Argentina became the winner of the World Cup for the third time, defeating France in a penalty shoot-out in a stunning final, writes Reuters.
The two teams played to a draw in both regular time and extra time, with Argentina taking the decisive lead in a penalty shoot-out as they beat France 4-2. The fans were able to follow an exciting game in which both teams showed their best performance.
At the beginning of the game Argentina was hoping for a quick and easy victory when Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria scored, but everything changed after Kylian Mbappe’s successful penalty kick. Argentina lost the lead, and the game went to extra time and penalties.
Messi not only won such an important trophy for his country but also was recognized as the best player of the World Cup. The performance puts him alongside football superstar Diego Maradona, who secured the World Cup for Argentina in 1986. Messi said: «I wanted to end my career with this, only this was missing so that there was nothing more to ask for.» The footballer has played 172 times in the Argentine national team.
«I was able to get the Copa America and now the World Cup that I had fought so hard for. I’ve got it at the end of my career. But I love football and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion,»
Messi added.
Argentina’s victory seems even more surprising because the World Cup for the country began with a painful loss to the Saudi Arabian team. After the game, the stadium was full of fans for another two hours as they watched the players and their families take pictures and celebrate the victory.