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In an extraordinary World Cup final on Sunday, Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 tie that also featured a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe as the host nation overcame a 2-0 deficit.
It was an extraordinary night of drama, intense emotion, and shifting fortunes that culminated in one of the greatest tournament finals in history as its two star players gave commanding performances on the biggest stage of them all.
“I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
“I am proud of the work they did. With the blows we received today, this makes you emotional. I want to tell people to enjoy, it’s a historic moment for our country.”
In the World Cup final on Sunday, Argentina had a 2-0 lead over France at the half after Lionel Messi scored his sixth goal of the competition and Angel Di Maria doubled the lead following an exciting counterattack.
Argentina dominated the first half and won the penalty kick after Ousmane Dembele fouled Angel Di Maria. Messi converted the spot-kick to surpass Hugo Lloris of France and move atop the Qatar scoring charts.
The Lusail Stadium was transformed into Lionel Scaloni’s team’s home field when the large number of blue and white-clad Argentina fans outnumbered the small number of French supporters.
After 90 minutes of play, Kylian Mbappe of France scored twice in two minutes, including a penalty in the 80th minute, to salvage a 2-2 draw with Argentina and force extra time in the World Cup final on Sunday.
The Argentineans took the lead in the first half thanks to goals from captain Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, and they were in total control until Mbappe ignited a stunning comeback for France, who had been toothless for the majority of the game.
The drama was not over, though, as Mbappe calmly converted another penalty in the 117th minute to complete an incredible hat-trick and score the highest-scoring goal of the tournament.
He and Messi both made the first two free throws in the shootout, but after that they had to watch as their teammates decided their fate.
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