Argentina prevail in pulsating showdown
Messi finally claims World Cup after La Albiceleste’s shoot-out win over France
DOHA: Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory on Sunday, scoring twice against France in one of the alltime great finals with the South Americans holding their nerve to triumph in a penalty shoot-out.
Messi finally crowned his recordbreaking career by claiming football’s biggest prize with a performance that will go down in World Cup history, scoring a first-half penalty and netting again in extra-time.
France had fought back from 2-0 down in the last 10 minutes as Kylian Mbappe scored twice to equalise and force extra-time in a pulsating match watched by an 89,000 crowd in the Lusail Stadium.
Messi seemed to have decided the match in extra-time with his second goal of the game before his Paris SaintGermain teammate Mbappe completed only the second World Cup final hat-trick to bring the score to 3-3 and force penalties.
Gonzalo Montiel swept home the decisive spot kick to win the shootout 4-2 for Argentina — but this was Messi’s moment.
He had tasted bitter defeat in the 2014 final against Germany but in his fifth and final World Cup, the 35-yearold finally emulated Argentina idol Diego Maradona by leading his nation to World Cup glory for the first time since Maradona’s victory in Mexico City in 1986.
Argentina, now three-time world champions, also won the 1978 World Cup on home soil.
A SALUTE TO THE STAR
Tens of thousands of blue and whiteshirted Argentina fans rose to salute Messi as he told them “we’re champions of the world!” on the stadium microphone.
Later he told Argentine television:
“Obviously I wanted to finish my career with this. I can’t ask for any more.
“My career is coming to end because these are my final years. What more could there be after this?”
But he said he would continue with the Argentina squad.
“I want to keep experiencing a few more matches as world champion,” said Messi who won the Golden Ball award as the best player of Qatar 2022.
Messi said he always felt his time would come.
“It’s crazy that it happened at the time it happened, but it’s amazing,” he said.
“It’s amazing that it could end this way. I said previously that God was going to grant me this and I don’t know why but I felt it was going to be this time.
“The World Cup trophy is beautiful.”
Fifa will be delighted with a pulsating final that capped one of the most controversial World Cups in history, with the Qatari organisers having to face persistent questions about the country’s treatment of migrant workers and its laws on homosexuality.
Neutrals will be happy that Messi has finally won a World Cup.
However, with his hat-trick — and the Golden Boot for top scorer at the tournament with eight goals — Mbappe surely showed he is ready to inherit the mantle of the world’s best player.
The PSG forward claimed the Golden Boot award as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi’s tally.
IT’S DESTINY
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who saved Kingsley Coman’s attempt in the shoot-out, said the victory was “destiny”.
“All that I have dreamed of has been achieved. I have no words for it. I was calm during the penalty shoot-out, and everything went as we wanted.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said: “We have fighters who were very strong despite the goals that we conceded.”
“These players play for their people, play for Argentina fans — that’s what I have always seen,” he added.
“There are no rivalries. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and this is for the whole country. It is the greatest pride to play for your own country.
“The players broke their backs. They have achieved this today because they understand what they had to do on the pitch and we are happy and proud.”
The coach was asked what he had told his players at the beginning of extra time after France had come back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 in normal time, and before the penalty shoot-out.
“I told them we had to be optimistic,” he said. “The team was playing well and they [France] had two chances.
“We knew if we played our game we were going to create chances. We kept on attacking and before the penalty shoot-out the same thing — I told them to remain calm.”
France coach Didier Deschamps rued the failure to become the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy.
“I don’t want to take any merit away from Argentina but there were lots and lots of emotions and it was cruel at the end because we were so close,” he said.