On Sunday, December 18, the national team of Argentina will meet with the national team of France in the decisive match

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The match will take place at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail.

The referee's starting whistle will sound at 17:00 Kyiv time.

History of team meetings

The teams have played each other 12 times and the advantage is on the side of Argentina - six wins against three draws and three triumphs of France.

At the World Cup, the teams met three times: two victories by the Albiceleste and one by the French.

The last time rivals determined a stronger year was 2018.

Then France beat Argentina in a spectacular match of the round of 16 with a score of 4:3.

Albiceleste won the group stage in 1978 (2:1) and 1930 (1:0).

The way to the final

At the start of the 2022 World Cup, the Argentines sensationally lost to Saudi Arabia (1:2), after which they defeated Mexico (2:0) and Poland (0:2).

This allowed Lionel Scaloni's wards to enter the playoffs from first place. 

In the round of 16, the Albiceleste 

 Australia (2:1).

In the quarter-finals, Leo Messi and company 

 the Netherlands national team - the main time of the match ended with the score 2:2, and the Argentines triumphed in the penalty shootout.

In the semifinals, "Albiceleste"

national team of Croatia (3:0).

On the way to the playoffs, the French crushed Australia (4:1), beat Denmark (2:1) and sensationally lost to Tunisia (0:1), ending the group stage in first place.

In the round of 16, Didier Deschamps' team 

 Poland (3:1), and in the quarterfinals, "Le Bleu" dramatically 

 England (1:2).

In the semi-final meeting, the reigning world champions

than the main sensation of the World Cup - the Moroccan national team (2:0).

• Argentina reached the finals of the World Cup for the sixth time in history: in 1978 and 1986, the Argentines became champions, and in 1930, 1990 and 2014, they lost in the finals.

• The French national team is also a two-time world champion (1998, 2018).

  Once again (2006), the "tricolor" reached the final, but lost the decisive match to Italy.

We will remind you that the French are the current world champions.

In the final of the previous World Cup, "Le Bleu" beat Croatia.

The French national team can become only the third team in history to defend the title of World Cup winner.

Previously, Italy (1934-1938) and Brazil (1958-1962) succeeded in this.

Read also:

World Cup 2022: calendar and results of all matches (updated)

A unique achievement: the Moroccan team rewrote the history of the World Cup

Bedouin tent, dhow boats and an arena made of containers: what is known about the stadiums of the 2022 World Cup in football