Adding his name next to Pele and Diego Maradona in the pantheon of the beautiful game’s greatest players, Argentina talisman Lionel Messi finally lifted the FIFA World Cup title after a dramatic penalty shootout between Argentina and defending champions France in Qatar on Sunday. Messi-led Argentina battled past a Kylian Mbappe-inspired France side in the final of the Qatar World Cup at the Lusail Stadium. Messi and Co. sealed Argentina’s third World Cup crown after winning the penalty shootout 4-2 in Qatar.
Presenting his strongest case to be hailed as the greatest player of all time, Messi guided Argentina to World Cup glory by scoring a sensational brace against defending champions France. While Messi managed to find the back of the net twice, his Paris Saint Germain (PSG) teammate Mbappe earned plaudits by scoring a record-levelling hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup 2022 final. The dynamic duo of PSG was honoured for their match-altering performances in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup final.
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Messi makes more history with 2nd Golden Ball
Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer in the history of the World Cup, Messi shattered multiple records in the goal-fest final. The second-highest goal-scorer netted seven goals for La Albiceleste in the 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup. The 35-year-old was awarded the Golden Ball for being the best player at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Messi, who has smashed 26 goals for Argentina in major international tournaments, is the only player to win the Golden Ball twice (2014 and 2022).
Mbappe beats Messi to secure Golden Boot
Mbappe staged France’s memorable comeback in the six-goal thriller by scoring a match-saving hat-trick for Les Bleus. The star striker of the two-time world champions eclipsed Messi in the race for the Golden Boot with his goal-scoring masterclass against Argentina. Mbappe is the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final after England’s Geoff Hurst (1966 vs Germany). The 23-year-old scored 8 goals to finish the Qatar World Cup as the tournament’s top scorer.
Martinez wins Golden Glove; Enzo named best young player
Argentina and Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez won the Young Player of the Tournament at the Qatar World Cup. The 21-year-old netted his first-ever goal for Argentina against Mexico during the group stage. Fernandez’s teammate and super-stopper Emiliano Martinez was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Aston Villa’s star goalkeeper Martinez secured three clean sheets in seven appearances for Argentina at the FIFA World Cup. The Argentina goalkeeper also saved three penalties (1 in final) in World Cup shootouts.