“Finals are won and not played,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said at the news conference on the eve of the final on Saturday.

For a country which played three finals from 2014 to 2016 (World Cup, Copa America and Copa Centeenario) and lost all, Scaloni knows what he means.

The scenario changed with last year’s Copa America success — they beat Brazil in the final — which gave fresh hope to the millions of fans to believe that the 36-year wait for a World Cup could finally end in Qatar.

And Scaloni, 44, is the man they think who will mastermind this against France on Sunday.

Till now he has handled his team very well, building a team of youngsters around captain Lionel Messi. But when it all started Argentina were down in the dumps.

They had just lost the round-of-16 match to France in Russia and Messi was thinking of never to wear the Argentina shirt again. Scaloni then took over on an interim basis.

The 2019 Copa America failure — they finished third behind champions Brazil and Peru — gave the jitters but Scaloni and team recovered well for a 36-match unbeaten streak.

He was criticised for not being experienced enough to coach the national team. “I did my job and I don’t focus on bad comments. I try to do the best for the national team and critics comments never really bother me.”

Scaloni who had said “football is just a match and win or lose sun will come out the next day,” could not control his emotions as he cried and hugged Messi after the semi-final win over Croatia.

“We are human beings and we are also liable for showing our emotional side,” he said on Saturday.

“But I would once say football is just sport. Even though for Argentina fans it’s more than that,” Scaloni who is now the most popular man back home, said.

His France counterpart Didier Deschamps is at the helm for the last 10 years. He took France to the final of Euro 2016 and then won the World Cup and the Nations League.

Now 54, Deschamps have been handling an array of talents for long. Such is the depth of the France supplyline that even without some of the regular starters who were ruled out before World Cup, they are in final for the second consecutive time.

Often bogged down by inflated egos and dressing room bickerings, France have forged a great bonhomie under Deschamps. His good man-management skills ensured that personalities like Karim Benzema could return into the national team set-up after a gap of six years before the Euro 2020.

Benzema returned from Doha after picking up an injury before France’s first match against Denmark but Deschamps knew Olivier Giroud is there stand up and be counted.

Deschamps was also vindicated by keeping faith in Antoine Griezmann, who looked a different player altogether playing behind the front three of Kylian Mbappe, Giroud and Ousmane Dembele.

Measure of match-ups

Talking tactics

Who controls the middle?

While France’s famed forward line of Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud grabs the spotlight, it is actually Antoine Griezmann who conducts the orchestra in the middle. Letting Griezmann play his tune will spell doom for Argentina. Enzo Fernandes and Alexis Mac Allister will therefore have to be on guard in the Argentine midfield to scuttle Griezmann’s plans. Narrowing down the Frenchman’s space should be on top of Lionel Scaloni’s plans.

How to stop French forwards?

Mbappe and Giroud — one lightning fast, the other a well-oiled bulldozer — are nightmares for any defence. Argentina’s defenders have fared well so far, but they haven’t faced anything like Mbappe and Giroud on their road to the final. Will Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi pass the test? The two by themselves may not be enough and will need help from Nahuel Molina and Nicolas Tagliafico/Marcos Acuna. Given Acuna’s overlapping ambitions, Tagliafico might be a better option to start.

How to stop Messi?

Is he stoppable in his current form? Usually not, but France have the personnel who can choke Messi. Whatever may be their defensive line-up on Sunday — some of their defenders are battling flu — technically the French are better equipped than Croatia to deal with Messi. Besides blocking him in front of the box, France will also have to cut his supply line from Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernandes. Griezmann will have to be the mastermind behind such a ploy.

Is left the right choice?

France’s left side has looked a little porous. England and Morocco have shown that attacks can be generated through that side to disturb Deschamps’ team. Theo Hernandez hasn’t been the most convincing presence on that flank and with Messi operating through the same channel, France will need back-up. Ibrahima Konate did a fine job against Morocco, covering up for Hernandez. But will he get a start if Dayot Upamecano is fit? Whoever plays, watch out for Messi.

Short passes

⚫ Both Argentina and France are looking for third World Cup crown.

⚫ If France win, they will become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).

⚫ If Argentina win, they will become only the second team in World Cup history to lose their opening game — against Saudi Arabia — of an edition and yet go on to win the tournament after Spain did so in 2010.

⚫ Will Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe score on Sunday? They were on target in the 2018 final. If they do so again, they will join an elite list of players who have scored in two separate World Cup finals. Vava (1958, 1962), Pele (1958, 1970), Paul Breitner (1974, 1982), and Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2006) are already on that list.

Do you know? France have not lost their last 10 World Cup matches against South American nations, winning six, drawing four. Their last loss, incidentally, was at the hands of Argentina, going down 1-2 in the 1978 group stage.