Even though Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are two of the best players in the world, there is much more to this World Cup final than simply those two individuals. The Olympics.com preview is below; find out everything you need to know.
This is where the next Globe Cup championship will be decided after four weeks of fierce competition in Qatar between the top 32 teams in the world in a 64-game tournament.
On Sunday, December 18, the World Cup final will pit two-time champions Argentina against the current champions France. The game is already being billed as a shootout between France’s 23-year-old phenom Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who could become the second-youngest player to win two World Cups after Pele in 1958 and 1962.
However, both will require every member of their team to play at their very best if they hope to win the fabled gold and green trophy. Discover all the information you require about the 2022 FIFA World Cup championship game below.
When and where will the FIFA World Cup final take place?
The Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, will host the World Cup championship game this year. The largest stadium in Qatar has a capacity of 88,966 spectators, with Argentina’s World Cup matches against Mexico and Croatia drawing the largest crowds.
Both teams will receive vociferous support when the final takes place at 16:00 CET (GMT +1) on Sunday 18 December as the albiceleste take on les bleus in what will be a historic final showpiece in Lusail.
Stars to watch in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar
Even though there will be 22 players on the field on Sunday, only two players have really come up as front-runners: Kylian Mbappe of France and Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Messi, who is 35 years old, has already declared that this World Cup will be his last. Messi has been relishing his swansong in Qatar despite being long saddled with the pressure to equal Diego Maradona’s World Cup victory in 1986. Both Messi and Mbappe have five goals in the World Cup, and on Sunday, one of them will likely be awarded the Golden Boot.
Co-winners for the Golden Boot have never occurred in a World Cup, but this may all change in the championship game with Messi and Mbappe of PSG still in contention. The player with the most assists wins the prize if the two players are tied for first place in goals. Messi currently holds a three-point advantage over Mbappe’s two.
With 11 goals, Messi is now Argentina’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup. Messi has five goals in as many World Cup appearances, while Mbappe has nine in only two.
The Argentine’s performances in this competition have allowed him to set another World Cup record, becoming the player with the most goal-contributing assists since records began in 1966. Messi has surpassed Mioslav Klose (16 goals, 3 assists), Gerd Muller (14 goals, 5 assists), and Brazil’s Ronaldo (15 goals, 4 assists) on the lists with a total of 11 goals and 8 assists over five tournaments.
Mbappe, though, is no pushover when it comes to records; his nine goals in World Cup competitions to date are the most by a player under the age of 24 in history.
Of course, there will be 20 additional individuals on the football field on Sunday who will influence where this year’s World Cup ends up. These players could be crucial in the World Cup final in Qatar.
Olivier Giroud, who broke France’s all-time international goalscoring record en route to contributing four goals to this World Cup, has been a revelation. The 36-year-old has a chance to tie or beat his Golden Boot competitors in the championship game as he looks to add to the 53 goals he has previously scored for his country.
Julian Alvarez of Argentina was one of the game’s standout performers against Croatia in the semifinal, scoring twice to advance his team to the championship game. The 22-year-old, who has scored four goals so far this World Cup, will be held to a high standard as the Albiceleste look to breach a French defence that has only registered one shutout.
Antoine Griezmann’s transition at this World Cup from a crucial player in the forward line to a box-to-box midfield position, where he has been equally effective in defence as he has been in attack, has received a lot of attention.
All of these traits were on display against Morocco, and the final statistics which show he generated twice as many opportunities as any other player—explain why he will once more be an important player for France in the championship game.
Enzo Fernandez, a 21-year-old midfielder for Benfica, has contributed significantly to Argentina’s success in this tournament with his skill and persistence. In addition to his cleverness in the middle of the field, Fernandez has a flair for scoring goals. Fernandez’s attacking threat will be a problem for France as they attempt to defend their World Cup title on Sunday after a miraculous goal against Mexico.
World Cup final schedule
Times in CET (GMT + 1)
Sunday 18 December
16:00
Lusail Stadium, Qatar
