The moment we've been waiting for is here. The FIFA World Cup trophy will be up for grabs when Argentina and France face off in an exciting Qatar 2022 final on Sunday, December 18, at the Lusail Stadium.
Lionel Messi is once again just one win away from taking his nation to the promised land, something that became quite elusive in his brilliant career. La Albiceleste arrive in the grand final in high spirits, but they're about to face their toughest opponent in this tournament.
Les Bleus debunked the myth that a reigning world champions struggle in their following World Cup, making their way to the tournament decider in great fashion. Will France make it back-to-back titles, or will Argentina end a 36-year drought? With the Qatar 2022 final just days away from us, in Bolavip we made this poll so you can pick your favorite player from each team for each position. Check it out!
GK: Emiliano Martinez or Hugo Lloris?
Emiliano Martinez has once again become gigantic at crucial moments for Argentina, showcasing his ability to save penalties in a hard-fought quarterfinal against the Netherlands. Dibu also kept three clean sheets in five games. While Hugo Lloris only had a shutout in the Morocco semifinal, the veteran goalie has been instrumental in France's road to consecutive finals.
RB: Nahuel Molina or Jules Kounde?
Nahuel Molina has made a lot of progress since the 2021 Copa America, eventually joining Atletico Madrid before this World Cup. Though Gonzalo Montiel often benched him, Molina got more playing time in Qatar and even put Argentina in front in the quarterfinals. Jules Kounde, meanwhile, has adapted perfectly to the position, keeping 2018 champion Benjamin Pavard on the sidelines.
CB: Cristian Romero or Raphael Varane?
Cristian Romero overcame an injury in the debut against Saudi Arabia, showing Argentina what a dependable defender they have in him. Raphael Varane may not be in his best form but Deschamps still trusts him, as we're talking about one of the best center-backs in recent years.
CB: Nicolas Otamendi or Dayot Upamecano?
Surprisingly, Nicolas Otamendi is having his best World Cup at 34 years of age. The veteran defender's ruthlessness has kept opponents at bay, regardless of the striker's size or skill, Otamendi won most of the duels he's participated in so far. Dayot Upamecano had a very similar performance, though, with his best version coming in a crucial quarterfinal against England.
LB: Marcos Acuña or Theo Hernandez?
In a position where he often had to share the load with Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Acuña won Scaloni's trust for much of the World Cup due to his ability to join the attack. As for Theo Hernandez, he's been key for France, even scoring the opener in the semifinals.
CM: Rodrigo de Paul or Adrien Rabiot?
Rodrigo de Paul has established himself in the lineup long ago, and even after a rocky start to Qatar 2022, the Atletico Madrid man eventually rediscovered his best form. While de Paul was pure heart and soul for Argentina, Adrien Rabiot was more of the brain for France in the middle of the park. The Juventus midfielder had to replace the injured Paul Pogba and he did great.
CM: Enzo Fernandez or Aurelien Tchouameni?
Many had already witnessed Enzo Fernandez's progress at the club level, but the Benfica man had a meteoric rise on the international stage at this World Cup. He started on the bench, but it didn't take long for him to own a spot in the starting eleven. Aurelien Tchouameni is also having a World Cup to remember, making France forget about N'Golo Kante's absence.
CAM: Alexis Mac Allister or Antoine Griezmann?
Giovani Lo Celso's injury left a huge vacancy in Argentina, and Alexis Mac Allister seized it. The Brighton star's role has been pivotal for Scaloni, and he even gave his side the lead in a crucial group game against Poland. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann has been pulling the strings in France throughout the tournament, shining in a new role as the team's playmaker.
RW: Angel Di Maria or Ousmane Dembele?
Though he missed the last games due to discomfort, Angel Di Maria has been instrumental for Argentina every time he was on the field. But Deschamps couldn't be happier with Ousmane Dembele's form, as the Barcelona winger is finally living up to the expectations everyone had in him when he was just getting started at Dortmund.
ST: Julian Alvarez or Olivier Giroud?
When we look at the No. 9 spot, we'll find an evenly-matched battle. In the blink of an eye, Julian Alvarez benched Lautaro Martinez when it looked like the Inter Milan striker was untouchable. The Man City sensation has been outstanding at this World Cup, recording four goals as well as an assist.
Arguably the most underrated striker on Earth, Olivier Giroud has silenced his critics by scoring four times at this World Cup. Many overlooked Giroud's contribution in France's 2018 title due to his lack of goals in the tournament, so now that he's finding the net there's not much to question about him.
LW: Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe?
There are simply no words to describe Lionel Messi's performances at this World Cup. At 35, the Argentine superstar continues to defy Father Time as he scores, assists, and carries his team's aspirations in what could be his final opportunity to win the trophy.
However, Kylian Mbappe has also been superb for France at this World Cup. Four years after shining in Russia 2018, Mbappe continues to write history in the tournament and now is just one step away from making it back-to-back titles at only 23 years of age.
Even the stats suggest this might be the most difficult question to answer, as both Messi and Mbappe have scored five goals so far. The Argentine star has one more assist (3) than the Frenchman, though. The final will probably determine who's the Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner, but before that happens, who do you choose?
Manager: Lionel Scaloni or Didier Deschamps?
Lionel Scaloni took charge of Argentine with no managerial experience, which is why many doubted he could be up to the task. Time eventually proved his doubters wrong. Scaloni got Argentina back on their feet, taking the nation back to glory days and reconnecting Argentine fans with their team.
Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, had a challenging task after setting the bar so high at Russia 2018. Even so, he continued to be the right man for France by taking them to a Nations League success before another deep run at a World Cup.
