Argentina face France in the World Cup final this Sunday, in a clash widely billed as a showdown between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
It means a tournament of shocks will ultimately be won by one of the big pre-tournament favourites, both of whom have claimed the trophy twice before.
For Messi, 35, it is most likely his final chance to win football’s biggest prize, while Mbappe can secure a second World Cup by the age of 23 – here’s everything you need to konw about how to watch.
What TV channel is the World Cup final on?
The 2022 World Cup is being broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK, with BBC and ITV sharing the rights.
While the majority of figures are aired only on one of the channels, they will both be showing the final. This means it will also be available to stream live on BBC iPlayer and the new ITVX streaming hub.
The final is taking place on Sunday 18 December, kicking off at 3pm (UK time – Qatar is three hours ahead). It is being held at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which has a capacity of 80,000.
On BBC One, the build-up starts at 1.50pm, with Gary Lineker presenting the coverage, while on ITV1 the broadcast gets underway slightly earlier, at 1.30pm.
The final falls exactly four weeks after the tournament started on Sunday 20 November, making it the shortest tournament since the World Cup switched to its current, 32-team format in 1998.
What are the predicted teams for the World Cup final?
France predicted line-up:
- Hugo Lloris
- Jules Kounde
- Raphael Varane
- Dayot Upamecano/Ibrahima Konate
- Theo Hernandez
- Antoine Griezmann
- Aurelien Tchouameni
- Adrien Rabiot
- Ousmane Dembele
- Olivier Giroud
- Kylian Mbappe
Argentina predicted line-up:
- Emiliano Martinez
- Cristian Romero
- Nicolas Otamendi
- Nahuel Molina
- Nicolas Tagliafico
- Leandro Paredes
- Rodrigo De Paul
- Alexis Mac Allister
- Enzo Fernandez
- Julian Alvarez
- Lionel Messi
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What time the World Cup final kicks off and how to watch Argentina vs France live on TV16 December, 2022What can you expect from Argentina vs France?
At 35, this is almost certainly Messi’s final shot at World Cup glory, and he has rediscovered some of the most sparkling form of his career in Qatar.
This is in stark contrast to his contemporary superstars Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, who underwhelmed during the tournament.
Messi has five goals and three assists so far in Qatar, and has beaten Maradona’s tally of World Cup goals and appearances for Argentina during the tournament.
He has also provided some of the World Cup’s most memorable moments, from his precise pass to Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands to a probing run and assist for Julian Alvarez in the semi-final against Croatia.
Mbappe produced a moment of his own Messi-esque magic in the semi-final against Morocco, slaloming at speed past defenders to create his side’s decisive second goal.
And the talisman has had able support in the form of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, both of whom have been superb in Qatar.
Mbappe has matched Messi’s five goals in Qatar, while Giroud has contributed four. However, it is Griezmann who has been the biggest revelation, drifting into difficult areas from a deeper role and supplying deadly accurate passes to the forwards.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/F1Bzgxj
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