The crown of best international football team in the world will be clinched for another four years when France face off against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. Giants will collide as Lionel Messi leads the Albiceleste against Kylian Mbappe's Bleus in Qatar.
So when does the big match start, where is it being played and how did the two teams get there?
GOAL brings you all the time details for the Qatar 2022 deciding match.
What time does the World Cup final kick off?
The 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France will be played on Sunday December 18 and it will kick off at 3pm GMT in the UK or 10am ET in the U.S.
The local time in Qatar for the final is 6pm, meaning the match will begin in the early evening in Doha, when it will be relatively cooler.
The game will be played over 90 minutes (plus whatever time the referee adds on). If the teams are level after that regulation time, they will play extra time and, if the scores are still level after that, a penalty shootout.
You can see the World Cup final kick-off time for different regions, including UK, U.S., Argentina, France and more below.
| Region | Kick-off time |
|---|---|
| Qatar (local) | 6pm AST |
| UK | 3pm GMT |
| U.S. | 10am ET / 7am PT |
| France | 4pm CET |
| Spain | 4pm CET |
| Italy | 4pm CET |
| Germany | 4pm CET |
| Argentina | 12 noon AT |
World Cup 2022 final TV channel & live stream
In the UK, the World Cup final will be broadcast live on both BBC One and ITV, as well as their respective streaming platforms, BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
In the U.S., the final will be shown live on FOX and Telemundo, with streaming available via Telemundo Deportes en Vivo and FOX Soccer online.
| Country | TV channel | Live stream |
|---|---|---|
| UK | BBC One / ITV | BBC iPlayer / ITVX |
| U.S. | FOX / Telemundo | FOX Sports app / Telemundo Deportes en Vivo |
Where is the World Cup final being played?
Lusail Stadium (also known as Lusail Iconic Stadium) is where the 2022 World Cup final takes place.
Situated near Doha, it has a capacity of 88,996 for the World Cup and has already hosted a number of games at the tournament.
The Lusail Stadium was officially opened in November 2021, having been purpose-built to host games at the World Cup. It is expected that the official capacity of the stadium will be reduced to 40,000 after the World Cup.
GettyWho is the referee for the World Cup final?
Szymon Marciniak was chosen by FIFA to referee the 2022 World Cup final.
Hailing from Poland, Marciniak previously officiated two group games: France's 2-1 win over Denmark in the group stage and Argentina's 2-1 win over Australia in the last 16.
Read more about World Cup 2022 final referee Szymon Marciniak.
How did France get to the World Cup final?
| Date | Stage | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 | Group stage | France 4-1 Australia |
| Nov 26 | Group stage | France 2-1 Denmark |
| Nov 30 | Group stage | Tunisia 1-0 France |
| Dec 4 | Last 16 | France 2-1 Poland |
| Dec 10 | Quarter-final | England 1-2 France |
| Dec 14 | Semi-final | Morocco 0-2 France |
France qualified from Group D as winners after defeating Australia and Denmark, though they ended the group stage with a loss to Tunisia.
Nevertheless, the defending champions progressed through the knockout stage with minimal fuss, beating Poland in the round of 16, England in the quarter-finals and then Morocco in their semi-final.
GettyHow did Argentina get to the World Cup final?
| Date | Stage | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 | Group stage | Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia |
| Nov 26 | Group stage | Argentina 2-0 Mexico |
| Nov 30 | Group stage | Poland 0-2 Argentina |
| Dec 3 | Last 16 | Argentina 2-1 Australia |
| Dec 9 | Quarter-final | Argentina 2-2 Netherlands (4-3P) |
| Dec 13 | Semi-final | Argentina 3-0 Croatia |
Argentina have overcome a shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia in the group stage to reach the 2022 World Cup final. Messi and Co. were beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their tournament opener, but went on to top Group C by defeating Mexico and Poland.
In the knockout stage, they beat Australia in the last 16, dumped the Netherlands out on penalties in the quarter-finals and made light work of Croatia in the semi-finals to book their date with destiny at Lusail Stadium.
GettyHave France won the World Cup before?
France have won the World Cup twice in their history and arrived in Qatar as the defending champions, having won the previous tournament in Russia in 2018.
Les Bleus won the World Cup for the first time in their history when they triumphed on home soil in 1998, with a team consisting of stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Christian Karembeu, Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly.
Have Argentina won the World Cup before?
Like France, Argentina have won the World Cup twice in their history, first in 1978 on home turf and then in 1986 in Mexico.
The Albiceleste beat the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final, with players such as Mario Kempes and Daniel Passarella shining, while Diego Maradona famously inspired the team's 1986 success.
The 2022 final in Qatar will be their sixth appearance in a final, having also featured in the final at the 1930, 1990 and 2014 tournaments.
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