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| Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates at full time after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. |
Argentina claim the FIFA World Cup 2022’s trophy defeating two-time champion France in nerve-racking game at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on Sunday.
The nail-biting game was decided on penalties.
Earlier, the game went into extra-time after the French roared back from two goals down to bring the score to 2-2.
Lionel Messi stroked home a 23rd minute penalty and Angel Di Maria swept home a superb second for Argentina but defending champions France hit back in the second half as Kylian Mbappe converted an 80th-minute penalty and equalised with an acrobatic volley a minute later.
Before half-time, a 23rd-minute penalty from Argentina captain Lionel Messi and a 36th-minute strike from Angel Di Maria left the South Americans in a commanding position at the break leading defending champions France 2-0 in the game.
Argentina were bidding to win the World Cup for the first time since a Diego Maradona-inspired victory at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
After 63 matches and 166 goals, the month-long footballing showpiece reached its climax at Doha’s 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium.
Messi, playing in his fifth and final World Cup, hoped to lead Argentina to a first title since the Diego Maradona-inspired victory in Mexico City in 1986.
In his way stood the prolific Kylian Mbappe and a France team aiming to become the first to win back-to-back World Cups since Pele’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Messi, 35, has collected seven Ballon d´Or awards for the best player in the world, but his last trip to the World Cup final ended in the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in 2014.
Argentina’s campaign in Qatar has been boosted by the presence of tens of thousands of supporters who flocked to each of the team’s matches.
At least 40,000 Argentina supporters were estimated to be in Doha.
Two hours before kick-off on Sunday, hundreds of Argentina fans dressed in sky blue and white gathered behind one of the goals at the stadium, waving flags and singing.
Tens of thousands of supporters trying to reach the stadium caused congestion at the main Msheireb station in Doha up to three hours before the final.
