90min

France predicted lineup vs Argentina - World Cup final

By Grey Whitebloom

Didier Deschamps' France knocked Argentina out of the 2018 World Cup
Didier Deschamps' France knocked Argentina out of the 2018 World Cup / Jam Media/GettyImages
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France face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday afternoon gunning to become the first men's national team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the global crown.

Didier Deschamps could become just the second manager to win consecutive World Cups. Aymore Moreira took over from Vicente Feola between Brazil's successes in the mid-20th century, leaving Italy's Vittorio Pozzo as the only man to claim back-to-back world titles in the 1930s.

Here's the lineup Deschamps may deploy to ensure France become the first team to successfully defend the men's World Cup in colour.

France predicted lineup vs Argentina (4-3-3)

Olivier Giroud
At 36, Olivier Giroud is France's oldest goalscorer at a men's World Cup / James Williamson - AMA/GettyImages

GK: Hugo Lloris - If France prove triumphant, Lloris will become the first captain to ever hoist aloft the famous trophy on two occasions.

RB: Jules Kounde - After what Kounde described as an "injury crisis" at Bordeaux, the then teenager had a loan move to the French third-tier scrapped, opening a spot in the first team which he didn't relinquish.

CB: Raphael Varane - Yet to get off the mark in Qatar, all five of Varane's international goals have been headers.

CB: Dayot Upamecano - Left out of the semi-final while he nursed an illness, Deschamps was adamant that Upamecano "will be back".

LB: Theo Hernandez - The only two international goals of Hernandez's career have come in semi-finals, netting against Belgium in the Nations League final four and Morocco on Wednesday night.

CM: Antoine Griezmann - A scorer in the 2018 showpiece, Griezmann has the chance to become the first man since Brazil's Vava to find the net in consecutive World Cup finals.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni - In a brief documentary about himself which he released on Twitter ahead of the tournament, Tchouameni said: "Sometimes I want to sit back and look at what I've accomplished so far." Sunday night may serve as the perfect opportunity for some reflection.

CM: Adrien Rabiot - Bound to his hotel room for the semi-final, Rabiot "should be better and available for Sunday" according to Deschamps. Youssouf Fofana - who spent three years alongside Tchouameni at Monaco - would be his likely deputy.

RW: Ousmane Dembele - No team has used fewer substitutes per match than France in Qatar (just 3.5 on average). However, Dembele has been brought off in each of his five starts this winter.

ST: Olivier Giroud - The voice of the Green Goblin in the French dubbed version of Spider-Man: New Generation has been a hero for Les Bleus in Qatar.

LW: Kylian Mbappe - At 23, Mbappe will be the youngest man to ever appear in two World Cup finals should he feature on Sunday.

Harry Symeou hosts Andy Headspeath, Quentin Gesp and Jack Gallagher to look back on the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia - join us!

If you can’t see the podcast embed, click here to download or listen to the episode in full!

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