Argentina vs France, FIFA World Cup Final HIGHLIGHTS: Lionel Messi Cements Legacy Among Greats Of The Game As Argentina Beat France 4-2 On Penalties
FIFA WC 2022 Final, Argentina vs France: Messi nets a brace as Argentina beat France To clinch third World Cup title.
That brings us an end to one of the greatest games in football. Surely among the greats played in a FIFA World Cup final. Argentina should have ideally won it within the 90 minutes itself, having dominated the proceedings for the first 80 minutes of the match but Kylian Mbappe showed why he is rated so highly as he scored a World Cup final hat-trick. Sadly for him though, it wasn't France's night. For Argentina, their dream is fulfilled. Messi now has a World Cup title to his name, a trophy that eluded him all his career. Is this the last time the world is seeing him in Argentina colours?
Mbappe Scores the first one for France followed by Messi converting his penalty. However, Martinez then saves the second penalty which was taken by Coman. Paulo Dybala gives Argentina the lead when he converts his penalty. Argentina are on the edge of win with Tchouameni shot being off target. However, Paredes then converted the goal for Argentina and even though scored for France, Argentina's Montiel scored the final penalty to help his team emerge as the World Champions.
ARGENTINA 4- FRANCE 2
What a game this has been for a World Cup final. Arguably one of the greatest. The big guns have fired. France have come back from behind not once but twice and now it has all come down to the penalty shootout.
118'- GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Mbappe doensn't miss those. It's hat-trick for the French Superstar. France are alive. ARG 3- 3 FRA
109'- GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!!!!! Messi scores to put Argentina ahead. Who writes his script? Is that the winner from the little master? A goal by the barest of margins as the ball went inside the line by millimeters. Argentina 3- 2 France
At half time of extra time too, both teams are unseperated at 2-2. It's going down to the wire. Only 2 World Cup finals before this have gone to Penalty shootouts. Will this be the third?
105'- Messi from inside the box passed the ball to Lautaro Martinez on the occasion who made a great connection but a timely and perhaps a match-saving block there from Upamencano.
102'- De Paul, Alvarez go out, Paredes and Martinez replace them.
99'- Kylian Mbappe once again on the attack for France. He almost managed to break through the defence but it's intercepted before it could have been fatal for Argentina.
96'- Rabiot makes way for Fofana.
92'- Early attack from Argentina in the extra time. Acuna who had the ball in the left flank who goes the aerial way but the shot is cleared. Even though Mac Allister is there to have another go in the rebound, he is off target.
The extra time has gotten underway at the FIFA World Cup 2022 final. Who will be the World Champions? Will it go to the penalty shootout or will extra time be enough to give the world their 2022 FIFA World Cup champions?
Argentina 2-2 France. The last 10 minutes of the second half has turned the match on its head, ladies and gentlemen. This is your time to think about what just happened as the game heads to extra time.
90'- Eight minutes of injury time in the second half. Man oh man! The momentum has shifted so drastically that suddenly it's all about France in the last few minutes.
87'- France's Marcus Thuram receives a yellow card. It's getting tensed and intense.
Remember it was Kolo who came in as a sub who earned the penalty after which Mbappe has breathed a new life into this match, few minutes before and Argentina had already begun their celebrations. But they would be feeling the heat at the moment.
81'- Another goal from Mbappe. This time he doesn't even need a penalty to aid his cause. Perfect finish from the man who overtakes Messi's tally of 6 goals to go in front in the golden boot's race and keeps France alive in the match after the match seemed to have slipped out of their hand.
80'- GOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLL! Mbappe Scores; France STILL ALIVE in the match. He Scores from the Spot makes it 1-2.
77'- As the 90 minute mark draws close, the Argentina fans are going louder. The French in with a rash challenge which means Argentina are given a free kick but no damage done.
71'- Hernandez and Griezmann are replaced by Camavinga and Coman. But it's slowly beginning to look like Argentina are inching near a histotric win.
67'- France come close to scoring again this time around as they get their second corner. Griezmann also manages to find Kolo Muani near the goal post with his kick but to no avail as it is headed off target.
64'- Goal scorer Di Maria has to make way for Acuna. Time's running out for France.
61'- Another exhibition of how Argentina have played as a team in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Di Maria to Alvarez who could have had a shy at the goal himself but passes to Messi whose shot isn't the most accurate this time.
59'-Meanwhile, France defence is tested again. It is the last man of the defensive group Lloris who had to put in a full-length dive there to save what was a powerpul shot from Alvarez.
57'- Not all about goals and forwards for Argentina in this match as was shown on this occasion. Great bit of defensive work there from Albiceleste. Kounde was running with the intent to pull one back for France but Mac Allister with a great bit of interception.
55'- Yellow card for France's Adrien Rabiot for a foul on De Paul.
51'- First Corner for France in the match. The ball was in Argentina's half there which has been a rare sight in this match. It is Griezmann who takes the corner kick but Emiliano Martinez collects the ball cleanly.
46'- Argentina have started the second half of the FIFA World Cup 2022 final with the same intensity as the first half. Alvarez creates a chance and attempts a pass but the keeper is quick this time.
The second half of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Final gets underway in Qatar. Onus on France here to do something remarkable after they became the first team to have 0 shots on target in the first half of a World Cup final.
HALF TIME! Half the done is done for Messi-led Argentina. What a first half this has been for them. They go into half-time 2-0. France are already showing desperate measures as they became the first team to make 2 changes in the first half of a World Cup final. Will desperate measure produce results for France or will Argentina's dominance continue into the second half? We shall find out when the action resumes.
It is Argentina's Enzo Fernandez who has received a yellow card for a foul on France's Kolo Muani minutes before half-time.
45'- Seven added minutes but France have not looked threatening at all so far.
Some would definitely feel Argentina were a tad lucky at FIFA World Cup 2022. The penalty that Messi took earlier in the match was the 5th penalty awarded to them in this edition of the competition- the most which has ever been awarded to a team in a World Cup. The previous best one was 4 penalties in the 1966 FIFA World Cup which were awarded to Portugal.
41'- France have just not been themselves in the FIFA World Cup final tonight. They could have been forced to make these changes here. Giroud and Dembele Make way for Thuram and Kolo Muani.
36'- Di Maria SCORES. Argentina 2-0 France. The finale marks the comeback into the Starting XI for Di Maria and boy has he made it count with one of the Goals of the Tournament for sheer team work and co-ordination. Messi again who passed to Mac Allister who rushed into the box and passed it to Di Maria who did not miss out on this occasion. Further trouble for France.
29'- Another bit of Messi Magic on display there but Hernandez comes to France's rescue. Eventually, Argentina get a corner which is taken by Messi. Off-side flag is raised.
What a man. The goal has helped him break yet another record. He now has 20 goal involvements in World Cup history.
23'- GOAALLLLLL! ARGENTINA 1-0 FRANCE. As cool as it gets. Messi beats Lloris to find the right bottom corner. What a start for Messi and Argentina!
17'- Argentina with a real chance but it goes to wastse. His shot is not on target after being set up by a great from none other than Messi.
14'- France on the counter attack, perhaps for the first time in the first half of this match. Dembele with the trigger, he found Mbappe but Argentina defence ensure no damage is done.
10'- Surely a horrific sight that for a moment or so for all French supporters. Lloris looked in pain after he collided with Romero inside the box. However, much to the relief of his teammates and fans, he was good to continue.
8'- De Paul gets a chance to have a go at the goal but his shot is blocked and deflected, Argentina get a corner.
7'- What a start this has been for Argentina. Their fans have clearly outnumbered French supporters and they look like they will give them their money's worth. They have made a dominating start as the ball has often been found within the French half so far.
3'- Early chance for Messi and Argentina and it is Messi who starts the attack in just the third minute of the match. Finds Di Maria on the left who crosses it inside the box where Alvarez looks to add to his goal tally but Lloris is alert.
France start from right to left and it is Antoine Griezmann who gets his first touch of the match to start things off.
The National Anthems are being playted at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar which will be followed by the Kick off. What an atmosphere for a finale!
It is worth highlighting that Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni at 44 years of age happens to be the youngest manager to lead his team to a FIFA World Cup final since Rudi Voller who had led Germany through to the finals in the 2002 edition of the tournament aged 42.
Kylian Mbappe, France's star striker, took a swipe at the lesser playing skills of South American nations a few months ago, claiming that European sides had the upper hand due to the UEFA Nations League level. Messi's Argentina teammates have now hit back at Mbappe saying: "He Doesn't Know Enough Football."
The race to the Golden Boot is also set for an exciting finish as Paris Saint-Germain teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who will be on opposite camps on Sunday, are the leading goal scorers in the tournament so far with 5 goals each. However, Messi has more assists to his name which can be decisive if both of them score the same number of goals in the final or if neither of them add to their tally. Here is the Complete List Of Golden Boot Winners Across FIFA World Cup Editions So Far.
In the last 12 matches played between the two teams it is Argentina who have ended up on the winning side more often than France. Check out Match Prediction, Head-To-Head Stats And Key Players here.
Background
What a tournament the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has turned out to be. In terms of the sporting quality and the sheer ability of any team to beat any other on their day, this tournament delivered on the massive hype in the build up to the competition. And now it has all come down to the summit clash, the final between Argentina and France.
Even the teams that have entered the finale haven't looked invincible. In fact, despite coming on the back of a record international winning streak, Argentina, in a massive upset were beaten by the second-lowest ranked team playing in the tournament in Saudi Arabia.
France, on the other hand, may have started in a dominant fashion but in a shocking result were defeated by Tunisia. If anything this World Cup has reiterated, it is the fact that matches are not won or lost by reputation but by the sheer skill or the lack of it on display on the match day.
And so Lionel Messi might be the Greatest of All Time for some and Kylian Mbappe could well be on his way to become one of the greats of the game himself but on the day, under pressure and during a tensed situation, can they deliver it for their team might go on to decide the fate of this match.
Make no mistake, this isn't about Messi or Mbappe alone for they can produce moments of individual brilliance but without a team effort it might amount to nothing at all. There will be emotions on display for sure but the side that is able to better execute their plans and not get carried away by the emotions could have the last laugh.
Fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen, for this promises to be one adventurous journey. It has an ageing superstar making his final attempt to lift the trophy, a young prodigy raring to beat his chest and draw level with an incredible Pele record and the intensity of close to 90,000 in a packed Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
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