Argentina, Messi are World Champions

On 20 November, 2022, the Qatar opened its doors to the world and the biggest celebration of the beautiful game, the FIFA World Cup, begun.

Now, 28 days, 63 games and 163 goals later, only two of the 32 teams that had begun this voyage remain.

At one end, stand the defending champions France. ‘Les Blues’ had lost a host of their players due to injuries before the World Cup. But even a depleted France team had enough pedigree to reach the final for the second straight World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe, who has scored five goals already in the World Cup, has the chance to lead his team to the second world title at the age of just 23, something done by just one player before, the great Pele.

And at the other hand, stand Argentina. The ‘Albiceleste’ have not tasted the world title since 1986. But there has been a sense of inevitability throughout Argentina’s campaign this year.

Fate has seemingly crafted the perfect script to give one player a fairytale send off. That player, of course, is Lionel Messi.

Whatever the outcome, the maestro from Rosario has announced that this will be last time he plays for Argentina. And there can’t be a more fitting farewell for the genius to end his international career at the top of the world, with the coveted trophy in his hands.

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi (c), Julian Alvarez

France: Hugo Lloris (c), Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez, Antoine Griezmann, Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe

The final of the Qatar World Cup will be clash of two different era. Lionel Messi, the flagbearer of the last 15 years, will be up against Kylian Mbappe, the player most likely to succeed him as the next 'Best in the world'.

Mbappe and Messi have had a stellar World Cup so far. They have scored five goals each and are leading the race for the golden boot.

Mbappe has already tasted the World Cup trophy while Messi's best finish has been a second placed finish in 2014.

In Lusail, the football world will either see Messi's last dance culminate with the World Cup trophy or Mbappe officially kick-starting his era with consecutive World Cup trophies.

Group stage Argentina v Saudi Arabia: 1-2 Argentina v Mexico: 2-0 Argentina v Poland: 2-0 Round of 16 Argentina v Australia: 2-1 Quarterfinal Argentina v Netherlands: 1-1 (4-3 on penalties)

Semifinal

Argentina v Croatia: 3-0

Group Stage France v Australia: 4-1 France v Denmark: 2-1 France v Tunisia: 0-1 Round of 16 France v Poland: 3-1 Quarterfinal France v England: 2-1

Semifinal

France v Morocco: 2-0

Alvarez was almost through to score his fifth goal in the tournament, but the French defence crowded him before the pass found him. However, replay showed that Alvarez was off-side.

Argentina's second attempt inside five minutes. But Mac Allister's shot from a distance went straight to Lloris, who grabbed the ball safe

France's first attack at Argentina goal. Mbappe gets the ball at the edge of the box, passes it to Rabiot who tries to give it back to Mbappe but the ball was intercepted by an Argentinian defender

De Paul intercepted the ball and started a promising counterattack for Argentina. De Paul passed the ball towards Messi, who left it alone for Maria, but Maria's shot went way over the bar

Hernandez was fouled at the edge of the box by De Paul. Griezmann stands over the ball, his cross was met by a fierce header by Giroud, which went over the bar.

Dembele fouls Maria inside the box. Penalty for Argentina.

Messi sends Lloris to the wrong side and scores from the spot. Argentina are 1-0 up.

Griezmann takes the free-kick, which doesn't cause any problems. Messi and Hernandez clash while going for a header, Argentina win a free kick.

Messi started the attack with a sharp pass, Mac Allister sent a square pass to Di Maria, who was completely unmarked. Di Maria made no mistake, sent the ball to the back of the France goal to make it 2-0 for Argentina.

OUT: Giroud, Dembele

IN: Thuram, Muani

Argentina had a picture perfect first half against France in the final of the Qatar World Cup, as Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria scored to make it 2-0 at halftime at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday.

Argentina make a bright start in the second half. Messi's pass from the edge of the box found De Paul, who attempted an ambitious volley, which went straight to Llori, who grabbed it safely.

Mbappe wins the corner. Griezmann takes it but Emiliano Martinez gets hold of the ball without breaking a sweat.

Messi takes the corner, but Griezmann defends it, Argentina get a throw in.

Rabiot sees yellow card for fouling De Paul.

Maria again troubling Kounde down the left side, dodging him before passing it to Messi, but he couldn't keep the shot on target

Messi's pass almost found Mac Allister, who was surging into the box, but Lloris ran forward and put in a desperate dive to take hold of the ball.

OUT: DI MARIA

IN: Acuna

Griezmann with the delivery, but Muani's header was off target.

Mbappe shows some sign of life, skips past two players before an attempt at the Argentina goal, but the shot went over the bar.

OUT: Griezmann, Hernandez

IN: Camavinga, Coman

Mbappe scores from the spot, makes it 2-1.

Mbappe found the back of the net once again just 97 seconds after scoring from the spot. Thuram made the assist but it was the clinical finish from Mbappe that made all the difference.

Thuram sees a yellow card after diving in the Argentina box, hoping for a penalty.

Mbappe takes the free-kick but Argentina avert the danger.

Messi made one of his trademark runs on the left side, struck the ball at the Argentina goal but Lloris was up to the task, diving to his right to deflect the ball for a corner.

After looking off colour for most of the match, Mbappe burst into life, scoring twice in space of just 97 seconds to make it 2-2 for France.

OUT: Rabiot

IN: Fofana

Fofana wins the free-kick, Coman takes it, Messi deflects it for a corner. France fail to make something happen from the corner as well.

OUT: De Paul, Alvarez

IN: Lautaro, Parades

Argentina very nearly scored their third goal. Messi skipped past a couple of French shirts to pass the ball to Lautaro Martinez, but his shot was blocked.

Lloris made a point blank save against Lautaro, but the deflection took the ball to Messi. Messi's shot was blocked by Upamecano, but the ball had already entered the goal, meaning Messi scored for the second time in the match, and put Argentina at touching distance from the World Cup.

Coman's ball struck Montiel's hand, referee awards France a penalty.

In the final minute of stoppage time of extra time, Muani was saved at point blank by Martinez and seconds after that Lautaro's header at the other end went wide.

It ends 3-3 after 120 minutes, the fate of the World Cup will be decided on penalties.

France: Mbappe scores

Argentina: Messi scores

France: Coman misses

Argentina: Dybala scores

France: Tchouameni misses

Argentina: Parades scores

France: Muani scores

Argentina: Montiel scores

In the most dramatic World Cup final in recent memory, Argentina defeat France 4-2 on penalties to win their third World Cup title.

Kylian Mbappe scored a World Cup hat-trick, but it wasn't enough to deter Messi from realising his destiny. In his very last match in an Argentinian jersey, Messi has won the World Cup.

Emiliano Martinez once again was Argentina's hero in the penalty shootout, saving Coman's penalty shot while Tchouameni's attempt went wide to make sure Lionel Messi ends his career as a world champion.

Kylian Mbappe scored three goals in a World Cup final, something that hasn't been done since 1966, still he ended up in the losing side.

Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to take the game into extra time and then scored from the spot for the second time to take the game into penalties.

Mbappe stepped up to take France's first penalty, and once again outsmarted Emiliano Martinez.

But despite all his efforts, France finished second best on the day.