Argentina defeated France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the World Cup for the third time on Sunday.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored twice and France striker Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick as a thrilling World Cup final finished 3-3 after extra time at the Lusail Stadium.
In an extraordinary night of high drama, Argentinian substitute Gonzalo Montiel stroked home the winning spot-kick to seal an agonising shoot-out loss for defending champions France.
France had fought back from 2-0 down and 3-2 down in extra-time to make it 3-3 and take the game to penalties.
Messi had given Argentina the lead from the penalty spot in the first half before Angel Di Maria made it 2-0.
The Argentinians looked to be cruising to victory until Mbappe scored twice in the 80th and 81st minutes to level it at 2-2.
France looked the likelier team to go on and win it, but Messi put Argentina 3-2 ahead in extra-time after poking home from close range after Lautaro Martinez’s shot was parried by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
But there was more drama two minutes from the end of extra-time when Montiel conceded a penalty for handball.
Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Mbappe stepped up to score from the spot for the second time to take the game to penalties.
🇦🇷👑 pic.twitter.com/5OW8L0mGrS
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2022
A game we'll never forget ❤️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2022
It’s Messi’s World Cup, we’re just lucky to have witnessed it.#FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/KKBekLUh3V
— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) December 18, 2022
The moment. Argentina world champions! 🇦🇷🏆 pic.twitter.com/eVWMTz3AQs
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2022
The greatest to ever do it. Lionel Messi, World Cup champion 🐐 pic.twitter.com/d1VqCu6Qhc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 18, 2022
Lionel Andrés Messi ⭐️🇦🇷 #Messi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 18, 2022
10 La Liga
1 Ligue 1
7 Copa del Rey
7 Supercopa de España
4 Champions League
3 UEFA Super Cup
3 Club World Cup
7 Ballon d’Or
1 Copa America
…and 1 World Cup! 🏆
LEGEND ✨ pic.twitter.com/BBtRUFYZcD
This is the best game of football I've ever watched. Every emotion displayed and felt for 120 minutes and then through every take from the spot. What a show. What a sport. Lionel Messi 💙🤍
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) December 18, 2022
Is messi the best athlete of all time? Forget just football. What a man.
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) December 18, 2022
Messi has played hundreds of games of professional football but never in one like that - then again, *no-one* has. Mbappé got a hat-trick but arguably wasn’t even player of the match. And Di María was so good he looked set for player of the match after just an hour. Ridiculous.
— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) December 18, 2022
The greatest of all time 🐐🐐🐐 Thank you. pic.twitter.com/TJOkVy8lai
— Tammy Abraham (@tammyabraham) December 18, 2022
The 'couldn't have scripted it' trope is overdone, but honestly, the story of how Messi finally gets his World Cup is just too perfect. Right down to his 'rival', team mate and heir to 'world's greatest' acclaim Mbappé throwing down the gauntlet again and again in this final
— Nicky Bandini (@NickyBandini) December 18, 2022
Leno gets injured versus Brighton in 2020.
— T. H. Houghton (@sidin) December 18, 2022
Emi Martinez wins the World Cup in 2022.
What a story.
The scenes in Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/Mc6s4BFSYw
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 18, 2022