Lionel Messi and Argentina defeated France Sunday in Qatar in a thrilling World Cup Final that was only settled by penalty kicks.
The Argentines connected on all four of their penalty tries while France saw two of its four attempts stopped after the match went to a 3-3 deadlock through regulation and extra time
ARGENTINA WINS THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP 🇦🇷
THE GREATEST MEN’S FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL OF ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/xp1N6DkLjA
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
Messi scored twice in the final and his career is complete now that he has a World Cup championship.
France got a hat trick from Kylian Mbappe but succumbed as the Final came down to penalty kicks.
The loss denied France’s bid to become the third country to win back-to-back World Cup titles — and the first since Brazil in 1962.
Mbappe finished the tournament with eight goals — one more than Messi — in their duel for the Golden Boot.
Each country scored in extra time before the match got to PKs.
Messi delivered for Argentina before Mbappe completed a hat trick by converting his second penalty kick of the match to send it to penalty kicks for only the third time in World Cup history.
The Argentines got a goal from Messi the Magician for a 3-2 lead in the second session of extra time but France countered as Mbappe scored on a penalty kick in the 117th minute.
ARGENTINA TAKES THE LEAD IN THE 108TH MINUTE 😱 pic.twitter.com/vqqjaCizBP
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
SCENES! 🙌😩
The Buenos Aires FIFA #WorldCupWatchParty explodes into EUPHORIA after Messi scores in extra-time of the FIFA World Cup Final! 🔥🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/GtvtI68aIZ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
How close was the play to being offside? Thisclose.
It was THIS CLOSE for Argentina 😱 pic.twitter.com/7Oz41UCQej
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
The match was as dramatic as it gets. Argentina surged to a 2-0 lead early on goals by Messi and Angel Di Maria in the 23rd and 36th minutes, respectively.
France, which did not register a shot on goal until the 73 minute, rallied in dramatic fashion behind a pair of goals by the great Mbappe in 93 seconds of the second half.
Mbappe opened the scoring in penalty kicks but Messi countered for Argentina. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez turned aside the second attempt to put Argentina ahead for good.
The Argentines converted their next three attempts, including the clinching goal by Gonzalo Montiel to win their third World Cup — and first since 1986.
DI MARIA SCORES 🇦🇷
Argentina goes up 2-0 in the World Cup Final 👀
(via @FOXSoccer)pic.twitter.com/Ot08S1mQ80
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 18, 2022
This view of Mbappé’s second goal 😍🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/LJLMqABHdl
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
