Argentina defeated France on penalties to lift the 2022 World Cup trophy, at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
The South American won the shootout 4-2 after a spectacular game.
It was a confrontation between the 35-year-old maestro Messi and his France opposite number Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick – the first in a World Cup final since 1966 – but still ended up on the losing side.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the spot for the South Americans in the 23rd minute after Argentina were awarded a penalty for a dangerous tackle on Ángel Di María by Ousmane Dembélé.
Di María extended Argentina’s advantage 13 minutes with brilliant a goal to make it 2-0, which they maintained into halftime.
Kylian Mbappe pulled one back for France in the 81st minute, before scoring a screamer a minute later to force the game to extra time.
Messi restored Argentina’s lead in the 108th minute. Mbappe replied for France from the spot ten minutes later, forcing the match to be decided on penalties.
However, Argentina eventually won 4-2 on penalties.
