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Argentina vs France: World Cup final live updates and player ratings

Published 14:00 18 Dec 2022 GMT

Updated 14:08 18 Dec 2022 GMT

Robert Redmond

Argentina vs France: World Cup final live updates and player ratings

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The World Cup final takes place on Sunday afternoon.

Argentina take on Frace in the World Cup final on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar. Can Lionel Messi cap his career and cement his place as the greatest footballer ever? Or will Kylian Mbappé and co spoil Argentina's day and help France retain the World Cup? Here is what you need to know about the biggest game in football, including kick-off time, TV and streaming details and team news. You can also follow the match live in our hub below. Click on the key point you want to read about, or just keep scrolling for all the updates from the game.

Argentina vs France: How can I watch the World Cup final?

Argentina versus France kicks off at 3 pm on Sunday afternoon. In the UK, the BBC and ITV both have live coverage of the final. Coverage starts at 1:30 pm on ITV1. While on BBC1, their coverage begins at 1:50 pm. You can also stream the match live on the BBC iPlayer or ITVX if you live in the UK. In Ireland, you can watch the match on RTÉ 2, with coverage starting at 1:45 pm. You can also stream the match live on the RTÉ Player.

Argentina vs France: Team news.

Lionel Messi was clutching his hamstring during his star performance in Argentina's 3-0 win over Croatia in the semi-final. The Argentina captain, however, has since insisted that he has no injury concerns. Elsewhere for the South American side, Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel will be available for selection for the final after serving a one-match suspension. Angel Di Maria may also be fit to play after missing most of the tournament with injury issues. For France, Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano should be available for selection after missing the win over Morocco with illness. Karim Benzema has also been linked with a sensational return to the squad, as he is still on the team list. Yet, it appears unlikely.

Argentina vs France: Preview.

France are the reigning world champions and Didier Deschamps' side are aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. In the group stages, Le Bleus cruised past Australia and Denmark to qualify for the last-16, before losing to Tunisia in their final group game. In the knockout stages, France beat Poland 3-1 and advanced past England in the quarter-finals, winning 2-1. In the semi-finals, France beat Morocco 2-0, becoming the first team in the tournament to score against the north African side in the tournament. Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have been the team's key players on their run to the final.

Argentina came into the tournament as one of the favourites to win the World Cup. Yet, they have had a difficult route to the final. Messi's side started their campaign with a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. They advanced to the knockout stages thanks to wins over Mexico and Poland, before squeezing past Australia in the last 16. In the quarter-finals, Argentina faced The Netherlands in what became one of the most dramatic World Cup knockout ties in recent memory. https://twitter.com/RTEsoccer/status/1602763238751735808 The South Americans raced into a 2-0 lead and looked to be cruising into the semi-finals until The Netherlands mounted an incredible late comeback to bring the match to extra time and then penalties. Argentina eventually won the shootout to set up a semi-final against Croatia. Messi produced an all-time great performance to help his side win 3-0. The South Americans are aiming to win their third World Cup and first since 1986.