Argentina finally won the FIFA World Cup title as a long wait for legendary Lionel Messi came to an end. A night where six goals were scored in 120 minutes but still they couldn’t separate Argentina and France as the match went to a penalty shootout where Argentina prevailed 4-2 owing to a couple of terrific saves by the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina were 2-0 ahead in the first half and it seemed like La Albieceleste would steamroll their opposition, however, France made a sensational comeback through Kylian Mbappe’s brace within 97 seconds levelling the scoreline. Messi found the net again, for the second time in the match and Mbappe the third, becoming only the second footballer to score a hat-trick in the final as the match was tied again before the penalties came into the action.
Mbappe, who had a star turnout for the Les Blues, won the Golden Boot award for scoring 8 goals and having two assists as he almost got France to a record title defence but it wasn’t to be. France were almost absent in the first half, however, somehow Mbappe single-handedly brought France into the game and kept them till the last minute before Martinez poured cold water on all those ideas.
Whether it was the crucial moment in the game that proved to be a turning point or the fact that how Mbappe suddenly woke up in the second half and chose violence, memes galore on social media after an unforgettable World Cup final.
Messi and Mbappe both scored in the extra time to take the game to the penalties before the legendary footballer himself, Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Paredes, and Gonzalo Montiel scored for Argentina while Martinez denied a couple of French players as La Albieceleste won their third title after 1978 and 1986.
