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Their stories couldn't be more different.
Argentina's goalkeeper Emi Martinez will win his 26th cap in Sunday's World Cup final, while France's Hugo Lloris will make his 145th appearance for Les Bleus.
And yet, ask most Premier League observers who they'd rather have in goal for their side, and I'd be willing to wager most would say Martinez.
The 30-year-old's rise to become Argentina's number one has been a slow and rapid one, at the same time.
Remember, in Russia in 2018, then-Chelsea reserve Willy Caballero started the tournament in goal, before he was dropped for Martinez's now-understudy, Franco Armani.
Martinez wasn't on anyone's radar back then.
So, how did he get to within a match of becoming a world champion?
Martinez was offered a youth contract at Arsenal at 17, after coming through the youth system at Independiente.
A decade ago, Martinez, who was then known as Damian Martinez due to a registration mix-up, made his first team debut - as an emergency loan signing for Oxford United, who had hoped to sign Manuel Almunia instead.
In front of about 5,000 fans away at Port Vale, Oxford United lost 3-0, but a long and winding road to the 2022 World Cup final had begun.
That was Martinez's only game for Oxford United, and that long and winding road took him on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Getafe and Reading.
By now, it was 2020, and an injury to Arsenal's goalkeeper Bernd Leno finally gave Martinez an opportunity at the club he'd been at since 2012.
Martinez had less than 60 league matches under his belt, but he stepped in, and up, to help Arsenal lift the FA Cup that year, before he decided on a move to Aston Villa, where he has since established himself as one of the Premier League's, and the world's, best 'keepers.
Already, he's a hero in his homeland for his penalty saves in the Copa America win, and in the quarter-final of this tournament against the Netherlands.
It's quite something for a player who only made his international debut 18 months ago.
Lloris, meanwhile, has been a fixture at the top level since Martinez was playing youth football, first at Nice and then at Tottenham, where he's had more than 400 appearances.
Lloris's first game for France was way back in November 2008, when Martinez was only 13 years old.
This is his fourth World Cup, and he won it last time despite making a huge mistake in the final against Croatia.
Lloris is Les Bleus's spiritual leader.
Yet there was a feeling, even among Spurs fans, that Lloris is a little error-prone, and that he could have been France's weak link.
One fan quipped the other day if Harry Kane played like he does for Tottenham, and Lloris did too, England would have won the World Cup.
But Lloris has been anything but the weak link. He has been outstanding, France's rock.
He was excellent against England in the quarter-final as England banged on the door, and he was immense in the semi-final against Morocco as the Atlas Lions did the same.
Goalkeepers are, rightly, judged on the importance of their saves, not just the quantity or even quality, and there it is without a doubt that France would not be in Sunday's final without Lloris's timely contributions.
Lloris is a player who grows larger in French colours, but at the other end, he has a worthy opponent in the giant figure of Martinez.
They've taken different routes to get here, but there's no right or wrong way to win a World Cup, even penalties.
May the best goalkeeper win.
How to watch the Argentina v France World Cup final on SBS
Monday, December 19
Final - Argentina v France
1:00am - 5:00am (AEDT) - kickoff at 02.00am
LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand
