Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final in Qatar on Sunday in a penalty kick shootout following a 3-3 tie.
The victory, led by Argentina’s Lionel Messi, capped a surprising comeback after an early loss to Saudi Arabia earlier in the tournament.
Argentina developed an early lead, up 2-0 at halftime. Messi scored one goal, followed by Ángel Di Maria with the second.
The second half saw a France resurgence, with Kylian Mbappé scoring two goals just 90 seconds apart. The match went into overtime tied 2-2.
WHAT A VOLLEY MBAPPÉ.
TWO GOALS IN 90 SECONDS.
(via @TelemundoSports)pic.twitter.com/OTdn2QQLXi
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 18, 2022
Both team’s stars rose to the occasion, with Messi scoring at 108 minutes, followed by Mbappé in the 118th minute to tie the match at 3-3.
Mbappé’s goal made him the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final.
Despite Mbappé’s epic performance, Argentina scored on four penalty kicks, with France hitting two to give Argentina its first World Cup victory since 1986.
Emotions ran high as Messi finally secured the trophy in what will likely be his last World Cup performance. The famed Argentinian player scored seven goals throughout the World Cup tournament.
Messi was awarded the Golden Ball following the match, recognizing him as the tournament’s most outstanding player.
Finally. 💙#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/IkXSwPx7WW
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 18, 2022
Messi’s celebration comes after much frustration when he nearly kicked a game-winning goal in the 96th minute from about 25 yards away. Hugo Lloris swatted it away to force the match into extra time.
France’s loss on penalty kicks brings back negative memories from the nation’s 2006 loss to Italy under similar circumstances.
The BBC noted that the win gave Argentina more penalty kick shootout wins in the World Cup than any team in history, doing so on six occasions. It is also the third team to win a World Cup final in a penalty shootout.
Despite the loss, French star Mbappé earned the Golden Boot for his performance. He scored a total of eight goals throughout the tournament. At 23 years old, he gives the French team high expectations for the future.
Argentina’s Emi Martinez also received the Golden Glove award for the best keeper in this year’s World Cup.