But the night belonged to Argentina!
In a thrilling 2022 World Cup final, it was Lionel Messi who emerged as the hero as Argentina reigned victorious, beating France 3-2!
Messi first converted a penalty to give Argentina the lead, with Angel di Maria sealing it in extra time. Kylian Mbappe, the biggest star in world football, also put on a show, converting a penalty twice to pull France level.
But it was Messi’s late-game heroics that sealed the win for Argentina in a match that will be remembered for years to come!
The penalty heroics of Emiliano Martinez sent Argentina into a frenzy as they secured the 4-2 penalty shootout victory against France.
Messi and Mbappe had gone first for their respective sides, both converting, but it was the save from Martinez that sealed the title for Argentina in a battle for the ages.
Messi became the first male player to score at every stage of the World Cup after converting four of five penalties. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister played in Di Maria for a lovely goal 36 minutes into the match, resulting in France losing their grip on the match.
In response, Didier Deschamps withdrew Oliver Giroud and Dembele for Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani, but the French team failed to make an attack in the first half. Despite dominating attack for much of the World Cup, Argentina managed to contain France with their midfield trio.
Things took a turn when Nicolas Otamendi conceded a penalty in a one-on-one situation with Kolo Muani, which was then converted by Mbappe to bring France back into the game. Minutes later, Mbappe was able to net another goal, leveling the score 2-2 and erasing Argentina’s comfortable lead.
Laturo Martinez entered the extra time match with a poor record in the World Cup, however, he did have a shot on target during the second half of extra time that rebounded to Messi, who managed to just cross the line to put Argentina ahead.
Despite this, the goal was cancelled out by Gonzalo Montiel’s hand ball on an Mbappe shot, sending the match into a penalty shootout. Ultimately, a goal from Mbappe sealed the championship for France.
Kolo Muani had a chance to lead France to World Cup glory in extra time, but his effort failed, which meant the match would be decided by a record fifth penalty shootout of the tournament. Messi and Mbappe took the first round for their respective teams, setting the stage for Argentinian keeper Emiliano Martinez to save the day.
Martinez kept out Kingskey Coman’s penalty, setting Argentina up for victory after Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes and Gonzalo Montiel all converted, giving Messi his first World Cup title with a 4-2 victory.