The Argentina vs France FIFA World Cup 2022 final turned out to be one of the most enthralling encounters ever. La Albiceleste looked like the better side for the most part of the game and held a 2-goal lead until Kylian Mbappe changed the course of the game with his twin strikes in the 80th and 81st minute. The roller-coaster of a match continued with Messi and Mbappe scoring once each in the extra-time too. France could’ve taken a late lead in the game through Randal Kolo Muani, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save in the 123rd minute to keep the game level.
Kolo Muani received a great pass from over the Argentine midfield, straight from one of the French defenders. He immediately got the ball in control and unleashed a powerful shot, hoping to beat Martinez. But, the Aston Villa goalkeeper made a world-class save to deny the Eintracht Frankfurt striker.
I’m not having the impact Kolo Muani made from when he came on, but I’m scoring this.
Nice lob over Martinez, no smash and hope. All hypothetical, but the most concrete part of me chatting shit is, I’m not even French
pic.twitter.com/GjXSZLDT7A— L i t t l e D a n (@LittleDanKMT) December 18, 2022
Martinez, who also won the Golden Glove, given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament, thanked admitted that he could’ve have dreamed of winning the World Cup in this manner.
“Two crappy shots and they (France) levelled. They give them another penalty, and they scored. Thank God later I did my thing, what I dreamed of,” Martinez said as reported by Reuters.
“There could not have been a World Cup that I have dreamed of like this. I was calm during the penalties.”
Argentina had blown a two-goal lead before eventually emerging victorious in their last World Cup final triumph 36 years ago, but there appeared little prospect of a repeat of that scenario.
However, the French were suddenly given hope when they won a late penalty as Kolo Muani was brought down by Nicolas Otamendi.
Mbappe smashed in the spot-kick and the watching French President Emmanuel Macron rose to his feet. France had belief, and within another minute they were level.
Messi was robbed of possession by Coman in the lead-up, before Mbappe found Thuram and then met his partner’s knockdown with a stunning volley.
It will go down as one of the most dramatic moments in World Cup history, and the French players on the bench raced across the pitch to celebrate with their teammate.
Argentina, who lost the 2014 final in extra time, looked shattered, and yet it seemed again that they had won it when Messi netted after Lautaro Martinez’s shot was saved.
But France were once more saved by Mbappe as he converted another penalty following a Montiel handball. In the end, the game was settled via penalty shoootut.
With AFP inputs
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