Argentina beat defending Champions France 4-2 in penalties in the FIFA World Cup finals

Doha: Argentina lifted the FIFA World Cup Football title for the third time, after beating defending Champion France 4-2 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw in extra time in one of the most thrilling finals at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick for France, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored a brace and Angel di Maria netted one goal for Argentina.

During 30 minutes of extra time, both the teams scored a goal each to keep the scores tied at 3-3, pushing the match into penalty shootout. 

Earlier, the scores were tied 2-2 at full time, forcing the match into extra time. Messi had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute before Angel Di Maria doubled Argentina's lead at the end of a brilliant counter-attack in the 36th minute to put them in total control in the first half. However, in a stunning fashion Mbappe converted an 80th-minute penalty and volleyed in an equalizer a minute later to take the game to extra time.

Then Messi tapped in his second goal in the 108th minute, leaving Argentina on the brink of the title once again. But there was still time for another penalty in 118th minute from Mbappé to become the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after Geoff Hurst for England 1966 and take the thrilling game to a



shootout. 

In the penalty shootout, Mbappe scored the first penalty for France, to give his side a 1-0 lead. However, Messi restored parity while Argentina managed to save France's second penalty. Paulo Dybala scored Argentina's second penalty to make the scores 2-1 in their favour. 

France's third penalty was also a miss. Aurelien Tchouameni hit it wide. Leandro Paredes scored in Argentina's third straight penalty to make things 3-1. However, Kolo Muani scored in France's fourth penalty to make it 3-2. Montiel scored the winning penalty for Argentina, making the score 4-2 in favour of Argentina.

Meanwhile, Messi clinched the Golden Ball award for the best player at the Fifa World Cup 2022 while Mbappe took the golden boot for being the top goal-scorer and Argentina's Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove for being the best goalkeeper. Messi and Mbappe came into the final with 5 goals each. But the 23-year-old France forward finished the tournament with eight goals after the first World Cup Final hat-trick since 1966. 

Mbappé technically becomes France’s first-ever Golden Boot winner. Just Fontaine led the scoring at the 1958 World Cup with a record 13 goals, but the Golden Boot, originally the Golden Shoe wasn’t officially introduced until 1982.