Lionel Messi became acquainted with the World Cup after leading Argentina to their third World Cup title at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Lionel Messi capped his spectacular career with a World Cup victory on Sunday, as Argentina defeated France on penalties in a game for the ages, winning 4-2 in the shoot-out after the match ended equal at 3-3 after extra time.
Lionel Messi has won the one prize that had escaped him thanks to two nerveless penalties, possibly his only recognized shortcoming in his game.
After a final that showcased the magnificence of not only Messi but another Kylian Mbappe, he joined Pele and Diego Maradona as World Cup-winning greats.
The success of Argentina under Scaloni can be attributed to the nation’s all-time leading scorer, at the World Cup, Messi, who has learned to embrace emotions with the team.
Messi opened the scoring with a penalty midway through the first half before Angel Di Maria increased Argentina’s advantage on the counter-attack in the 36th minute.
The incredible Mbappe, however, gave the holders hope when he forced extra time with a remarkable 60-second equalizer after pulling one back from the spot with 10 seconds remaining.
Messi, the captain of the Argentines, scored again in the 109th minute, and it appeared as though Argentina had won the match for good. However, Mbappe scored again from the penalty spot to tie the score at 3-3 and force a shootout.
Messi and Mbappe opened the third World Cup final penalty shootout by scoring, but Kingsley Coman’s follow-up shot for France was saved, and Aurelien Tchouameni then crucially missed the target.
Sevilla’s right-back Gonzalo Montiel converted the game-winning penalty to give Argentina their third World Cup and prevent France from winning the championship for the first time in 60 years.
Lionel Messi told Argentine television, “Obviously, I wanted to finish my career with this. I can’t ask for any more. My career is coming to an end because these are my final years. What more could there be after this?”