Has the FIFA World Cup final ever gone to extra-time or penalties? That’s the possible scenario facing Argentina and France in the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
Didier Deschamps has the chance to create history by helping France win back-to-back world titles, only two nations previously have done that – Brazil and Italy.
The last time it happened was when Brazil were champions of the 1958 and 1962 editions and a certain Pele was causing havoc.
But Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina will want to spoil that party and win their first crown since 1986 – that’s when Diego Maradona was at his crazy-best.
HAS THE FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL EVER GONE TO EXTRA-TIME OR PENALTIES?
The simple answer is, yes – and Argentina were in the most recent final that went to extra-time when Mario Gotze scored the only goal of the game to help Germany beat the South American giants in the backyard of Brazil in 2014.
In total, seven finals out of 21 have gone to either extra-time or penalties, with two being decided by the dreaded, mental-suffering, heart-pounding and simply exhilarating spot-kicks.
The first World Cup final to go to extra-time was in 1934 when Italy beat then-Czechoslovakia 2-1, you then had to wait 32 more years – in between World War I and II – for it to go beyond 90 minutes.
As England fans would have mentioned many a time – 1966 final when Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick downed West Germany 4-2 to provide the Three Lions with their only major trophy.
Argentina were then showing their worth in extra-time in 1978 when they beat the Netherlands, perhaps the same ingredients will be needed against the French.
The first-ever World Cup final to go to penalties was in 1994 when Roberto Baggio’s missed penalty still probably haunts him today.
Italy were involved in shootout drama again, this time in 2006, one of the most famous or even infamous finals of all time that saw the legendary Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi in extra time.
That was the last final – to date – to go to penalties, with the two following World Cup finals both going to extra time and ending in 1-0 wins for Spain against the Dutch in 2010, and as mentioned above, Germany beating Argentina in 2014.
But France will be hoping for some of the magic from Russia when they beat Croatia 4-2 after 90 minutes, including then-teenager, Kylian Mbappe getting on the scoresheet, perhaps he will do it again?
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