Raphael Varane has a better record than most in finals, and he will want to keep that up when his France side attempt to see off the challenge of Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.
Varane, who plays for Manchester United, was part of the Real Madrid team which won three Champions League titles in a row between 2016 and 2018. He also played in the 2014 victory over Atletico Madrid, as well as completing the full 90 minutes as France beat Croatia to win the 2018 World Cup final.
The 29-year-old has won 15 of the 17 finals he has played for club and country. If any Argentina fans want a good omen for Sunday's final at Lusail Stadium, though, it comes in the form of the referee who has been appointed for the match.
The 17 finals Varane have been involved in include 15 with Real Madrid and two with France. He won both at international level - the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League final - as well as 13 of his 15 with Los Blancos.
Those two exceptions were not the biggest games, either. As noted by Get French Football News, the only defeats in which the centre-back played a part were the Spanish Super Cup in 2014 and the UEFA Super Cup four years later.
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Varane played the full 120 minutes against Atletico Madrid in that 2018 Super Cup, with extra-time goals from Saul Niguez and Koke earning Diego Simeone's team victory. The referee that night was Szymon Marciniak, and the Pole will be in the middle once more on Sunday as France take on Argentina in Qatar.
Varane had been a big doubt for the World Cup after leaving the pitch in tears when he picked up an injury during United's Premier League clash with Chelsea in October. France manager Didier Deschamps had pledged not to pick any player who was not fully fit, meaning the likes of Paul Pogba and Presnel Kimpembe have not been involved at the World Cup, but Varane recovered in time and has missed just one of Les Bleus' outings.
Another injury victim, Karim Benzema, was not replaced in the squad despite suffering a setback in training ahead of the tournament. The Real Madrid star remains on France's official squad list, despite returning to his club for treatment. Suggestions he could feature in the final after recovering from a thigh problem seem fanciful.
"I take care of 24 players here," Deschamps said when asked about the Ballon d'Or winner. "I don't take care of those who are not here, like Kimpembe or Pogba as well. I'm not going to talk about things that do not occupy my day-to-day."
