FIFA World Cup Tips and Preview, Final

The biggest team contest in world sport is here, and it shapes to be a beauty.

Argentina and France have long been powerhouses of world football and rightfully take their place in the World Cup final.

France easily accounted for Morrocco in the semi-final with their signature mix of flashy play mixed with ingrained discipline and accountability. They have hardly looked back despite losing some key players before the Cup got underway and have unearthed some new talents, such as Randal Kolo Muani, who has been in excellent form over the past couple of matches.

Olivier Giroud was unlucky not to score in the semi-final win, hitting the post and threatening on other occasions. At the same time, Kylian Mbappe has further cemented his status as the best player in the world. Other than a subdued output against England in the quarter-final, he has been nothing short of outstanding and will be primed to play a big part in deciding the outcome here.

Argentina has been flying since its shock first-up loss to Saudi Arabia and has more than met the enormous expectations of them in this tournament.

Lionel Messi’s World Cup swansong has been superb to this point and went to a new level in the semi-final win over Croatia with some excellent play that set up the win. And for all the adulation about Messi’s career, there is as much excitement about what the future holds, with Juan Alvarez making an emphatic statement that he will be the man in the future. Alvarez scored twice against the Croatians and will be primed to replicate his efforts in the decider.

Destiny would suggest that Messi could go on to achieve the one missing part of his glittering CV with a World Cup win. Still, life doesn’t always pan out that way, especially when the story involves overcoming a team as united and powerful as France.

The billboards and hype have this as a clash between Messi and Mbappe, even though there are many more elements to consider.

The one difference here is the discipline of Argentina when things get a bit frayed. They very nearly threw away the quarter-final against the Netherlands, looking overwhelmed at times. If France can gain the early ascendancy, it may occur again, and it may be the one factor leading France to win a historic second consecutive World Cup.