World Cup

Argentina star Lionel Messi vowed to continue playing for his country despite finally realising his lifetime ambition of winning the World Cup.

[The heartbreak and elation of the greatest World Cup Final ever](https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/worldcup/pictures-the-heartbreak-and-elation-of-the-greatest-world-cup-final-ever-20221218) "It's amazing that it could end this way. [epic penalty shoot-out victory over France](https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/worldcup/messis-moment-argentina-crowned-champions-after-world-cup-final-epic-20221218) in the World Cup final in Doha.

The equal most successful World Cup nation has delivered far less outside of it. So what is the formula that has enabled South Africa?

Had a goal kicker been on the park, South Africa might have won. In every edition of the tournament they have won they were able to draw a developing tier two nation as their quarter-final opponent. The equal most successful World Cup nation has delivered far less outside of it. They did not do that against the Irish and French, who will take more out of those Tests. The three World Cup titles is equal most with New Zealand. Everyone knows they will contend, that is nothing new.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have dazzled at the World Cup in Qatar, while Morocco caught the imagination of a continent on their run to the semi-finals.

And it was no fluke. They became only the second home team to crash out of a World Cup in the group stage after South Africa in 2010, losing all three of their matches and scoring just once. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have dazzled at the World Cup in Qatar, while Morocco caught the imagination of a continent on their run to the semi-finals.

In the bigger scheme of things, Argentina's win meant that captain Lionel Messi joined the list of all-time greats as he hoisted the ultimate crown.

Breakout stars of the 2022 World Cup](/sport/world-cup/from-jude-bellingham-to-cody-gakpo-breakout-stars-of-the-2022-world-cup-3debc0b0-c823-4a7e-a186-65d3ecbb02f2) And he didn’t disappoint. as they’ll have to focus on the 2026 global showpiece. failed to create chances up front. [Kylian Mbappe, Pele in the same WhatsApp group after sensational World Cup final display](https://www.iol.co.za/sport/world-cup/kylian-mbappe-pele-in-the-same-whatsapp-group-after-sensational-world-cup-final-display-e8fe1532-cd8d-4377-ae4e-b772bf36853e) [Messi says he will continue Argentina career after World Cup win](/sport/world-cup/lionel-messi-says-he-will-continue-argentina-career-after-world-cup-win-7abd17f1-7ad8-4c32-86c4-043b26443718) [Mbappe, Pele in the same WhatsApp group after sensational final display](/sport/world-cup/kylian-mbappe-pele-in-the-same-whatsapp-group-after-sensational-world-cup-final-display-e8fe1532-cd8d-4377-ae4e-b772bf36853e) [‘I can no longer ask for anything else ...’ Messi erases final stain on career resume](/sport/world-cup/i-can-no-longer-ask-for-anything-else-lionel-messi-erases-final-stain-on-career-resume-b3ac0036-b0b6-4540-9210-0f7cf524bedf) [Key moments of the World Cup final: Messi v Mbappe ...

We select our best players from the fantastic football showpiece in Qatar.

A hat-trick in a World Cup final is just one of his history-making achievements from a tournament where he was decisive again and again. Ingeniously repurposed as an attacking - and often an all-terrain - midfielder by coach Didier Deschamps as France faced up to the absences through injury of senior men in the middle of the pitch. He gave his fifth World Cup a highlights reel of skills that could have been drawn from any stage of his wonderful career, rolling back the years. Richarlison combined aggression and moments of exquisite skill in interpreting a position that he is only seldom assigned at club level. Ever-industrious and impeccably consistent in a defence that kept losing senior men to injury but still was breached just once through the first five matches of the tournament. Slotted in at left-back for the bronze-medal match, a small retreat from his usual wing-back or midfield role, but Perisic, as most of his coaches will testify, can play anywhere - always to a very high standard. In his 38th year, Modric now has a bronze to go with his previous World Cup silver. Besides those few seconds, the figure in the protective mask was towering and authoritative, his challenges tough and well-timed, his marking astute. After 80 minutes of the showpiece in Doha, Argentina looked to be cruising to victory and a first title since 1986. To move to the next image, just swipe. First, he scored a penalty, then produced a sweet right-footed strike to level the scores. And boy how the Paris Saint-Germain pair delivered on Sunday in what was

Unmatched: Messi, this victory over France, and Argentina, which is on top again.

[a has won the World Cup](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/18/france-vs-argentina-world-cup-final/?itid=lb_world-cup-in-qatar_1), defeating France in penalty kicks in a thrilling final Sunday in Lusail, Qatar, for its first world championship since 1986. The talkers might note how the game managed to incorporate a shred of justice as Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel — whose playing of the ball with his arm in the 118th minute brought a penalty and an Mbappé tying goal and postponed a win 10 minutes after Messi had scored and appeared as if he had just gotten one — wound up clinching that win with the final penalty kick. It’s a funny planet that wishes peace of mind upon a global citizen worth hundreds of millions and visible on billboards all over the various continents. They will remember how he went over toward his family and the Argentina fans who made so much noise that it almost seemed audible some 8,300 miles away in Buenos Aires. They will remember how he looked, how his hard hunt for international cups wound up glorious in the Copa América in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022: the former before a near-empty stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the latter before 88,966 in a newborn stadium excellent at hanging on to its noise — the same stadium where Argentina started here last month in great noise from the other side during The people can talk about how Messi got the trophy and the distinction he chased through five World Cups just before the curtain was set to drop on that chase. They can try to recollect the ride on which this thing took many of the 46 million Argentines and the 67 million French and much of the rest of the world, from 2-0 Argentina after 79 minutes to 2-2 after 90 to 3-2 Argentina after 108 to 3-3 after 120 to the penalties. That face told so much of the whole thing. That event figures to lack Messi but glow with the near-dynasty of France, which has a fine slew of young stars — but, hey, how about that 2022 final? Now, the wild closing moments had closed, and Deschamps was saying: “Kylian has really left his mark on this final. LUSAIL, Qatar — Occasionally, a game will wriggle out of its standard definition and start taking on certain human characteristics. That’s where this one heads now as the billion or so who watched begin the hard art of processing how Argentina and its 35-year-old global hero, Lionel Messi, edged France and its 23-year-old global hero, Kylian Mbappé, 4-2 on penalty kicks after an unreal 3-3 draw.

Messi scored twice in the final taking his tally of goals at the tournament to seven, and also scored in the shoot-out as Argentina beat France 4-2 on ...

Messi and Mbappe got a goal each in extra time to leave matters at 3-3 after additional time. Nicolás Otamendi brought Randal Kolo Muani down inside the Argentina box in the last quarter of the match for Les Bleus to draw one back through mbappe’s penalty. Les Bleus struggled to get their teeth into the match even as the second half progressed until Mbappe injected his deadly finishing ability.

When Sunday's World Cup final finally ended, there was a president on one side of the field and a king on the other. The president was France's Emmanuel ...

The goal was Messi’s seventh in the tournament and the sixth that had given Argentina a lead. Messi, as captain, went last and after having the medal hung around his neck, he led Infantino and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, to the World Cup trophy. “It was the World Cup of records tonight,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. But that wasn’t enough, with Mbappe tying the score again eight minutes later, converting another penalty kick after Montiel was called for a handball in the box. Both Mbappe and Messi made their tries to open the shootout, but then the momentum shifted for the final time when Argentina keeper Emiliano Martínez, the Gold Glove winner as the tournament’s best goalie, guessed correctly to start the second round, diving in front of Kingsley Coman’s shot and smothering it. Here is The Times’ complete coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Messi, 35, who announced earlier this year this would be his last World Cup, put Argentina back in front again three minutes into the second extra-time period, bumping in the rebound of a Lautaro Martínez shot that fell at his feet. There was no final whistle to mark the end of the game, nor was one needed. The king was the aging [Lionel Messi](https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2022-11-04/lionel-messi-mls-soccer-mainstream), who finally won the prize that had eluded him during a long and storied career. It took six goals, 120 minutes and a four-round penalty-kick shootout to separate one from the other. At midfield Messi dropped to his knees and was immediately engulfed by teammates, most smiling, some crying and others, like Messi, doing both. “For us in Argentina, it’s something more.”

Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot after scoring a hat trick for France in their World Cup final defeat against Argentina on Sunday.

[4-1](/soccer/report?gameId=633792) win against [Australia](/soccer/team?id=628). [Emiliano Martinez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/158626/Emiliano-Martínez), who won the Golden Glove, saved [Kingsley Coman](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/184012/Kingsley-Coman)'s penalty, and [Aurelien Tchouameni](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/265919/Aurélien-Tchouaméni) fired wide to give Argentina their first world title since 1986 and third overall. [3-1](/soccer/report?gameId=633837) win over [Poland](/soccer/team?id=471) before again not scoring in the [2-1](/soccer/report?gameId=633846) quarterfinal victory against [England](/soccer/team?id=448) and the [2-0](/soccer/report?gameId=633848) semifinal win against [Morocco](/soccer/team?id=2869). He then scored both in a [2-1](/soccer/report?gameId=633810) win against [Denmark](/soccer/team?id=479) but did not get on the scoresheet in the [1-0](/soccer/report?gameId=633825) defeat to [Tunisia](/soccer/team?id=659). [Kylian Mbappe](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/231388/Kylian-Mbappé) won the Golden Boot award after scoring a hat trick for [France](/soccer/team?id=478) in their World Cup final defeat against [Argentina](/soccer/team?id=202) on Sunday. [Lionel Messi](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/45843/Lionel-Messi), who scored twice in the final himself, and ended the World Cup with seven goals as well as being handed the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

The thrilling penalty-shootout win over France gave La Albiceleste their first World Cup since national hero Diego Maradona guided them to the 1986 title.

a duel for the ages](/sport/world-cup/key-moments-of-the-fifa-world-cup-final-messi-v-mbappe-a-duel-for-the-ages-c6dccae5-f060-4699-8c9a-33b61113837f) [BREAKING: Argentina win dramatic World Cup final on penalties](/sport/world-cup/breaking-argentina-win-dramatic-world-cup-final-on-penalties-e1259f0f-603f-4d75-8367-36b5bb72dbd5) On the front page of its sports section, it described him as, simply, "The Greatest". It called the Argentina-France showdown "the most exciting final" in World Cup history, while the daily Tagesspiegel said it showcased "two exceptional talents". The Mirror called him the GOAT -- "greatest of all time" -- while The Sun said the World Cup was "In the Hand of God", a cheeky reference to Maradona's infamous goal against England in the 1986 tournament. In Britain, The Times said on its front page that Messi had won the "battle of modern maestros in greatest final". [Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory in one of the most dramatic Fifa World Cup finals ever](https://www.iol.co.za/sport/world-cup/breaking-argentina-win-dramatic-world-cup-final-on-penalties-e1259f0f-603f-4d75-8367-36b5bb72dbd5).