Lionel Messi Wins World Cup, Argentina Beats France On Penalties!

Lionel Messi Wins World Cup: The World Cup was kissed Lionel Messi, wearing a black Qatari robe over his blue-and-white Argentina jersey. He then moved toward his teammates and raised the golden trophy. It was a memorable moment that officially elevated the soccer superstar to the sport’s hall of fame.

Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is over now that he has won the World Cup. Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to win the World Cup for the third time. It was one of the wildest finals in the 92-year history of the competition. Messi, 35, scored two goals and another in the shootout.

In the midst of it all, Kylian Mbappé of France, the 35-year-old Messi’s successor apparent, scored the first hat trick in a final in 56 years, striving to replicate Pelé of Brazil, who won his first two World Cups. It wasn’t sufficient.

There is no longer a point of contention. In an exclusive club of the greatest soccer players of all time, Messi joins Pelé, a record-breaking three-time World Cup champion, and Diego Maradona, a late Argentina great with whom Messi was frequently compared.

Exactly who is the best? Since there is no definitive solution, the debate will continue indefinitely. However, Messi has made a strong case, and with the World Cup win on his résumé, he is unquestionably superior to Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest player of his generation.

Messi dominated a World Cup for Argentina, matching what Maradona did in 1986. He not only led his side out of those tragic moments following a humiliating 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the group stage, but he also scored seven goals.

Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title by becoming the first player to score in both the group stage and every knockout stage round in a single World Cup, playing in the tradition of Maradona. Lionel Messi combined his spectacular abilities with an aggressiveness rarely seen in football.

One day, the torch will be handed off to Mbappé, whose barrage of goals lighted up a thrilling final and allowed him to match Geoff Hurst’s hat trick for England in 1966, but not quite yet. “Come on, Argentina! After participating in a record-setting 26th World Cup game, Messi yelled into a microphone on the field during the post-game celebrations.

While entering the stage to accept the Golden Ball, given to the tournament’s player of the year, he had a fleeting sight of the 18-carat gold World Cup trophy. Even more, he continuously stroked and kissed the World Cup.

About ten minutes later, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, put a ceremonial robe over his shoulders, allowing him to take possession of it finally. Oh, did he love it? He joined his colleagues in celebrating Argentina’s first soccer world championship since Mexico’s 1986 World Cup victory. The nation’s other title was won on home soil in 1978.

After Angel Di Maria was fouled and Argentina was awarded a penalty, Messi scored to give Argentina the lead. Later, Messi contributed to a smooth team move that saw Di Maria score Argentina’s second goal, making it 2-0 after 36 minutes.

You can hold your head up…

You made us dream. We are proud of you 💙#ARGFRA | #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/9iWbx1txIR

— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) December 18, 2022

Mbappé, on the other hand, remained unnoticed until he scored two goals in 97 seconds, the second of which was a volley from inside the area following a rapid exchange of passes in the 80th minute to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime.

A France defender cleared the ball just after it crossed the goal line, but Messi still had plenty of energy and was on hand to tap in his second goal in the 108th minute. The dramatic game was about to go to a shootout when Argentina appeared to be on the verge of winning the championship once more.

However, Mbappé still had time to score another penalty following a handball. Messi and Mbappé scored on their respective sides’ opening kicks. Emi Martinez of Argentina stopped a shot from Kingsley Coman, and after Aurelien Tchouameni of France missed, Gonzalo Montiel had the chance to put the game to a conclusion.

Lionel Messi: The first player ever to win two adidas Golden Balls!#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2022

He successfully converted the penalty to the left, setting up a riot of cheers. The top apex is very enjoyable, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stated. “Now that’s different.” Since 2006, Europe has won four consecutive World Cups, but that streak ended.

Brazil won the last South American championship, which took place in Asia in 2002 when Japan and South Korea jointly hosted the event. Argentina repeated its Copa America triumph from the previous year in Qatar, claiming its first significant prize since 1993.

It’s a thrilling conclusion to Messi’s international career, which might still be ongoing despite being 35 years old and still performing well. It was a memorable conclusion to a special World Cup, the first held in the Arab region.

It's a game you'll never forget 🤩

🇦🇷 Watch the highlights as Messi guided Argentina to their third #FIFAWorldCup title!

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2022

FIFA and the Qatari organizers saw the world’s two best players and two big soccer nations in the final as the ideal way to end a tournament marred by controversy ever since the scandal-plagued vote to award the game to a tiny Arab emirate in 2010.

Since then, there has been intense attention on the decision to move the game’s usual June-July dates to November-December, as well as on criticism of the treatment of migrant workers and concerns about bringing soccer’s largest event to a country where homosexual acts are prohibited.

For most people on Sunday, just one story was in play: Could Messi pull it off? Despite the 23-year-old Mbappé doing everything in his power to keep his Paris Saint-Germain teammate from scoring, he could. Being the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals is probably not much consolation.

You had a great World Cup and made a whole country get behind you 🇫🇷

Bravo messieurs 👏#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/ciunaFg57K

— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) December 18, 2022

In the Middle East, Messi has been on a mission to forget his only other World Cup final, in which Argentina lost to Germany 1-0, and Messi missed a golden opportunity late in the game. Messi looked down at the golden World Cup trophy that eluded him that evening at the Maracana Stadium. Eight years later, he raised it high at the pinnacle of a career unlike any other.

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