JAKARTA - The story of Lionel Messi as the main character who hunted for the World Cup trophy ended happily at the Lusail Stadium, Aldehiyen, Qatar, Sunday 18 December 2022.
In front of the 88,966 spectators who packed the Lusail Stadium stands, Argentina Messi against France presented an extraordinary final.
Argentina won their third World Cup trophy after a 2-2 draw against France after normal time, 3-3 after 2x15 minutes extra time, and finally won 4-2 on penalties.
While Argentina had to wait 36 years, Messi also went through a long journey to be able to complete his achievements in the world of football.
Since the 2006 World Cup, Messi has continued to feel failure after failure, including when he reached the 2014 edition final and was forced to watch Germany lift the trophy.
Ahead of his departure to Qatar, there has been much speculation about Messi's future in the Argentine national team, including the belief the majority of the audience that the 2022 World Cup will be his last appearance in the most prestigious football tournament.
Argentina arrived in Qatar as one of the favorites for providing the status of the 2021 Copa America winner and winner of the 2022 Finalissima match against the Italian Euro 2020 champions.
However, such as giving a sign that the Argentine play at the 2022 World Cup will be an interesting and heroic fairy tale as soon as they become victims of a surprise in the inaugural group stage match when they lose 1-2 to Saudi Arabia.
The result is like a warning to Lionel Scaloni's team that they are competing on the highest stage of football. After that, Argentina recorded an identical 2-0 win over Mexico and Poland to qualify for the round of 16 as the leader of Group C.
In the round of 16, Argentina was relatively smooth and successfully kept their focus on overcoming Australia's 2-1 resistance.
Argentina had to struggle to win 4-3 penalties in the quarter-final against the Netherlands, which at that time was arguably La Albiceleste's toughest struggle throughout the tournament.
The reason is, Argentina actually won relatively easier and more comfortably in the semifinal match against Kroasi, which ended 3-0. Penalti Messi paved the way for Argentina to have a comfortable win after Julian Alvarez scored a brace.
As emphasized the fairy tale plot he is currently telling, after the semifinals Messi confirmed his decision that Qatar's 2022 World Cup would be his last World Cup edition.
"I feel so happy to be able to achieve this, have the opportunity to end my World Cup journey in playing the last match in a final," Messi said as quoted by Antara from the Argentine sports daily, Diario Deportivo Ole.
"So many years adrift of the next World Cup, and I don't think I will be able to do it. And it can be completed like this, it's really best," he added.
At that time Messi did not know anything, that his story at the World Cup would come to a happy end with the scene he lifted a trophy complement to his great career after undergoing one of the best finals in the history of this tournament.
Make way for the 👑 #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 19, 2022
Many argue that the injuries suffered by Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, and Karim Benzema have undermined the chances of Didier Deschamps' team to defend the title.
However, Argentina also lost Giovani Lo Celso, a player who took on the role of major ball supplier to Messi. Scaloni also led a squad in a position of young blood, some even far behind Messi's age.
Moreover, France is still strengthened by Kylian Mbappe, who continues to develop from his status as the 2018 World Cup Young Player of the Year and is transformed into his Messi Les Bleus.
The 2022 World Cup final dish is also an ideal battle, considering that France is the team that managed to stop Morocco's great dream of becoming Qatar's biggest surprise creator.
Argentina took control of the game from the start and appeared so confident that it finally opened the scoring through Messi's penalty in the 23rd minute, which was cheaply celebrated as Ousmane Dembele pushed Angel Di Maria to fall.
The goal seemed to repeat the semifinal scenario when Argentina beat Croatia. Penalti Messi practically grew Argentine confidence, while France seemed to be under pressure.
The pressure grew even more when Di Maria doubled Argentina's lead, completing an incredible attack building which ended Alexis Mac Allister's cross.
Left behind by two goals forced Deschamp to take quick steps, pulling out Dembele and Olivier Giroud to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram.
Unfortunately, it was not so noticeable, until Deschamps made another double change in the 71st minute to field Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga to replace Antoine Griezmann and Theo Hernandez.
France narrowed the gap with Mbappe's penalty in the 80th minute, after Kolo Muani was fouled by Nicolas Otamendi. Then one minute later Coman managed to steal the ball from Messi, before Mbappe finished Thuram's cross with a volley that tricked goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Within two minutes, one hand of the Argentine players who had caressed the World Cup trophy was shown by Mbappe et al.
The score lasted until the end of normal time, even the first extra round that passed almost without any meaningful opportunities.
The deadlock was broken in the 108th minute when Messi carefully grabbed the ball from Lautaro Martinez's unanticipated shot by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Dayot Upamecano made a sweep, but the ball had already crossed the line, and after a brief VAR review, Argentina officially outperformed France 3-2.
However, the match, which really deserved to be the final of the best World Cup, apparently still had the next excitement. Because in the 116th minute Gonzalo Montiel accidentally blocked Mbappe's shot with his arm, and referee Szymon Marciniak for the third time pointed to the spot.
Mbappe remained facing the ball confidently and beat Martinez to make it 3-3, as well as the first player to win a hat-trick at a World Cup final after England legend Geoff Hurst in 1966.
In the penalty shootout, Messi for Argentina and Mbappe for France successfully served as the opener executioner. However, Martinez then successfully countered the execution of Coman before Aurelien Tchouameni found his shot off the mark.
Muani kept France's hopes narrow, but then Montiel paid off his mistakes which resulted in Mbappe's third goal by beating Lloris and locking up Argentina's world title.
With all his dramas and fun, it is difficult not to label the Qatar 2022 World Cup final as the best final of the World Cup of all time.
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