World Cup Qatar 2022: Manchester players to feature in World Cup final

The 2022 World Cup final will take place on Sunday (December 18) at 3pm GMT in Lusail, Qatar. Among those expected to start include players from Manchester United and Manchester City - none other than Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez and French defensive stalwart Raphael Varane.

Alvarez signed for City in summer from River Plate for a fee of around £15 million. He has impressed audiences at the World Cup so far, scoring four goals.

Currently, he is the joint-second top goalscorer at the tournament, alongside Olivier Giroud, who he is likely to face in the final. The only players to have scored more than these two are Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Alvarez has certainly made his mark in Qatar and has established himself as a mainstay of Argentina’s first team. He still has a way to go before he can unseat Erling Haaland as Manchester City’s main striker, however.

Meanwhile, Varane has been a rock at the heart of France’s resolute defence in the World Cup. A veteran defender, he currently has 92 caps for Les Bleus.

Varane signed for the Red Devils back in 2021 from Real Madrid, where he spent the majority of his career. The fee Madrid commanded for his services amounted to £34 million.

While he’s struggled somewhat during his time in the Premier League, his strongest attributes have been on full display in the World Cup. In the knockout rounds, he has played every single minute for France.

They aren’t the only players in the Premier League who are expected to play in the World Cup final though. For Argentina, Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) and Cristian Romero (Tottenham) could all make an appearance during the finale of the tournament.

France also has a couple of Premier League players amongst their ranks who could play a part in the final. They are Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool).