Messi crowns stellar career as Argentina dethrone France

World Champions! Captain Lionel Messi (middle) holds the trophy aloft after Argentina’s defeat of France in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium…yesterday. CREDIT: www.dailymail.co.uk

Mbappe’s hat-trick not enough for Les Blues

Thirty-six years after Argentina’s ‘god,’ Diego Amando Maradona, led his country to win their second FIFA World Cup title, his heir, Lionel Messi, yesterday at the Lusail Stadium, Qatar, entered the global football immortality list when he motivated another group of players from the South American country to another Copa du Mundo glory.

But success came in the worst possible manner for a team that had waited for so long for football’s holy grail. The Argentines raced into a first half 2-0 lead and controlled the final so well, that neutrals in the stadium thought the game was signed, sealed and delivered. But Kylian Mbappe had other ideas. He turned the game on its head with a stunning 95-second brace.

The PSG strongman, who, pre-game, was tipped to light up the final, was made completely anonymous for the vast majority of the match by Lionel Scaloni’s tactic, which ensured he did not get anywhere near the ball.

While he was in the wilderness, Argentina’s Messi had a field day, scoring one from the penalty spot and engineering another by Angel di Maria, which gave the South Americans a commanding 2-0 lead even before the half hour mark.

France’s comeback started from the penalty spot when Nicolas Otamendi clumsily brought down Marcus Thuram on the spot. Mbappe stepped up to convert the kick and reduce the tally to 2-1 and almost immediately after, the golden boy of French football made it all square. He smashed a stunning volley past Emiliano Martinez when teed up by Thuram.

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