Lionel Messi of Argentinia (C) celebrate with their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 trophy after the teams victory while winners ceremony during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
You may still be holding your breath after the final between Argentina and France. It wasn’t the usual cagey football we see when two teams are competing for football’s ultimate prize.
It’s also not common to see the two best players — Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe — really grab the final by the scruff of its neck and take their team all the way.
Fans of Argentina react while watching the live broadcast of the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between France and Argentina at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 18, 2022. (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP)This final had it all. There were goals for starters, a brace for Messi and a hat trick for Mbappe, and drama until the very last minute of extra time.
After Argentina went up 2-0 by half-time, the game looked done. Argentina were in control and had their foot on the throat of the French until Mbappe scored two in two minutes to send the game into extra time.
Messi scored again in extra time, but Mbappe levelled it from the spot to make it 3-3 and send it to a penalty shootout. Argentina won 4-2 on penalties to take the trophy to Buenos Aires.
Argentinian and Neapolitan fans celebrate Argentina’s victory at the World Cup in Qatar on December 18, 2022 in Naples, Italy. France faced Argentina in the final match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament hosted in Qatar. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)
It summed up what the 2022 Fifa World Cup has been about. Since the beginning of the tournament, the unpredictable nature of football has continued to show and it reached its climax on Sunday.
After their shocking loss against Saudi Arabia in their opening game, nobody would have predicted Argentina would have played the most dominant football of the tournament and ultimately win it.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after the team’s victory in the penalty shoot out during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Shaun Botterill – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Argentina are world champions for the third time in their history. Messi has finally done what Mario Kempes did in 1978 and the late and great Diego Maradona did in 1986. No hand of God required this time, just the magic that emerged from the boots of the greatest footballer of all time.