France beat Morocco and goes for its third cup 6:35
(CNN Spanish) --
Speculations are over!
Argentina and France will face each other again in a World Cup, as they did 4 years ago for the round of 16 of Russia 2018. Of course, this time there will be a special seasoning: when the 22 footballers leave through the tunnel of the Lusail Stadium, They will parade with the irresistible World Cup in the middle.
And while we wait desperately, nothing like a good review of curious facts and some "curses" to pass the time:
1. The duel for “the third”
Argentina and France will take to the pitch with the same objective: to lift their third World Cup.
There's another coincidence in this numbers game, if you will: They both won their first World Cup on home soil.
The Albiceleste did it in 1978 and Les Bleus in 1998. Then came the second conquest for both: Argentina repeated in 1986 and France four years ago, in 2018. On Sunday, only one will have to make room for the third cup in their showcases.
Messi vs.
Mbappé: World Cup scorers duel in the Qatar 2022 final
2. France broke two losing streaks
Italy, in 2010;
Spain, in 2014;
Germany, in 2018… it is not a list of champions.
Rather the complete opposite.
They are the teams that arrived as current world champions and that before the end of the group stage were already
checking-in
at the airport to return home.
France ended that streak and more: it will be the first team in 20 years to participate in two consecutive world finals.
The last?
Brazil, who played in the finals of 1994 (beat Italy), 1998 (lost to France) and 2002 (beat Germany).
France and Mbappé return to the World Cup final 2:05
3. The Champion's Curse
If it is about curses, there is one that has been haunting the history of the World Cups for 60 years and that this time could be broken: no one repeats the title of world champion since it was achieved... also Brazil, in 1958 and 1962. What's more, only there was another team capable of achieving the feat of two-time championship: Italy, in 1934 and 1938. As the saying goes, "I don't believe in witches, but there are, there are."
4. The sweet taste of revenge
"Revenge is a dish that is served cold", says that well-known proverb.
The Argentina team can talk about that a lot in recent years, which "avenged" 2 of the last 3 World Cup defeats at the first opportunity it had.
First, Germany was their executioner in the 2014 final, which they thrashed 4-2 in a friendly that same year.
And on Tuesday, it was the turn of Croatia, to which they returned the 3-0 suffered in the group stage in 2018. Why the data?
The last team that beat the Albiceleste in a World Cup was precisely France, who eliminated them in the round of 16 in 2018, and with whom they have not faced each other since then, neither in official matches nor in friendlies.
Will there be revenge again?
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Argentina vs.
France: the most anticipated final (and with the possibility of a rematch)
Argentina national team
