Argentina defeated France on penalties to win the World Cup after a stunning World Cup 2022 final

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It was a dedication, and the spiritual overtones fit in perfectly. Not only did Lionel Messi claim the god of Argentine football, Diego Maradona, by leading the nation to glory in the World Cup; He’s finally filled a sore hole on his resume, winning the one title that eluded him — the fifth time he asks, certainly the last time. In the process, he has gilded his claim of being recognized as the greatest player of all time.

Argentina had to win that final three times, and France refused to accept that it was Messi’s destiny to claim the iconic Gold Cup, which was somehow doomed. It will surely be the best World Cup ever, the most colorful, and one of the greatest matches in history because of the manner in which Kylian Mbappe snatched France off the board at the end of regular time.

It was billed as Messi vs. Mbappe, the Argentine hero who opened the scoring from the penalty spot and had a hand in Angel Di Maria’s 2-0 goal. But then Mbappe came along, shattering the notion that Argentina would seal victory with a minimum of fuss. This Argentina team doesn’t really work that way. They love to trade in the late drama. Think of their victories over Australia and the Netherlands in the knockout stages.

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Part of the story was the bravery of the French champions, as the 2018 winners were revived by a host of Didier Deschamps substitutions. That and Mbappe, who had been unplayable since the 80th minute. He scored two goals in 97 seconds to force extra time. The first a penalty, the second a great side kick and there was a point towards the end of regulation time when he looked determined to make sure the extra period was not needed.

Argentina came back in extra time, and Messi scored his second goal, making it 3-2. But France returned, equalizing Mbappe, a second penalty kick in 118 minutes, with a hat-trick and a golden boot. He finished the tournament with eight – one more than Messi. He joined Sir Geoff Hurst as one of the leading scorers in the men’s final.

At this point, it pays to delve into the chaos that engulfed at the end of extra time.

Neither team was willing to accept that a penalty shootout was inevitable. None of that. Randall Kolo Mwane, as a substitute for the game of his life, couldn’t stretch to deflect a Mbappe cross and will have nightmares about the one-on-one he failed to convert, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez coming out on top.

On the other side, Argentine substitute Lautaro Martinez fired a gilded-edged header and then Mbappe beat two men in another blast but not the third. Never before has so much been crammed into the overtime finale.

So in terms of penalties and after Mbappe and Messi scored, it was up to Emiliano Martinez and some of his dark arts to make the difference. After being saved by substitute Kingsley Coman, Martínez threw the ball wide before France’s next kick, forcing 22-year-old Aurelien Chouamini to go and fetch it, adding to his concern. Chumene pulled his kick past the post.

Emiliano Martinez saves from Kingsley Coman in the penalty shootout. Photo: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

The referee, Simon Marciniak, had to physically restrain Martínez from facing France’s upcoming player, Kolo Mwani. Martínez is booked; Colo Mane slammed home. But the scene was set for substitute player Gonzalo Montiel to win it – to crown Messi and Argentina.

When Montiel scored, Messi sank to his knees in the center of the circle, his teammates dousing him. The third World Cup for Argentina will go down as the World Cup for Messi, just as the second edition was in 1986 for Maradona. Both men came to transcend their respective teams and trophies, with Messi being awarded the Ballon d’Or here as the star player of the tournament. I always felt as if he had a heavenly screenwriter at work, guiding him to his destiny. It was his image and the trophy that many fans craved – not just those from Argentina.

The game started to look like a very long time ago. That was when Messi immediately set his rhythms and impressed Di Maria. Di Maria won the opening penalty, blasting away Ousmane Dembele before he was caught and Messi took over the rest.

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The first half was all Argentina, a great period for them, and Messi seemed to be playing his own game. He faded or spiraled his passes, and startled with his changes of direction. He even threw himself into the challenges.

Di Maria lifted high early on and said it all about France’s struggles that Deschamps made a double substitution in the 41st minute. Mbappe moved from left to center and Olivier Giroud was the furious drop man. Dembele has also been withdrawn. It came on Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram. By then the score was 2-0. Messi unleashed a flowing one-tap move to Julián Álvarez, who promptly made Alexis Mac Allister run. Di Maria also sprinted on the other side and McAllister’s low ball was measured. Di Maria was outplayed after his emphatic finish.

Winning moment: Argentina celebrate Gonzalo Montiel’s penalty. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

France were a dreadful second in the first half of regulation time, and although they consolidated their footing in the second half, they struggled to survive. Argentina – with Di Maria hanging on until his withdrawal – kept looking more dangerous.

Then everything changed. Deschamps’ substitutions were acts of alchemy. Koeman introduced a disappointing Antoine Griezmann and went 4-4-2, and Kolo Mwane moved to Mbappe’s side.

It was Kolo Mwani who won France’s first penalty from Nicolas Otamendi and suddenly nerves got the better of Argentina. The equalizer for 2-2 came after Koeman brilliantly robbed Messi and Mbappe with Thuram before finishing the game in a stunning way. France’s substitutes streamed across the field towards Mbappe and France came close to winning in regular time, with Mbappe now rampaging through. At the other end, though, they needed Hugo Lloris to turn a Messi strike to force overtime.

Quick Guide Hearst pays tribute to Mbappe and joins him in the Hat-trick Club Show

It was a record that stood for 56 years and returned countless counts – but Kylian Mbappe finally ended Sir Geoff Hurst’s reign as the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored his first goal for France from the penalty spot in the 79th minute, swept in a through ball after 97 seconds, and scored another penalty in extra time to take the match to penalties – where he converted his shot. But it’s still on the losing side.

Two of Hurst’s goals in England’s 1966 victory over West Germany came in extra time, including his infamous goal which bounced off the crossbar and was ruled to have bounced over the line. Ally McCoist, ITV’s co-commentator on the final last night in Qatar, said Mbappe’s display made him “the first person to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final with all three passing…”

Meanwhile, Sir Jeff took to Twitter moments after sending Mbappe a third time, tweeting: “Congratulations Mbappe, whatever happens… you’ve had a great period!” David Hills

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Argentina clearly shook their heads in extra time. Lautaro Martinez made a difference. Twice he was denied by Dayot Upamecano’s last-minute tackles, and when he went wide and Lloris could only parry, Messi was there to get the ball over the line.

There would be more ups and downs, including a second penalty for Mbappe against Montiel’s handball before Messi and Argentina celebrated.

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