FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi’s celebration with the trophy© AFP
Lionel Messi won the only trophy missing from his wardrobe on Sunday, as he scored a brace to inspire Argentina to victory over France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. scored twice against France as the game ended 3-3 after extra time, with Kylian Mbappe hat-trick for the defending champions. Messi also scored in the penalty shootout with the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved a penalty before Gonzalo Montiel took the decisive penalty to the delight of Argentina’s players and fans.
Camp Argentina broke up with a passionate celebration after the victory. And when Messi accepted the World Cup trophy from FIFA President Gianni Infantino and approached his teammates, uncanny similarities were found with the way he celebrated the 2022 Finalissima and Copa America titles. 2021.
Watch: Uncanny resemblance in Messi’s celebration after winning the big trophy
The final was a torture for many fans as Argentina lost 2-0 in the first half and were forced into extra time.
France, like the Netherlands did against Argentina in the quarter-finals, scored two late goals to prolong the game.
Once again taking the lead in extra time thanks to Messi, Argentina were once again equalized as Mbappe completed his hat-trick with another final equalizer, leaving the fans in for the drama. the thrill of the penalty shootout.
Sunday’s World Cup final had just subsided when attention turned to the huge number of 2026 looming on the horizon. For the first time, the biggest soccer tournament will be held across three host countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Notably, the tournament will see an expansion to 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format that has been in place since 1998, and double the number of teams that attended the most recent World Cup held. in the US or Mexico.
With AFP input
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