By Adeola Akanbi
Lionel Messi has inspired Argentina to World Cup Final win against France at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar.
The match was contested by two former champions and football heavyweights in what was likely 35 years old Messi’s final World Cup appearance.
The prematch headline was centered on Messi’s glittering career missing the World Cup trophy that has been denying him writing his name among football greats.
Who else if not Messi, the Argentines took the lead in the 23rd minute, a brilliant work from Argentina on the left side found Di Maria moving towards the goal only for Dembele to make a bad-time challenge on Di Maria and allowed Messi to net his sixth goal of the tournament.
The South Americans were two-goal up after 36 minutes, a brilliant counterattack that started from the Argentine half found Alexis Mac Allister who slides the ball to Di Maria, and the Argentine forward coolly slots the ball past the goalkeeper.
The South Americans held on to their two-goal advantage into halftime.
The Second half began with Argentina continuing their domination of their European opponent in what was becoming the most one-sided final in FIFA World Cup history.
The French team appeared from their shadow and pull one goal back through Kylian Mbappe’s spot kick in the 80th minute.
The French drew level just a minute later, Mbappe latches on to a brilliant pass from Marcus Thuram and the French forward fires a first-time shot into the back of the net, Game on.
Both teams created chances at both ends but neither could find the winning goal as the match ended two-goal square at full-time.
The Argentine took the lead back through their magnificent captain Lionel Messi, who followed a rebound from Hugo Hloris’s save.
It was destined to be truly dramatic finale, Kylian Mbappe drew the French back on level for the second time to send the match into a penalty shootout.
The South American country won 4-2 in dramatic penalty shootout to give Argentina their first cup triumph since 1986 thereby writing Lionel Messi’s name into history books
