Argentina Defeat France To Win World Cup
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Argentina 3
[Messi 23 pen, 108, Di Maria 36]
France 3
[Mbappe 80, 81 pen, 118 pen]
After extra time
Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the World Cup after helping Argentina defeat France on penalties in one of the tournament’s greatest finals at the Lusail Stadium in Doha today [Dec 18].
Argentina triumphed 4-2 in the shootout after a thrilling encounter, which pitted 35-year-old Messi against his France opposite number Kylian Mbappe, who became the first man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup since England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966.
Messi scored a penalty in the 23rd minute to become the first player to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of a single tournament.
He then helped create his side’s second, launching a counter-attack which ended with Alexis Mac Allister setting up the impressive Angel Di Maria to side the ball past Hugo Lloris, the France goalkeeper, in the 36th minute.
Argentina were cruising with ten minutes remaining, but Mbappe turned on the magic, scoring twice in two minutes, converting from the penalty spot and then volleying home past Emiliano Martinez, the Argentina goalkeeper.
Messi bundled the ball home for his second to put Argentina back in front in extra time, but Mbappe bagged his hat-trick, scoring his second penalty to send the game into a shootout.
Martinez saved from Kingsley Coman, and Aurelian Tchouameni missed before Gonzalo Montiel converted to win the World Cup for Argentina.
