Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France, happening at the Lusail stadium.
Award ceremony
Post match comments
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PENALTY SHOOTOUTS
France on the counter quickly as Kolo Muani breaks free. He runs in dangerously into the box and shoots but Emi Martinez, as brilliant as ever, saves it!
Tagliafico OUT, Dybala IN
kounde OUT, Diasi IN
Three added minutes
MBAPPE!!! HAT-TRICK HERO!! A normal day in the office for the PSG star as he slots it into the lower right corner!
PENALTY FOR FRANCE!!!! Mbappe takes a shot at the edge of the box and Montiel handles it. Mbappe will take the penalty
Mac Allister OUT, Pezzella IN
Paredes is booked for his atrocious tackle on Camavinga
Varane OUT, Konate IN
MESSIII!!!! WHAT A POETIC ENDING TO THIS MAN’S WORLD CUP!! PLAYING IN HIS FINAL WORLD CUP.. THE MAN MAKES IT COUNT!! WHAT A TIME TO SCORE! WHAT A PLAYER. Lautaro Martinez takes the shot, Lloris saves it but Messi is there to capitalise ont he rebound as he taps it home. Umapecano clears it but the ball had crossed the goal line
Attack from Argentina straight away. Messi gets the ball right at the edge of the box and puts in a rather weak shot that Lloris saves without much trouble
End of the first half of extra-time
SO CLOSEEE!!!! Argentina was breaking free as Messi inside the box passes it to Lautaro Martinez, who shoots but WHAT A BLOCK from Upamencano.
De Paul OUT, Paredes IN; Alvarez OUT, L. Martinez IN
France on the attack constantly. Mbappe runs through three defenders on the left flank and advances into the final third. But an interception comes in to diffuse the attack
Rabiot OUT, Fofana IN
Attack from Argentina as Acuna gets the ball on the left flank. he puts in a lofted ball inside the box but it is cleared. Mac Allister is there to recieve it on the rebound. He miscues a long ranger as it goes well wide of Lloris
France has won the coin toss and starts. It will play left to right
What a turnaround this has been for France. Being two down till the 80th minute and then came Mbappe’s brilliance. The PSG forward scored a brace within minutes as France equalised. Exciting extra-time ahead!
Acuna gets booked as he takes one for the team with a rash tackle on Coman who was running dangerously
Brilliant long ranger from Messi and an equally brilliant save from Lloris. What could’ve been!!
Booking for Giroud for arguing from the sidelines
Mbappe puts in a brilliant run and attempts a long ranger but the ball goes wide. For the 80 minutes that he was shut down, Mbappe has risen to the occasion and proved why is is regarded as one of the best players in the current generation
Molina OUT, Montiel IN
Eight added minutes
Marcus Thuram is booked a for diving inside the penalty box
CLOSSEEEE!! France was inches away from taking the lead. Mbappe on the left flank whips out a cross but the ball goes agonisingly close to Kolo Muani’s head
MBAPPEEE!!!! WHAT A GOALL!! A brilliant long ball comes in towards the PSG star and he capitalises as he finishes on the volley!!
MBAPPEEE!!!!! The France number 10 makes it 2-1 with a composed penalty. Emi Maritnez judges the shot and dives right but the ball brushes his fingers and goes into the goal
PENALTY FOR FRANCE!!! Otamendi comes in with a rash push on Kolo Muani inside the box and the referee awards a penalty without second thoughts
This game is getting more physical by the minute. Argentina gets a free kick yet again after Camavinga’s rash challenge on De Paul
Messi on the verge of unriavalled greatness
Free-kick for Argentina as Tchouameni collides with Romero
Theo Hernandez OUT, Eduardo Camavinga IN; Antoine Griezmann OUT, Kingsley Coman IN
Corner for France as Otamendi kicks out an incoming cross from Thuram. Griezmann takes it but nothing comes off it as Kolo Muani heads it wide
Di Maria OUT, Acuna IN
Short passes from the Argentina frontline creates space. Messi from the middle puts in a wonderful through ball to find a running Alvarez. The latter crosses in an attempt to find Mac Allister but Lloris gets possession of the ball
Di Maria schools Kounde with some amazing footwork before putting in a cross. Alvarez skips it intentionally to let Messi take the shot. The PSG talisman takes the shot but it goes just wide
GOOD SAVE! Lloris dives full lenght to save Alvarez’ shot. Tagliafico started the Argentina attack as he found Di Maria in the middle. The latter then put in a through ball to find Alvarez who tried a low kept finish close quarters but Lloris saved it
Argentina’s defense is as good as it gets. Kounde on the left made a dangerous run but Mac Allister comes in with a timely interception
Rabiot gets booked for a rash slide tackle on De Paul
Corner for Argentina. Messi sends in a flat cross that is headed out for a throw
Corner for France as Molina intercepts Mbappe in the final third. Griezmann takes the kick and sends in a powerful cross but Emi Martinez gathers it with ease
Argentina is attacking constantly. Messi finds Di Maria on the left, he then puts in well directed cross towards De Paul, who tries a shot on the volley but Lloris picks it easily. Replay shows De Paul slipped just before taking the shot
Immediate attack from Argentina. Alvarez runs from the middle and into the final third. He puts in a through ball but Lloris collects the ball before Mac Allister gets to it
With goals from Messi and Di Maria, Argentina (151) has become the third nation after Brazil (237) and Germany (232) to reach the landmark of 150.
Argentina haven’t lost a game when scoring two goals since June 2018 and it is already two goals up at half time. Messi is just 45 minutes away from touching the one trophy that has eluded him all his life!
France gets a free kick as Kolo Muani is brought down by Enzo Fernandez, who gets booked for the challenge. Griezmann puts in a lofted ball inside the box, Varane runs towards it but the ball travels way too fast
France finally on the counter attack as substitute Thuram makes a run on the left but a timely slide tackle from Molina stops the progression
Di Maria yet again starts attacking on the left as he receives the ball from Tagliafico. Kounde comes in with a brilliant interception to stop Di Maria in his tracks. The Juventus man protests but the referee says ‘play on’
Seven added minutes
Di Maria gets the ball deep into the left flank, he looked to cross it but the ball is cleared out of danger
Giroud OUT, Thuram IN; Dembele OUT, Kolo Muani IN
With just five minutes remaining in the half, Argentina is on the lead already and by two goals. All it has to do is to hold on to the lead and not do anything remotely close to what it did against Netherlands
Comeback man Di Maria it is!!! It is Messi yet again who started the attack with a touch of brilliance. Messi finds Mac Allister on the right as he surged into the box before passing it to Di Maria unselfishly as the latter tapped it in without any trouble
Both the teams taking things slow as they lose possession constantly
Argentina continues to attack relentlessly as Di Maria gets the ball on the left flank. Kounde tries to cover him but Di Maria finds a way to find Alvarez in the middle. But the attack withers out as three defenders converge to clear the ball away
Messi takes the corner. He lets out a searching curler but one of the Argentina players are caught offside
Messi continues to wreck havoc on the right lane. With three defenders marking him, he manuevers into the final third but Hernandez intercepts as Argentina gets a corner.
Free kick for France and Griezmann takes it as usual. He puts in a lofted ball into the box but it is cleared. Messi and Hernandez collide as they challenge for the ball. Referee stops the play straight away. Both the players are up and running within seconds
With this goal, Messi becomes the first player to record 20 goal involvements at the World Cups (counting goals all-time and assists since 1966).
MESSI CONVERTS FROM THE SPOT!!!! Lloris dives to the right while Messi coolly places it on the right bottom corner
PENALTY FOR ARGENTINA!! Di Maria runs into the box from the left flank and gets into the box. Dembele comes in with a tackle and Di Maria trips and falls off with the faintest of touches!! A very soft penalty to say the least
CHANCE!! Free kick for France as Theo Hernandez was fouled on the left flank. Griezmann takes the kick and he floats in a searching cross. Giroud jumps higher than all the defenders to get to the ball but the ball goes wide
DI MARIA!! What have you done? The Juventus playmaker squanders a sitter! Messi put in a brilliant run in the middle to find De Paul in the final third. The latter then dished out a short cross towards Di Maria whose shot is nowhere near the goal post!
Argentina begins to attack yet again as Otamendi gains control of the ball and attempts a long ball towards Molina on the right but the ball travels quicker than expected for a France throw
Just as we speak, France on the counter as Dembele initiates it. He finds Mbappe on the left just at the edge of the box. The PSG star then gets a through ball inside the box but Molina and Emi Martinez team up to dissolve the threat
Argentina is testing the French defense time and again while also enjoying a greater possrssion. France is unable to create a counter as it is losing the ball constantly
Lloris is down and in pain following a collision with Romero inside the box as they challenged for a rebound. Medical representatives rush in and the Tottenham keeper is up on his feet in no time. Lloris does not look happy with the decision to let Romero without a card as Marciniak, the match official, decided to let the play continue
Argentina looks threatening. Di Maria troubles the French defense inside the box and piuts in a pass to find de Paul at the edge of the box. The latter shoots but the ball goes out after taking a deflection
Constant attack from the Argentina frontline as France is forced to keep the ball within its own half. Mac Allister finally decides to let one fly way outside the box but the ball goes straight to Lloris
CLOSE!!! Messi starts Argentina attack as he finds di Maria on the left. The latter then whips out a cross inside the box. Alvarez gets a foot to it but Lloris saves it without trouble
Free kick for France as Griezmann is fouled by De Paul
Antoine Griezmann will get his first touch of the match as France starts from right to left. France is chasing its second consecutive WC trophy while Messi hunts for his first ever
Lusail is all set to host the World Cup final. | Photo Credit: AFP
We are just minutes away from the World Cup final clash between Messi’s Argentina and Mbappe’s France. Players have made their way into the middle and it is now time for national anthems. Lionel Scaloni has opted for a 4-4-2 formation while Didier Deschamps will start with 4-1-2-3.
Starting lineups!!
8:20pm - Across the last two World Cup tournaments, the two players who have generated the most chances following a carry (moving 5+ metres with the ball) are Argentina’s Lionel Messi (27) and France’s Kylian Mbappé (22). Messi has had 17 shots and created 10 chances following a carry, while Mbappé has had eight shots and created 14 chances in this manner.
The World Cup final preview
7:45pm - Argentina’s Lionel Messi will become the all-time record appearance maker in World Cup history in this game (26). He could also become the first player to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal and final in a single edition of the tournament.
As we wait for the summit clash, you can check out Sportstar’s live coverage of the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony - HERE
7:25pm - Argentina has restricted its opponents to just 5.7 shots per game at this World Cup, fewer than any other side. It hasn’t faced above 0.6 expected goals against in any of their six games so far.
7:15pm - France has won all seven of their World Cup knockout games since the start of the 2018 tournament. In World Cup history, only Brazil from 1958 to 1970 (9) have ever had a longer winning run in knockout matches at the finals.
Name: Piers Morgan; Designation: Soothsayer?
7:10pm - Having lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia on matchday one, Argentina could become the second side in World Cup history to lose their opening game of an edition and go on to lift the trophy, after Spain in 2010.
7:05pm - France is unbeaten in their last 10 World Cup matches against South American nations (W6 D4). Indeed, its last such defeat came against Argentina, going down 2-1 in the 1978 first group stage.
7:00pm - Les Bleus, the reigning champions, are looking to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).
6:55pm - France has reached the World Cup final for a fourth time, all since 1998 (1998, 2006, 2018, 2022). This is twice as many as any other nation in this period.
Argentina vs France head-to-head
6:45pm - Argentina in World Cup finals: Over the years
1930—Uruguay 4-2 Argentina
1978—Argentina 3-1 Netherlands
1986—Argentina 3-2 West Germany
1990—West Germany 1-0 Argentina
2014—Germany 1-0 Argentina
6:40pm - Argentina is competing in its sixth World Cup final, with only Germany (8) participating in more. It is looking to win the trophy for a third time, along with 1978 and 1986, but defeat would see it with the joint-most World Cup final losses in history (4, level with Germany).
Predicted lineups
PREVIEW
This capital of the energy-rich thumb-shaped Gulf nation has often made you feel that you are in (cleaner) streets of Mumbai or Kochi as Indians tend to outnumber everyone else around. And for a month, a vast majority of them along with the 35,000 visiting Argentine fans have turned this place into a sacred tour of Lionel Messi. His face adores most billboards and the neon buildings that light up the evening skies and every second person in the streets wears a Leo Messi jersey (mostly fake), while the rest rummage through the stores in Mushareib, Souk Waqif, Wakrah or Lusail to pick the last few available ahead of Argentina’s final against France.
The Argentine captain has not disappointed his disciples as he has lighted up the tournament with a sprinkling of sorcery – the goal against Australia, the no-look pass to Nahuel Molina, or his toying of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol in the semifinal. His greatness has been demonstrated throughout the tournament, but for Doha to build a permanent shrine for Messi, the final act of deliverance needs to arrive. A World Cup trophy from Lusail to truly establish his supremacy.
But France is chasing a record of its own – first back-to-back World titles since Pele and Garrincha’s Brazil of 1958 and ’62. And it, too, has a star in Kylian Mbappe, Messi’s PSG teammate and fellow contender for the tournament’s Golden Boot. Morocco tried and mostly succeeded in negating his threat by using right-back Acharf Hakimi’s pace and dribbling skills to trouble Theo Hernandez and break the chain of connection between the left-back and Mbappe.
But, Molina, Argentina’s right-back, is a few steps slower and might find it difficult to match the success of the Moroccan icon. A move to a back-three for extra protection against Mbappe might prove detrimental for Lionel Scaloni’s midfield balance and Argentina’s chances of attacking the still shaky full-backs of France. A 4-3-3 formation with a fit-again Angel Di Maria brought in to exploit the defensive weaknesses of Hernandez might be Argentina’s answer, while Alexis Mac Allister will play on the left and Rodrigo De Paul on the right with Enzo Fernandez, the only holding midfielder, looking to deal with Antonie Griezmann, the standout player for France.
But with a largely immobile Messi, he has made 0.5 tackles on an average and has spent 5102m walking (Ivan Perisic is second with 4719m), a midfield three can end up offering too much space to Griezmann, who has made three assists and 3.5 key passes. Messi and Argentina, though, have found a tireless Julian Alvarez to do the running for the team’s luminous star, falling back to press whenever Argentina loses the ball.
For Didier Deschamps, there’s also the worry about a cold virus ravaging the camp. Dayot Upamecano missed the last game and now his excellent replacement Ibrahim Konate and the experienced Raphael Varane have missed training, casting doubts about their participation. France, which ceded 61 per cent possession to Morrocco, will continue to exploit its ability to hurt teams with quick transitions and has made the most direct attacks (23) in this World Cup, relying on the creativity and explosiveness of Ousman Dembele and Mbappe from the flanks.
Marcos Acuna, available after serving his suspension, is expected to be reinstated as the left-back ahead of Nicolas Tagliafico to negate the threat of Dembele from the right. Scaloni will look at the workman-like tactical flexibility, emotional aggression of his team and the decisiveness of Messi’s moments of magic to win this ultimate game against France.
Whoever wins – Messi or Mbappe, Argentina or France – the golden hues of the Lusail Stadium on the final Sunday of the 2022 World Cup can irrevocably establish its place as one of the iconic sporting venues of the world when history is created in its sweat-filled turfs.
-Ayon Sengupta
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final in India?
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final will be telecasted live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. On Android as well as iOS, it will be live streamed on JioCinema.
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In the USA, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final will be telecast live on Fox, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, in English. The telecast will be available in Spanish on Telemundo and Universo.
The knockout matches can be live streamed on the Fox Sports app, fuboTV, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo Now and Peacock Premium.
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final in the UK?
The broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final are shared between BBC and ITV. As a result, all matches of Qatar 2022 will be telecast live on BBC 1, ITV 1 and ITV 4.
In Scotland, the matches will be telecast on STV. BBC iPlayer and ITVX will offer live streaming in England while Scotland will have the live coverage on STV Player.
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final in Bangladesh?
Viewers can watch the live telecast of the World Cup matches on PTE LTD, Viacom 18, and T Sports.
The matches will also be live streamed on Toffee, the digital platform powered by Banglalink.
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