Argentina Wins '2022 World Cup' Against France On Penalties
Argentina edged out France 4-2 on penalties after a classic final ended 3-3 at the end of extra time to regain the FIFA World Cup at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday
Joy Kalu 
Argentina have been crowned the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions after beating France in the final.
La Albiceleste had drawn 3-3 against France after 120 minutes at Lusail Stadium.
Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria put Argentina 2-0 up in the first half, but Kylian Mbappe scored a brace in the second half to force the game into extra time.
However, Messi scored for Argentina in 108 minutes before Mbappe completed his hat-trick as he scored a late extra-time second-half goal to force the game into a penalty shootout.
Argentina eventually won 4-2 on a penalty shootout to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Messi, named player of the tournament, was making his 26th appearance in a World Cup match, a record, in front of almost 89,000 fans inside Lusail — most of them supporting Messi’s Albiceleste.
Fanatical supporters had already gathered in downtown Buenos Aires early on Sunday morning, insisting that, with or without a victory, Messi’s status as a national hero had been cemented. “He did it, Messi did it!” groups of revellers shouted, climbing on to bus stops and lamp posts to fly the flag.
Argentina’s World Cup campaign had begun with a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, but the team grew in confidence thereafter.
After winning their quarter-final against the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, Argentina breezed past Croatia in the semi-final, beating the runners-up from four years ago 3-0.
Argentina won the Cup after 36 years.
