In a legendary World Cup final that will go down as one of the greatest games on the biggest stage, Lionel Messi won his first World Cup in his last try.
After a roller-coaster World Cup final that required extra time and featured a Kylian Mbappé hat trick and two goals from Messi, Argentina prevailed over France in a penalty-kick shootout for its third World Cup title and first since 1986.
With two of the game’s brightest stars in Messi and Mbappé facing off in the 2022 World Cup final, Argentina struck the first blows with Messi converting a 23rd-minute penalty and Ángel Di Maria scoring in the 36th minute. Mbappé scored twice in two minutes to draw level with less than 10 minutes to play. Then, Messi and Mbappé traded extra-time goals in a 3–3 thriller that needed a dramatic shootout to decide the world champion.
But Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez came up with a huge save in the shootout while Argentina was perfect from the spot to seal the win and deny France’s chance at becoming the first men’s team to win consecutive World Cup titles since Pelé’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Sunday’s final matchup between France and Argentina had no shortage of storylines with Messi and Argentina coming close in the 2014 final but ultimately losing to Germany in extra time. This year, Argentina’s path to the final started with a calamitous 2–1 loss to Saudi Arabia, but the side didn’t miss a beat en route to the final.
Messi was present from the start of the match, setting a men’s record with his 26th appearance at the World Cup. Then, just minutes in, he created a dangerous chance when he unlocked the French defense and found Rodrigo De Paul at the edge of the penalty area. De Paul then lofted the ball over the top of the French defense for Julián Álvarez in front of goal, but the Man City forward was immediately flagged for offside.
In the fifth minute, Argentina was gifted a chance when Jules Koundé overhit a pass to Antoine Griezmann, which resulted in an Argentina break. Álvarez’s through ball off the turnover found Alexis Mac Allister, but the Brighton midfielder’s shot from distance went straight at Hugo Lloris.
As Argentina continued to pile the pressure on a French side that struggled to match the intensity, Di María came up with a premium chance in the 17th minute. After a quick Argentina counter, Di María took a pass at the edge of the box with an open shot at goal. But the ball took a bad bounce and Di María sent the ball well over the goal.
In the 22nd minute, Argentina was awarded a penalty when Ousmane Dembélé committed a poor challenge on Di María from behind just inside the penalty box. Di María, who returned to the starting lineup after struggling with injury, created the chance by deviously outmaneuvering Dembélé with quick footwork before Messi then stepped to the spot and coolly finished past Lloris to make it 1–0.
For Messi, it was his sixth goal of the tournament to take the lead in the Golden Boot race over Mbappé. After entering the tournament without a knockout goal in the World Cup, Messi has now scored in every knockout game in Qatar.
Argentina doubled its lead with an inspired effort from Di María in the 36th minute. La Albiceleste broke away on another lightning-quick counterattack after Dayot Upamecano lost the ball. Messi sent a pass out to the wing to Mac Allister, who then sent the ball low across the box to a streaking Di María for the clinical finish past Lloris.
As France appeared to be slipping away fast, manager Didier Deschamps, who is looking to become the second manager to win two World Cups, subbed off Dembélé and an ineffective Olivier Giroud in the 41st minute as the side failed to manage a shot in the first half.
Even after the halftime break, Argentina continued to push forward, logging another shot on target in the 49th minute. Argentina caught France out on another break with Cristian Romero rampaging into midfield to intercept a pass. On the wing, the ball eventually fell to Di María, who spotted De Paul on the far wing before the Atlético Madrid midfielder sent his shot wide.
In the 63rd minute, Argentina led another quick counterattack with Messi sending Mac Allister through on goal, but Mac Allister appeared to be pushed from behind while the ball was just out of his reach.
Les Bleus couldn’t even manage a shot until the 70th minute, when Griezmann found Mbappé on the left wing as the PSG superstar sent the shot wide.
But France got its big break in the 79th minute when Randal Kolo Muani was taken down inside the penalty area by Nicolás Otamendi. Mbappé then converted the chance by squeezing his penalty kick just past Martínez for the goal to make it 2–1.
Less than two minutes later, Mbappé struck again in incredible fashion as France drew level after facing a 2–0 deficit. Kingsley Coman started the counterattack by finding Mbappé on the left wing before Mbappé and Marcus Thuram combined for a one-two. Mbappé then took the ball just inside the box and silenced his chance past Martínez for the equalizer.
The goals saw Mbappé leap Messi for the Golden Boot lead with his sixth and seventh goals of the tournament while France continued to rush forward looking for the winner. Les Bleus nearly got it when Thuram was taken down inside the penalty area as the referee whistled for a foul. But rather than award a penalty, the referee issued Thuram a yellow card for simulation.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Eduardo Camavinga found Adrien Rabiot near the penalty spot as the midfielder’s shot on goal was briefly spilled by Martínez in front of goal.
Moments later, Messi was denied a potential match-winner when his shot on target needed a strong save from Lloris before heading to extra time
France looked the better side in the first half of extra time, creating a series of chances in the attacking third and forcing a handful of corners and dangerous free kicks but to no avail.
But Argentina had the best chance in the 105th minute when Messi slipped a pass in to Lautaro Martínez, who had just been subbed on. With just the keeper to beat, Upamecano came flying in for a stunning block while Gonzalo Montiel saw his well-hit volley off the rebound headed away.
In the 19th minute of extra time, Argentina took a stunning lead once again when Messi scored at the end of a confusing sequence. After Martínez saw his strong shot parried by Lloris, the ball fell to Messi as he pounced on the shot. The ball was cleared from inside the goal while the offside flag went up briefly, but the goal was ultimately awarded after a delayed sequence.
But Mbappé would have his hat trick in the 118th minute on another penalty kick. The France star’s shot struck the hand of Montiel inside the penalty area and Mbappé then stepped to the penalty spot to easily convert the chance past Martínez with a quick finish to knot the score at 3–3.
In the 123rd minute, Kolo Muani had a quality chance in front of goal with just the keeper to beat, but Martínez came up with an all-world save from point-blank range before heading to a penalty-kick shootout.
In the shootout, Mbappé stepped up for the first penalty and converted despite Martínez getting a hand on it.
Messi then slotted it just past Lloris with an easy run-up and finish that seemed too close for comfort.
Martínez came up with a massive save when Coman sent a low shot right at the keeper to give Argentina a slight advantage.
Paulo Dybala, who came in as a late sub, sent his shot down the middle that just avoided the leg of Lloris for the 2–1 lead.
Aurélien Tchouaméni was next up for France and sent his shot just wide of the post for another French miss.
Leandro Paredes then tucked his shot into the bottom left corner for the 3–1 lead.
Kolo Muani blasted his shot right down the middle to keep France in the shootout for the time being.
But in the end, Montiel converted his penalty to win the match for Argentina.
Argentina took home a handful of trophies from the final with Messi winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, Martínez winning the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and Enzo Fernández winning the Young Player of the Tournament (meanwhile, Mbappé won the Golden Boot with his eight goals.)
The final likely marks the final World Cup match for Messi, who said that the Qatar tournament would be his last, giving him an epic farewell with a trophy that long evaded him.
