With Lionel Messi’s dream of winning the FIFA World Cup finally coming true last night, Argentina beat France with a 4-2 penalty shootout score. The match that kept us all on the edge of our seats saw Lionel Messi scoring twice in a 3-3 draw and Kylian Mbappe grabbing a hat-trick to bring the holders back from 2-0 and 3-2 down. It was truly a match that was full of unexpected turns.
In the first half, Argentina looked content and cruising towards a one-sided victory, but the second half saw a surprising turn of events as France scored two goals, taking the game to extra time. Finally, in the penalty shootouts, Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman’s effort and Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide. This gave Gonzalo Montiel, who gave away the penalty for France’s third goal, the chance for the final redemption, which he duly took by sending Hugo Lloris the wrong way. By scoring the match-winning penalty, Argentina successfully won its third FIFA World Cup title.
In terms of achievements, Endo Fernandes was named the Young Player of the Tournament. Kylian Mbappe, with 8 goals to his name, won the Golden Boot. Emiliano Matinez won the Golden Glove for the FIFA World Cup 2022. And finally, Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball, which is given to the best player of the tournament. It is also worth noting that he is the first player in history to be given the honor twice.
Lionel Messi has ‘completed football’ by winning his final FIFA World Cup after defeating France 4-2 on penalties after the scores were tied 3-3 in extra-time. It is truly a moment that has marked history and will be remembered for years to come. The match took place at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on the 18th of December, 2022.
