The reigning champions France were hoping to exorcise a painful memory after one miss cost them the 2006 final against Italy, while Argentina always had reason to be confident, padding their status as the team with the most wins (seven) in shootouts at the tournament.
Argentina won in the end 4-2, scoring all four of their attempts while France failed on two: Kingsley Coman (saved) and Aurelien Tchouameni (wide) could not convert.
The Albiceleste had already won a shootout earlier in the 2022 tournament, ousting the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Lionel Messi, Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel and Lautaro Martinez all scored but Enzo Fernandez missed in that one.
Here, we take a look at the nations’ records going into their 2022 shootout, which gave the tournament in Qatar a record five penalty shootouts.
MORE: Lionel Messi penalty kick history: Argentina captain’s record on penalties
Argentina vs France penalties World Cup 2022 final
The teams went to a shootout in the 2022 final and Argentina emerged victorious. Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez (Argentina) and Hugo Lloris (France) were the goalkeepers.
Dibu Martinez saved one penalty and Gonzalo Montiel converted the decisive kick to win it with a fifth round of penalties not even required.
4th Round
Randal Kolo Muani goal (FRA 2, ARG 3) Gonzalo Montiel goal (FRA 2, ARG 4) *** Argentina win World Cup
3rd Round
Aurelien Tchouameni wide (FRA 1, ARG 2) Leandro Paredes goal (FRA 1, ARG 3)
2nd Round
Kingsley Coman saved by Emiliano Martinez (FRA 1, ARG 1) Paulo Dybala goal (FRA 1, ARG 2)
1st Round
Kylian Mbappe goal (FRA 1, ARG 0) Lionel Messi goal (FRA 1, ARG 1)
Argentina, France penalty shootout history
Taking the World Cup, UEFA Euros and Copa America into account, Argentina have won 10 of their 16 shootouts, while France have lost four of their eight.
Argentina have lost five out of 10 during the 21st century, with France failing in three out of three.
Argentina penalty shootout record
1990 World Cup quarterfinals: won 3-2 vs Yugoslavia 1990 World Cup semifinals: won 4-3 vs Italy 1993 Copa America quarterfinals: won 6-5 vs Brazil 1993 Copa America quarterfinals: won 6-5 vs Colombia 1995 Copa America quarterfinals: lost 2-4 vs Brazil 1998 World Cup Round of 16: won 4-3 vs England 2004 Copa America final: lost 2-4 vs Brazil 2006 World Cup quarterfinals: lost 2-4 vs Germany 2011 Copa America quarterfinals: lost 4-5 vs Uruguay 2014 World Cup semifinals: won 4-2 vs Netherlands 2015 Copa America quarterfinals: won 5-4 vs Colombia 2015 Copa America final: lost 1-4 vs Chile 2016 Copa America final: lost 2-4 vs Chile 2021 Copa America semifinals: won 3-2 vs Colombia 2022 World Cup quarterfinals: won 4-3 vs Netherlands 2022 World Cup final: won 4-2 vs France
France penalty shootout record
1982 World Cup semifinals: lost 4-5 vs Germany 1986 World Cup quarterfinals: won 4-3 vs Brazil EURO 1996 quarterfinals: won 5-4 vs Netherlands EURO 1996 semifinals: lost 5-6 vs Czech Republic 1998 World Cup quarterfinals: won 4-3 vs Italy 2006 World Cup final: lost 3-5 vs Italy EURO 2020 Round of 16: lost 4-5 vs Switzerland 2022 World Cup final: lost 2-4 vs Argentina
Best penalty takers for Argentina, France
Argentina captain Messi’s side went into the final with the more experienced penalty takers among their ranks, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner stepping up first in the shootout.
Kylian Mbappe stepped up first for France, but the likes of Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann were already out of the game by the time penalties came around.
Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who missed the tournament through injury has scored 31 of his 39 senior penalties, succeeding on the one occasion when he took one in a shootout.
Figures prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Is Messi better than Mbappe at penalties?
The pair have a similar record but their contrasting levels of experience mean there is less evidence of Mbappe’s penalty prowess. That being said both players converted all their penalty attempts on the day of the final, both during the match and in the shootout.
Messi’s personal success rate has been improved by his success in three out of three penalties en route to the final, as well as that shootout conversion in the quarterfinals. The 35-year-old did, however, saw his spot kick saved in the group stage closer against Poland, adding to his miss during a draw with Iceland at the 2018 tournament.
LIVE BLOG: Argentina vs France updates
At 23, Mbappe has already tasted the kind of despair Messi felt when he claimed he would retire from international football after spurning a penalty in 2016 in the second of two successive Copa America final defeats to Chile.
Mbappe apologised after missing a penalty to cost France a shootout against Switzerland in the first knockout round at EURO 2020.
Figures as of prior to the December 18 World Cup final:
