Argentina captain and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has finally gotten his hands on the trophy that has eluded him his entire career, courtesy of a win over defending champions France.
The Argentines booked their place in the finals of the Mundial after a 3-0 win against last year’s finalist Croatia in the semifinals.
France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals to book a place in the finals.
The French team has missed several key players prior to the start of the world cup.
Both France and Argentina have won the coveted trophy twice. France won the last edition, while Argentina’s last win was in 1986, when Maradona was the captain.
Prior to the finals, the captain indicated that this is his final world cup appearance as a player. No wonder the captain left no stone unturned to ensure his side’s victory.
The Argentines started very strongly, putting pressure on the defending champions, and they got rewarded in the 23rd minute courtesy of a penalty kick after Ousmane Dembele fouled Angel Di Maria in the penalty box.
Lionel Messi stepped up to take the kick, which he scored by sending Hugo Lloris the wrong way.
Argentina didn’t rest on their oars; they kept piling pressure on France, and they were rewarded again through a counterattack, which was finished by Angel Di Maria in the 36th minute.
Clearly, the defending champions looked like a shadow of their former selves, which prompted the coach to make changes instantly in the first half to try and change the game.
Marcus Thuram came in for Olivier Giroud, and Kolo Muani came in for Ousmane Dembele in the 41st minute. The first half ended 2-0, with the French team failing to register a single shot on goal.
France pulled one back in the 80th minute after a penalty was awarded for a foul on Kolo Muani by Otamendi. Kylian Mbappe stepped on and scored the penalty.
France leveled up in the 81st minute. It’s a quick-fire double by Kylian Mbappe. Marcus Thuram got the assist for this one.
There was a frantic ending to the match as it headed for extra time.
Argentina got the lead back in the second half of extra time through “Captain Fantastic,” Lionel Messi.
Mbappe leveled up again courtesy of another penalty after Gonzalo Montiel was adjudged to have handled the ball.
The match goes into penalties; it’s now a game of chance.
Argentina won the penalties 4-2. Tchouameni and Koman missed for France, while the Argentines didn’t miss any.
It’s all over! Lionel Messi makes history by becoming the first Argentine to lift the trophy after Diego Maradona.
Messi has cemented his place as an all-time great. In fact, this win makes him debatably the greatest of all time.
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