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After a month of stiff competition in Qatar, the 2022 World Cup’s final matchup is finally set.
Argentina learned Wednesday that defending World Cup winner France will be its opponent in the final on Sunday. France topped a history-making Morocco side 2-0 a day after Argentina shut out Croatia, which lost to France in the 2018 final, a day earlier. Croatia and Morocco square off for third place in the tournament.
Argentina and France, led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, respectively, were two among a handful of favorites heading into the quadrennial footballing spectacle.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the World Cup final.
When is the World Cup final?
The tournament title match will be played Sunday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. Eastern time. That’s 6 p.m. in Qatar, earlier than the tournament matches have typically been played.
The World Cup final can be watched in the U.S. on Fox
FOX,
FOXA,
and Telemundo, owned by Comcast
CMCSA,
unit NBCUniversal. Fox is available through nearly all cable providers, and cord cutters can stream the match live through FuboTV FUBO, SlingTV, the Alphabet-owned
GOOG,
GOOGL,
YouTubeTV and Comcast’s Peacock.
Who’s favored to win?
Both teams have been oddsmakers’ favorite in every one of their 2022 World Cup matches leading up to the final. But for the grand finale, France is seen a slight favorite over Argentina. France is +175 to win, which carries an implied probability of 36.4%, while the Argentina team is being given a 35.1% chance to win, according to the implied-probability data taken from DraftKings’
DKNG,
odds on Wednesday. The outstanding percentage would account for a draw, though all matches beginning in the knockout stage go to a penalty shootout if a score is tied at the end of regulation and at the end of two 15-minute halves of overtime.
What’s at stake?
A win for France would mean back-to-back men’s World Cup wins for the European nation, and France’s third title in history.
Likewise, a win for Argentina would mean its third World Cup title, and the first World Cup win for legend of the game Messi.
Related: Budweiser says it will award unconsumed Qatar beer to the World Cup winner
A record-breaking amount of prize money will also be at stake. FIFA has allocated $440 million in prize money this year, up from $400 million for the 2018 World Cup, hosted by Russia. (FIFA announced on the same day in December 2010 its selection of Russia and Qatar to host the global game’s marquee event in 2018 and 2022, respectively.)
This year’s winning side will get $42 million, up $4 million from the 2018 tournament.
The runner-up will receive $30 million, and the third- and fourth-place teams are going home with $27 million and $25 million. As for the rest, the teams that lost in the quarterfinals will each receive $17 million; teams that lost in the second round will get $13 million each; and teams knocked out in the group stage (including the U.S.) will get $9 million each. All 32 qualifying teams also received $1.5 million for securing their spots in the tournament. Only Qatar, as the host country, did not have to play its way in through regional competition.
Is this really Lionel Messi’s last World Cup?
Messi, playing in his fifth career World Cup, has said that this would probably be the last time he plays in the competition.
Failing over the years to achieve in international competition for Argentina what he has in club play (save an appearance in the 2014 final against Germany and a Copa America title in 2021), chiefly with Barcelona in Spain and now with Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he and Mbappé are teammates, Messi has previously announced and rescinded an intent to step back as an international. Only now he’s 35.
From the archives (January 2010): Club or country? Soccer World Cup revives old tensions
“Yes. Surely, yes,” Messi said when asked whether Sunday’s game will be his last at a World Cup. “There’s a lot of years until the next one, and I don’t think I have it in me, and finishing like this is best.”
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