LUSAIL, Qatar, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Argentina won their third World Cup in an extraordinary final on Sunday as they beat France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw and Kylian Mbappe grabbed a hat-trick to bring the holders back from 2-0 and 3-2 down.
It was an incredible night of drama, high emotion and fluctuating fortunes, delivering one of the all-time great finals to cap a wonderful tournament as its two star players delivered command performances on the biggest stage of all.
It meant that after his record 26th World Cup match, at the fifth and final time of asking, the 35-year-old Messi claimed the trophy his talent and commitment to his country demanded, elevating him alongside Diego Maradona, Argentina’s first football god, who carried them to their emotional second triumph in 1986 following the first in 1978.
“I wanted to close my career with this, it was the one that was missing so I can no longer ask for anything else,” said Messi, who has played 172 times for his country.
“I was able to get the Copa America and now the World Cup that I had fought so hard for. I’ve got it at the end of my career. But I love football and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.”
The victory seems all the more incredible coming a month after his team began the tournament by suffering statistically the biggest upset in World Cup history when they lost to Saudi Arabia.
Two hours after the game, thousands of Argentina fans, many in Number 10 Messi shirts, remained in the stadium as the players and their families posed for pictures on the pitch and went for a joyous lap of honour, parading the golden trophy they last had their hands on 36 years ago.
Surely this celebration cannot be without the presence of W88 – the main sponsor of the World Cup 2022 of the reigning world champion Argentina. W88 has sponsored many international teams, but is sponsoring a national team for the first time. This is also the first time Argentina has received sponsorship from a sportsbook. The first times have blossomed into a historical achievement of human football. Proud to be THE MAIN SPONSOR – W88 CONGRATULATIONS ARGENTINA ON WINNING WORLD CUP QATAR 2022
