FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Messi’s Argentina win on penalties

 By Sabir Amin:

Argentina defeated France with a 4-2 win on penalties at the Qatar 2022 World Cup final in the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, 18 December to become the world champions for the third time.

The final which was regarded as one of the best ever by many viewers saw Kylian Mbappe score a hat trick, with two of the goals being penalties, to keep the French team in contention as they were held back by two goals in normal time from a penalty by Messi and a goal from Angel Di Maria. To keep the French team in the game, Didier Deschamps resorted to two early substitutions but only saw his comeback with 10 minutes of normal time remaining with a penalty from Mbappe and a quick second goal from him straight after.

Into extra time, France continued on the front foot but Argentina took the lead once again through Messi but Mbappe responded with a penalty, completing his hat-trick and the comeback, taking the game to a penalty shootout, the third ever in a World Cup final.

Emiliano Martinez of Argentina saved a penalty kick from Kingsley Coman whilst Aurelien Tchoumanei missed his spot kick. All four of Argentina’s penalty takers Messi, Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes and Gonzalo Montiel successfully converted their spot kicks giving Argentina the victory.

The conclusion of the World Cup final saw Martinez awarded as the best goalkeeper of the tournament with this teammate Messi winning best player of the tournament. Argentina also had another individual award for their players, Enzo Fernandez as he won young player of the tournament. Despite falling short at the last hurdle in the final, Mbappe won the golden boot as he scored 8 goals, making him the tournament’s top scorer.

Messi became Argentina’s all-time top scorer of the tournament with 13 in total, overtaking the late Diego Armando Maradona. He also equalled the one World Cup that Maradona had won as he and his teammates won the tournament for the first time since 1986, ending a 36 year wait for Argentinians. In a ceremonial Arab robe called the bisht placed on him by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Messi lifted the trophy marking the end of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.