Messi-led Argentina wins FIFA World Cup, defeats France 4-2 on penalties

Argentina on December 18 scripted history, as the team bagged its third FIFA World Cup title with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over France in the final of the flagship football event in Lusail, Qatar.

Led by 35-year-old Lionel Messi, the Argentines emerged as the stronger contender in the first half of the match. The captain bagged the first goal via a penalty kick in the 23rd minute. Striker Angela Di Maria further consolidated Argentina's hold on the game, by scoring the second goal in the 36th minute.

While Argentina was expected to sail through till the 80th minute, a twist in the tale came to the fore as France's Kylian Mbappe scored back-t0-back goals. The first came through a penalty, followed by a strike past the keeper in the 82nd minute.

As the match progressed into extra time, the two teams remained even at 2-2 till the 108th minute, when Messi slipped through the French defence to land the ball into the nets.

Mbappe, however, led another thrilling counter attack as he equalised the match 3-3 in the tense 118th minute. He also became the first footballer in 56 years to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

In the penalties, Argentines proved to the better strikers, as they scored in four out of their four attempts, whereas, France could only put two balls into the nets. Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty kick for the winning side.

The victory ends a 36-year wait for the Argentines to reclaim the World Cup title. The team had last won the tournament in 1986, led by the heroic performance of Diego Maradona.

Messi, who was seen in his final World Cup appearance, has secured his place alongside the likes of Pelé and Maradona in the league of the greatest ever footballers.