In what may have been the most extraordinary World Cup final, of a very exciting World Cup tournament with several unexpected twists and turns, last night, Argentina beat France to clinch the title of the 2022 World Cup champions.
Argentina’s Victory was undoubtedly in large part because of Lionel Messi, who played a career defining game which perhaps would finally put to rest the debate on who Football’s G. O.A.T in this generation is. In what he said would be his last World Cup game, Messi scored two of the team’s three goals as well as the first goal in the team’s penalty shootouts.
Argentina scored two goals in the first half, as France seemed slack and uncertain. Then, in the space of fewer than two minutes in the second half, Kylian Mbappe scored back-to-back goals for France, tying the game. In extra time, Messi and Mbappe each scored a goal. Finally, in the shootout, Argentina won on penalties, 4-2, as the crowd in Qatar burst into tears of joy and grief.
While many support Mbappe, the result was devastating to him the French team, and his fans all over the world but the French national team coach, Didier Deschamps, had this to say about him “Kylian has really left his mark on this final, he said. Unfortunately, he didn’t leave it in the way he would have liked. That’s why he was so disappointed at the end of the night”.
However, all hope is not lost for Mbappe who is still young and would have a chance to lead the French team to Victory in the next World Cup. France, which won the last World Cup, had hoped to be the first country to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
This win by the Argentinian team led by Messi who has lived in the shadow of Diego Maradona, who hoisted the World Cup trophy for Argentina 36 years ago. With Maradona’s passing earlier in the year, with this win the country now has another global football icon and has unequivocally embraced Messi, who won the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.
