In an unbelievable final on Sunday, Argentina won its third World Cup by defeating France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw that also featured a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé as The Blues overcame a 2-0 deficit.
As its two-star players gave command performances on the grandest platform possible, it was a remarkable night of drama, high emotion, and swinging fortunes that produced one of the all-time great finals to cap a fantastic tournament.
Messi’s penalty and a spectacular goal by Angel Di Maria in the first half gave Argentina what looked to be a lopsided victory, but Mbappé equalized with a penalty kick in the 80th minute and a volley a minute later to force extra time.
Messi gave Argentina the lead once more, but Mbappé equalized with another penalty, becoming the second player, after England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
As a result, the game went into a penalty shootout. Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez stopped Kingsley Coman’s attempt, and Aurelien Tchouameni missed, giving Gonzalo Montiel the opportunity to win, which he gladly did.
Argentina has now prevailed in six of its seven World Cup shootouts, including the semifinal victory against the Netherlands last week when that nation also blew a 2-0 lead. In contrast, France has lost three of its last five shootouts, including two losses in championship games.
Sports pundits and followers have described the win by Argentina as a fulfilling football moment for Messi, who just made his last World Cup appearance for his country after several backlashes.
