World Cup final card, assist and goalscorer free betting tips and predictions

Free special tips, best bets and analysis for Argentina v France in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Where to watch

BBC One & ITV, 3pm Sunday

Argentina v France World Cup predictions

Olivier Giroud to score at any time
2pts 3-1 general

Jules Kounde to be shown a card
1pt 11-2 bet365

Enzo Fernandez to be shown a card
2pts 5-2 BoyleSports

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Lionel Messi has scored first in four of Argentina's six matches at the World Cup, also missing a penalty at 0-0 against Poland, and he is 9-2 to break the deadlock in the final, while France star Kylian Mbappe is hot on his heels at 5-1.

Mbappe has not scored since the last-16 win over Poland but he may start in a central role if Olivier Giroud does not overcome a knock suffered in training on Saturday. If veteran striker Giroud is passed fit then he would certainly appeal at 3-1 in the anytime-goalscorer betting.

Giroud scored the opener against the Poles and the winner against England in the quarter-finals, also hitting the post and flashing a shot wide from 12 yards in Wednesday's semi-final victory over Morocco.

His aerial prowess should concern an Argentina defence who capitulated against towering Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst in the quarter-final.

Antoine Griezmann, playing in a deeper role for France than he occupied at the 2018 World Cup, is yet to score at this tournament but is 9-1 to find the net in the final.

Griezmann, who converted a penalty in the 2018 final and should be on spot-kick duty again, has claimed three assists and is 3-1 with Paddy Power to set up another goal. Messi teed up Nahuel Molina in the quarter-final and Julian Alvarez in the semi-final and is 9-4 to add to his tally of three assists.

Bet365 make Messi 6-4, Mbappe 2-1 and Griezmann 8-1 to be named player of the match while Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who impressed in the penalty-shootout win over the Netherlands, is 9-1.

The card markets look more intriguing and punters are advised to compare the odds of several bookmakers as there are some significant discrepancies out there.

Polish referee Szymon Marciniak booked three players in France's 2-1 Group D win over Denmark and showed two yellow cards in Argentina's last-16 victory against Australia, both to Socceroos players.

France right-back Jules Kounde was cautioned by Marciniak against the Danes and he could be troubled by pacy Argentina forward Alvarez. Kounde is as short as 12-5 to be shown a card so bet365's 11-2 merits a bet.

Argentina youngster Enzo Fernandez stayed out of the referee's notebook during the card-laden quarter-final against the Dutch but he was booked in four of his last eight appearances for Benfica before this tournament.

All of those came in high-profile games – the Champions League double-header against Mbappe's Paris St-Germain, a 4-3 win over Juventus and a Primeira Liga victory at Porto – and Fernandez may be feeling the effects of playing every minute of Argentina's three knockout ties.

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