It’s Argentina vs France, the two favorites heading into their respective semi-final matches both came through, and here we look ahead to their showdown on Sunday in our 2022 World Cup final betting picks.
Some will call it Argentina vs France, whilst others will see it as Messi vs Mbappe. Whatever your take on it, one thing for certain is that the 2022 World Cup final will be a showpiece event with two of the most famous names in world football attempting to win the trophy for a third time.
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978, and 1986. France, in 1998, and 2018. Only Brazil (5), Germany (4), and Italy (4), have won this competition more times than the Argentines and the French have. On Sunday, one of these teams will make it three wins. But who?
The best World Cup betting sites are struggling to decide who they favor to win. In the futures betting to lift the trophy, BetOnline has both Argentina and France at -110 to be victorious on Sunday. Whilst elsewhere, BetUS are just favoring Messi and company. They make Argentina -120 to lift the trophy, with France at -110.
In the match betting it’s a similar story, BetOnline makes Argentina +184 to win in 90 minutes, with the draw at +210, and France at +182. This shows just how close the match is set to be, and how it’s really difficult to pick a winner. I suspect those odds may well change between now and Sunday.
But when it comes to picking a winner, I think it is wise to not get too carried away with the odds. A surge in bets on Argentina could be based on a Messi love-in, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best bet. So, in order to help us decide who is the best bet, let’s take a look back at both teams’ respective routes to the final.
Once Argentina got themselves in front against Croatia, the result was never in doubt. The White and Sky Blue may have been fortunate with the penalty that led to their opening goal, pundits seemed to be divided, but once they got in front, they never looked in any danger at all.
One goal from Messi from the spot, and two more from Julián Álvarez secured a 3-0 win and Argentina’s place in the final.
And while Alvaraz may have scored twice, Lionel Messi was the real star of the show. And it’s easy to see why people are starting to believe that this is finally his World Cup. The great man was imperious, and Croatia really had no answer to his continued brilliance.
Earlier in the competition, this wasn’t the case though. Argentina lost their opening match to Saudi Arabia, and at that point, their World Cup campaign was in serious danger of ending at the group stages.
Argentine boss, Lionel Scaloni wasn’t having that though, and made tactical changes to the team.
In the end, respective 2-0 wins over both Mexico and Poland saw the Argentines through to the Round of 16. Here they saw off Australia with a 2-1 win, and followed that up with a penalty shoot out victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-final. Then on Tuesday night, they booked their place in the final with a 3-0 win over Croatia.
As for France, they topped Group D with 6 points from their three games. They had already qualified for the Round of 16 after wins over Australia (4-1), and Denmark (2-1), and rested most of their star names for the 1-0 defeat to Tunisia, in what was dead rubber for Didier Deschamps’ team.
In the knockout rounds, France defeated Poland 3-1 in the Round of 16, and England 2-1 in the quarter-final. They were pushed all the way by Morocco in their semi-final, but ultimately the French were too strong and booked their place at the Lusail Stadium for the final with a 2-0 win.
The best soccer betting sites are struggling to separate the two teams going into the final, but for me, I can see a reason to back France. They have just looked the strongest team throughout the competition, and if both teams turn up and play to their maximum on the day, I can only see France retaining the title.
That’s in a perfect world though, and we all know that soccer doesn’t work like this. There are reasons why Argentina can win this, mainly Lionel Messi, and they also know the dark arts of soccer well – which I’m sure they will employ on Sunday against Francel.
We saw glimpses of it against the Netherlands and Croatia, the continuous fouls, looking to break up the play, and stop the opposition from gaining any rhythm. Those tactics will probably be deployed against France on Sunday, in the hope they can win a scrappy game 1-0, via a bit of Messi magic.
Therefore, I don’t see many goals, and I think under 2.5 goals at -175 has to be my first pick.
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For the match winner, I’m going to go with my original opinion. If the two sides turn up and play to their potential, France wins for me. Yes, Messi and Argentina could well spoil the party, but I believe Les Bleus will be too strong for Messi and Argentina, and I make France to lift the trophy my betting pick at -110.
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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