On December 18, 2022, at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar, football produced something it rarely manages — a match that genuinely deserved to be called the greatest ever played.
Argentina 3–3 France. Argentina win 4–2 on penalties.
Messi scored twice. Di María scored one of the tournament's great goals. Mbappé responded with a hat-trick — the first in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966 — and still lost. France came from 2–0 down in the final ten minutes of normal time, equalised again in extra time, and then saw two penalties missed in the shootout.
It was the most extraordinary sporting event of the decade. And it ended with France going home empty-handed.
Three and a half years later, the question hanging over the 2026 World Cup is simple: can they meet again?
What Happened in Qatar — The Full Story
The build-up to the 2022 final was dominated by one storyline: Messi vs Mbappé. The two greatest players of their generation, PSG teammates at club level, facing each other for the biggest prize in football. It delivered everything — and more.
First half: Argentina were imperious. Messi converted a 23rd-minute penalty. Di María finished a sweeping counterattack in the 36th minute. France failed to register a single shot in the entire first half — historically bad for a team of that calibre.
79th–81st minute: In 97 extraordinary seconds, the game changed. Mbappé scored a penalty, then volleyed in a second from close range. 2–2 with nine minutes remaining. The stadium erupted.
Extra time: Messi scored again in the 108th minute — his second of the night and his biggest ever goal. It seemed to be the winner. But Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 117th minute to make it 3–3. A hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Penalties: Emiliano Martínez saved from Kingsley Coman. Aurélien Tchouaméni sent his kick wide. Argentina were perfect from the spot. Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty.
Messi lifted the trophy. Mbappé — who finished with 8 goals and the Golden Boot — went home without one.
Writers called it the greatest World Cup final in history. Perhaps the greatest football match ever played. And France lost it.
Can They Meet Again in 2026?
Here is the crucial piece of bracket architecture at the 2026 World Cup: France and Argentina have been placed on the same side of the bracket.
FIFA's seeding rules kept the top four ranked teams — Spain (No.1), Argentina (No.2), France (No.3), England (No.4) — in separate pathways, ensuring they cannot meet before the semi-finals if they all win their groups. Spain and Argentina are on opposite sides. France and England are on opposite sides.
But France and Argentina are in the same half of the bracket. If both win their groups and navigate the early knockout rounds, they can meet in the semi-final — not the final.
The earliest possible France vs Argentina meeting: semi-final, July 11 or 12, 2026.
If they meet in the semi-final, the winner goes to the MetLife Stadium final on July 19. A rematch of 2022 — this time with even more at stake.
France in 2026 — The Hunger
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
France manager Didier Deschamps has one piece of unfinished business. He won the World Cup in 1998 as a player and as manager in 2018. He took France to the 2022 final and watched them lose — despite Mbappé's extraordinary hat-trick.
Kylian Mbappé is 27 years old during the 2026 tournament — peak age for a forward. He already has 12 World Cup goals from two tournaments, and he needs just four more to equal Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16. The memory of 2022 — scoring three times in a final and still losing — is the defining motivation of his career.
Alongside Mbappé, France have Ousmane Dembélé (2025 Ballon d'Or winner), Antoine Griezmann, and a midfield built around reliability and experience. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan is one of the world's best.
Their March 2026 form was encouraging — a 2–1 win over Brazil in Foxborough, playing with ten men for part of the match. Deschamps' system works. The squad is united.
France's path to a potential semi-final: Win Group I (manageable, though Norway with Haaland presents a genuine test) → Round of 32 → Round of 16 → semi-final.
Argentina in 2026 — Defending the Impossible
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Argentina arrive in 2026 trying to do something that has not been done in 64 years.
Lionel Messi will be 38 years old during the tournament. He has said this will be his final World Cup. After Qatar 2022 — the tournament that completed his legacy — everything now is a bonus. But Argentina do not arrive as a team running on nostalgia. Julián Álvarez is one of the most dynamic strikers in world football. Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernández give them an experienced, battle-hardened midfield. Emiliano Martínez between the posts is one of the best goalkeepers alive.
The squad that won in Qatar is largely intact. The manager, Lionel Scaloni, remains in charge. The identity — compact, disciplined, dangerous on the counter — is established.
Argentina's path to a potential semi-final: Win Group J (straightforward — Algeria, Austria and Jordan offer limited resistance) → Round of 32 → Round of 16 → semi-final.
Head-to-Head History
| Year | Stage | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Group stage | France 0–1 Argentina |
| 1978 | Group stage | France 1–2 Argentina |
| 1982 | Group stage | France 0–0 Argentina |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | France 4–3 Argentina |
| 2022 | Final | Argentina 3–3 France (4–2 pens) |
France lead the World Cup head-to-head 2–1–2 across five meetings. But the one that matters most went to Argentina.
The 2018 Round of 16 was also a classic — France won 4–3 in a breathless match in Kazan, with Mbappé running the Argentina defence ragged and Benjamin Pavard scoring one of the great World Cup goals.
This rivalry has produced three of the most entertaining matches in World Cup history across three tournaments. Every time these teams meet, something extraordinary happens.
The Match-Up: Mbappé vs Messi's Legacy
The 2022 final was framed as Messi vs Mbappé. In 2026, the framing shifts slightly.
Messi at 38 is playing for legacy, for history, for the chance to be remembered as the man who defended the trophy he spent his career trying to win. His physical involvement may be more selective — managed minutes, specific moments, the decisive intervention rather than the 90-minute performance.
Mbappé at 27 is playing with a point to prove. He scored three times in the 2022 final and lost. That is the defining wound of his career so far. Meeting Argentina again — meeting Messi again — with revenge as the motivation is the storyline that writes itself.
If they meet in the semi-final, it will be the most anticipated match of the 2026 World Cup.
Will It Actually Happen?
The honest answer: it is far from guaranteed.
France have Group I with Norway — Erling Haaland could derail them. Argentina face a bracket that becomes increasingly difficult after the group stage. One injury, one upset, one penalty shootout going the wrong way, and the rematch never materialises.
But the bracket has been drawn. The pathway exists. If the top seeds advance as expected, France and Argentina meet in the semi-final.
And if that happens — if Mbappé and Messi share a pitch in a World Cup knockout match one more time — it will be the greatest advertisement for football that the 2026 tournament could possibly offer.
Follow every match and every potential blockbuster live at WC2026 Stats.