Lionel Messi’s dream of World Cup glory became a reality in Qatar
Messi finally ended his wait for a World Cup title. © Matthew Ashton / AMA / Getty Images
Lionel Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory on a night of high drama as his team overcame defending champions France on penalties after a thrilling game ended 3-3 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Argentina roared out of the blocks early to take a two-goal lead in the first half thanks to a penalty from Messi and a strike from Angel Di Maria.
But two late goals from French forward Kylian Mbappe sent the game to extra time, where both Messi and Mbappe scored again.
And in the ensuing penalty shootout, it was Gonzalo Montiel who fired home the winning spot kick to secure Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986 and their third in total.
But early on, it didn’t appear that penalties would even be a remotely realistic possibility.
The virus-hit French team were unusually lackluster in the opening half, failing to register a single shot (or even a touch in the Argentine penalty box) in the opening 45 minutes after falling behind to Messi’s opening penalty after Ousmane Dembele was adjudged, perhaps softly, to have brought Di Maria down inside the box.
But if there was an air of good fortune to their opening goal, Argentina’s second was a goal very much befitting the occasion when Di Maria finished off a sublime move to fire past French skipper Hugo Lloris to put his side in the driving seat to deliver their first World Cup win in 36 years.
France, though, refused to throw in the towel and Mbappe’s late intervention dragged the thrilling spectacle to extra time where, predictably, the two box office stars of the showpiece fixture – first Messi and then Mbapppe – each found the net to bring the game to penalties.
Mbappe’s late intervention ensured that he becomes the first player to score a World Cup final hat-trick since 1966,
Argentina, pegged back late in both regular time and extra time, might have thought that the football gods were conspiring against them but when Kingsley Coman had his penalty saved by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Aurelien Tchouameni fired, the duty fell upon Gonzalo Montiel to shoulder the responsibility of the winning penalty.
And as a nation held its breath, Montiel fired to Hugo Lloris’ left to break French hearts and send the Argentine support packed into the Lusail Stadium into a frenzy, and ensured that Lionel Messi’s final act in a FIFA World Cup was to hoist the famous trophy above his head.
