We check on the favourites for the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, before picking out some value yellow card picks in Sunday's World Cup final.
Golden Boot & Golden Ball Odds
Mbappe v Messi. Master v Enigma. The narratives FIFA must have been dreaming of pre-tournament and the race for all this competition’s honours will go into the final match.
Before they return to PSG as teammates, the two stars will battle it out for the most coveted prize in football on Sunday, which will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the individual awards too.
Lionel Messi, clear favourite for this tournament’s Golden Ball at a best price 2/9, is searching for a maiden World Cup to complete what could be the greatest career in the sport’s history.
On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe (2/1 second favourite for the Golden Boot behind Messi) and France are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.
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Messi & Mbappe Head-to-Head
The previous meeting between the two was in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup, where an Mbappe brace inspired France to a 4-3 victory.
France to win and both teams to score in Sunday’s rematch will pay out a best price of 6/1, with Mbappe anytime 9/4 and him to score 2+ goals in 90 mins is 16/1.
If you’re looking to back an Argentina win inspired by Messi, he is 7/4 to score anytime and 10/1 to score 2+ goals.
Three of the past four World Cup finals have gone to extra-time, the only exception being France vs Croatia last time out. The match to go to extra-time Sunday is 9/5 with SBK.
Key Yellow Card Targets
If you’re looking for card angles for the match on Sunday, there has been on average 4.4 cards handed out per 90 minutes over the past 10 finals.
| World Cup year | Cards in final |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 cards |
| 2014 | 4 cards |
| 2010 | 8 cards in normal time, 5 in extra time |
| 2006 | 5 cards (1 red card) |
| 2002 | 2 cards |
| 1998 | 4 cards (1 red card) |
| 1994 | 4 cards |
| 1990 | 4 cards (2 red cards) |
| 1986 | 6 cards |
| 1982 | 5 cards |
Argentina have picked up 12 cards over their six games, whereas the French side have only picked up six in six games so far.
However, if the Argentina vs Netherlands game is anything to go by, the referee could be in for a busy time Sunday afternoon.
Nicolas Otamendi is making the most fouls per 90 in the World Cup so far for Argentina, and the former Manchester City centre-half is 5/2 best price to be carded in the final.
Argentina’s right-back is yet to be confirmed with either Gonzalo Montiel or Nahuel Molina facing up against Kylian Mbappe in the final, with the former 7/2 to be carded and latter 6/1.
Messi and the lively Julian Alvarez will certainly cause problems for the likely France centre-back pairing of Raphael Varane (13/2 to be carded) and Dayot Upamecano (7/2).
