In one of the most thrilling World Cup finals, Lionel Messi’s Argentina managed to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup beating France 4-2 in penalties after the game went into extra time. After winning the Copa America 2021 and Finalissma 2022, this is the third trophy in his cabinet in recent times.
The game saw both teams in attacking mode. However, it was Argentina who got the first real chance as they managed to win a foul inside the box. Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi took the penalty and made sure the La Albiceleste have a lead over the defending champs. To rub salt in their wounds, Angel di Maria scored a wonderful goal to give the Argentinians a comfortable lead of 2-0 going into half-time.
After the half-time break, we saw a very different France team. They were very aggressive and consistent in their attacks. In the 79th minute, France won a penalty as Otamendi made a rash tackle on France’s Kolo Muani. Kylian Mbappe, the star striker of France, made sure France had the lead down to just one goal. As Argentina was trying to recover, the PSG striker stunned the Argentinians with a stunning strike to even the game. With 97 seconds between the two goals, Kylian Mbappe managed to bring life into the dull game and take the World Cup into extra time.
The first half of the extra time saw a very motivated Argentina, who were trying their best to give an unforgettable send-off to their talismanic skipper. And they succeeded, as Lionel Messi managed to create a moment of magic on the pitch with a stunning goal. However, as everyone thought, the final was done, and there won’t be any more drama; France won a penalty. Kylian Mbappe had already scored a brace but managed to score one more and complete his hat trick. With the additional extra time over, the game’s scoreline was 3-3, and it was time for the penalties.
France’s Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni crumbled under pressure and missed their respective spot kicks. Argentina managed to keep their calm with Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes and Gonzalo Montiel, breaching the defence of France’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Argentina’s 4 successful penalties helped the La Albiceleste lift the World Cup trophy for only the third time (1978, 1986 and 2022).
