IKEJA, Nigeria -
Dec. 19, 2022 -
PRLog -- Lionel Messi's once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France to be crowned World Cup winners in Qatar. They claimed their third title despite France's Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.
Now there's no debate. Messi is definitively in the assembly of soccer's greatest-ever players, alongside Pelé - a record three-time World Cup champion from Brazil - and Diego Maradona, the late Argentinan great with whom Messi was so often compared. Messi achieved what Maradona did in 1986 and dominated a World Cup for Argentina. The torch will one day pass to Mbappé, whose late goals lit up one of the most dramatic finals in the tournament's 92-year history and emulated Geoff Hurst's hat trick for England in 1966, but not just yet.
Meanwhile, France supported in Qatar by thousands of fans including super fan President Emmanuel Macron, struggled to string passes together, and seemed at times sluggish and overwhelmed by Argentina's more aggressive style of play.
A number of France players had reportedly suffered from flu symptoms in the days leading up to the final. However, in the last ten minutes of regular play, Les Bleus jolted into life when Kylian Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 80th minute and followed it up just one minute later with his second goal of the game.
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