2022 World Cup Final: How Messi led Argentina to a third title
Reliving the historic 2022 World Cup final where Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout to claim their third crown.
The 2022 World Cup final in Qatar is widely regarded as one of the most thrilling matches in football history. On December 18 at Lusail Stadium, defending champions France faced a determined Argentina, both seeking their third world star. The match was a clash of generations: the young phenomenon Kylian Mbappe against the legendary Lionel Messi, who was chasing the final glory missing from his immense trophy collection.
Under coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina dominated for most of the game. Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Angel Di Maria finished a brilliant team move to make it 2-0. However, late in the second half, France staged a stunning comeback with two goals from Kylian Mbappe in quick succession.
In extra time, the teams traded blows: Messi put Argentina ahead again, only for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick with another penalty. In the dying seconds, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a crucial save to force the game into a penalty shootout.
Argentina prevailed in the shootout. After misses from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty. This victory secured Argentina's third World Cup title after a 36-year wait, cementing Messi's legacy as one of the greatest geniuses football has ever produced.