won the competition twice before, the Albiceleste last doing so in 1986, while their opponents are the defending champions.

Didier Deschamps’ side have been beset with injury and illness issues in the build-up, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this one.

Having lost the final once before in his illustrious career, Lionel Messi is also bidding to become the 15th player to go on and lift the trophy after coming up short previously.

The third star beckons for both.

Got any interesting stats or facts?

France are aiming to become just the third nation to successfully defend their title, after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.

They are also unbeaten in their last 10 World Cup meetings with South American nations, with their last defeat coming in the group stage of 1978 against Argentina, who went on to win the competition for the first time.

It is the 11th final which pits a European nation against a South American side and the latter have came out on top in seven of the previous 10.

How have the sides reached this stage?

Argentina could become just the second side to lose their first game of the tournament and go on to win it after Spain in 2010.

Having been surprisingly beaten by Saudi Arabia in their opener, they have reeled off wins against Mexico, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands (on penalties after a feisty thriller) and Croatia to return to the showpiece occasion.

France defeated Australia and Denmark to qualify and although they lost their final group game against Tunisia, went on to overcome Poland, England and Morocco in the knockout rounds.

Whose side is history on?

The aforementioned stat about France’s record against South American opposition combined with their recent pedigree in this tournament would suggest that they are the side to beat.

But Argentina have won six and drawn three of their previous 12 matches against Les Bleus, including two of their three in tthe World Cup.

Have you got a player to watch?

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi in his bid to least his country to victory on the world stage at last.

The PSG forward is on the verge of history and featuring will see him become the all-time appearance leader in World Cup history.

He could also become the first man to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final at a single edition of the tournament.