DOHA, Qatar – Lionel Andres Messi’s wait for World Cup glory is finally over after Argentina beat France in a dramatic shootout on Sunday, December 18 at Qatar’s 90,000-capacity Lusail Stadium to claim the World Cup victory in one of the sport’s all-time great games. 

Across the country, Argentina fans said the team’s win was even sweeter because of how hard the players had to fight for it. The relief when Gonzalo Montiel, a reserve defender, scored the crucial penalty kick in the shootout was palpable after the two teams were tied at 3-3 at the end of the extra time. The roller coaster contest was one of the all-time great finals and cemented captain Lionel Messi’s already shining legacy by guiding his teammates to their first World Cup win since 1986 which makes it their third World Cup win (1978, 1986, 2022).

Messi had put Argentina 1-0 ahead in the 23rd minute from the penalty spot. Angel Di Maria added a second in the 36th minute following a sweeping sequence of passes to cap a dominant first-half display against a lifeless showing from France who were looking to become the first country to retain the World Cup. France continued to struggle in the second half until the European giants sprung into life with 10 minutes remaining as Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the space of two minutes to put Argentina on the back foot and take the game into extra time. The first strike came from a penalty shot while the second was a stunning volley following a clever interchange with substitute Marcus Thuram.

Mbappe’s brilliance left Argentina hanging on as normal time drew to a close, but the match seesawed again when Messi tapped in his second goal in the 108th minute to restore Argentina’s lead. Not to be outdone, Mbappe sealed his hat-trick with a penalty with two minutes of extra time left, ensuring the match would be decided by a shootout. He is the only second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after Geoff Hurst did so for England in 1966. 

Messi placed his trust in his teammates. And they did not let him down. Just as he did not let them down. I have a signed Messi jersey hanging on the wall of my bedroom. Framed and locked because for me, Lionel Messi is the G.O.A.T, the “Greatest Of All Time.”