Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute of the final after Ousmane Dembele fouled Angel Di Maria.
Lionel Messi set two World Cup records in the final minute against France.
The Argentina captain scored from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute of the final after Ousmane Dembele fouled Angel Di Maria in the area.
Messi’s sixth goal of the tournament ensured he became the first player in World Cup history to score in each knockout round – the last-16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
After scoring against Saudi Arabia and Mexico in the group stages, Messi scored against Australia in the last-16 before scoring from the penalty spot in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands, the semis against Croatia, and the final against France.
Incredibly, Messi broke another World Cup record in the same minute of play.
After becoming the player with the most World Cup appearances when the match – his 26th at a finals – kicked off at the Lusail Stadium, he then became the player with the most minutes at a World Cup, 2,216, when he overtook Italy legend Paolo Maldini’s record in the 23rd minute of the match.
He appropriately marked the occasion with a goal, coolly beating Hugo Lloris from the penalty spot.
Argentina took a two-goal lead soon after when Messi found Alexis MacAllister, who crossed for Di Maria to finish.
Messi came into the final under pressure to deliver for his country, having won the Copa America in 2021.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez admitted that his team was the underdog, but he was confident in their ability to deliver.
“Obviously, when we won in Brazil (in the Copa America), Brazil was considered the favorite, and it’s the same now,” he said.
“People may say that France is the favorite, but we have the great advantage of having the greatest player of all time.
“We always like to hear that the opponent is the favorite because we don’t consider ourselves to be superior or inferior to anyone. But, as I always say, we have the best player ever. And with a strong defense, we have a good chance of succeeding.”
“I see him very happy,” he said of Messi.
“On the field, he feels very good. Messi was fantastic in the Copa America. He was an exceptional player, unquestionably one of the best in Copa America, and he improved in this World Cup compared to Copa America.
“He’s playing very well, and this gives so much energy to the whole squad because we have the greatest player. He’s excited, he’s full of joy, and that helps us a lot.”