Lionel Messi added the only feather missing from his cap as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final on Sunday. In a sensational final that featured plenty of twists and turns, the score was tied at 3-3 after extra time. Argentina led France 2-0 going into the second half when Messi scored from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute and Angel Di Maria found the back of the net in the 36th minute.
But in a dramatic turnaround, France’s Kylian Mbappe struck from the penalty spot in the 80th minute and struck again in the 81st to make it 2-2. Mbappe’s double strike sent the match into extra time. But Messi put Argentina back in the driver’s seat when he struck in the 108th minute to make it 3-2. Some Argentina fans thought it was the nail in France’s coffin, but France had other plans. The game was turned on its head again when Mbappe completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 118th minute.
In the penalty shootout that followed, France missed the second and third of the four they took, while Argentina converted all four to win the match and the coveted trophy. The video of the penalty shootout has been circulating on social media and you can watch it here. Meanwhile, Mbappe made history by becoming the first ever player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. He scored a total of eight goals in this edition of the World Cup and won the ‘Golden Boot’ award for being the top scorer. On the other hand, Messi received the ‘Ball d’Or’ award for his all-round performance in the tournament.
With the incredible win, Messi fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup for the first time and said goodbye to playing for Argentina on a memorable note. Argentina lifted the World Cup title for the third time in the tournament’s history, joining an exclusive club alongside Brazil, Italy and Germany to have three or more titles to their name.
