Perhaps the best ending in history. Argentina and France starred in a changing set, charged with emotions and with the lights of their main stars, Lionel Messi and Kilian Mbappé. Finally, Argentina prevailed on penalties (4-2) and dropped its third world star.
The colossal Lusail stadium hosted today the grand final of the Qatar World Cup between the teams of Argentina and France.
ALBICELEST FURY
The South American team had a very clear film and with decision, aggressiveness and heart they beat a French formation that was surprised in all its lines.
France accused the first blow after a penalty converted by Lionel Messi (23′). The thing did not end there because Messi found an inspired Alexis Mac Allister, who put in a stellar cross pass that Ángel Di Maria was in charge of sending to the end of the goal. 2-0 (35′) and total despair on the French side.
Lionel Messi from the twelve steps, put the first for the #ARG
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– Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) December 18, 2022
The strategist Didier Deschamps did not wait any longer and replaced Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Démbelé with Marcus Thuram and Kolo Muani before the break.
This is how Ángel Di María defined who scored the second for #ARG
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– Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) December 18, 2022
KNOW MORE: Argentina takes two goals ahead at the end of the first half
But the panorama remained in wide passages. Argentina once again made itself felt at the start of the complementary game and the French captain, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, was forced to intervene to avoid the third on successive occasions.
MBAPPE
The fierce mark imposed by the duo Nicolás Otamendi-Cristian Romero annulled the French number 10 throughout the game, until a penalty was committed by Otamendi. Kylian Mbappé sealed the discount (79′) from 12 steps and, in the next attack, took a half-volley shot to make it 2-2 (81′). Thus, in the blink of an eye, the procedure was equalized.
Kylian Mbappé from a penalty discounted for #FRA
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– Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) December 18, 2022
Once again Kylian Mbappé appeared to score the equalizer in favor of #FRA and his double in the match.
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– Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) December 18, 2022
EXTRA TIME
The following was an exchange of incursions that stopped more than one heart, but there were no more goals and the definition went into overtime.
And the emotions did not wait. Lionel Messi, after a spectacular cover by Lloris, appeared to push the ball in extremis (109′) and put Argentina back in front of the scoreboard. It seemed that there was consecration, but again Mbappé, from a penalty, made it 3-3 (117′).
Lionel Messi scored the third goal for the #ARG
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– Tigo Sports (@TigoSportsPY) December 18, 2022
More than 125 minutes had to be played to finally reach penalties.
Luck smiled on the Argentines. It was 4-2 in a shootout again dominated by goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
This way, Argentina lowers its third world star (1978, 1986, 2022).
