Do I dare go under 2.5 goals (-155) with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe sharing the same pitch -- yep, I said pitch. Don't test my soccer vocab!! If this were a group stage match or friendly, etc., then I probably wouldn't go under. But look at the history of World Cup Finals and they are usually very low scoring as teams play defensively and not to lose. The 2018 Final won by France saw six goals but none of the previous four had more than two.

The Under odds are unfriendly, but recent history validates the number. In the three finales prior to France's 4-2 win in 2018, only four goals were scored. All three went to overtime, so the equivalent of four matches was played. During the four games before that stretch, the finalists managed six goals. This one overflows with firepower, from Messi to Mbappe. Nonetheless, the past cannot be ignored. Squads on the cusp of a title tend to turn toward cautious play.

Probably fair to say this will be my last soccer play until we host (along with Canada and Mexico) the 2026 World Cup when it expands to 48 teams -- because, you know, this tournament is incomplete without the likes of Liechtenstein and Montserrat. This story seems to set up perfectly for Lionel Messi to add the one thing missing to his legendary resume in his final major international tournament. La Albiceleste are healthy and on an extra day of rest, while apparently some sort of virus is raging on Les Bleus, and there's a reason it's so hard to repeat at a World Cup.

France are vulnerable in the back, and they might not even be here had England converted another one of their eight shots on target. Argentina have allowed eight on net in the entire tournament. The Three Lions also made Kylian Mbappe a spectator for much of their quarterfinal match, and Argentina’s defenders are far superior. Lionel Messi will probably score on a PK (England drew two penalties), but Julian Alvarez and Alex Mac Allister will have more impact for La Albiceleste. Messi finally gets his crowning achievement, but the youngsters will make it clear that the Argentines are in good hands for long-term success.