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Back-and-forth World Cup final ends in shootout as Messi, Argentina get win

Back-and-forth World Cup final ends in shootout as Messi, Argentina get win
to have been here has been *** real privilege to see the fans come together, the teams come together, the level of the football that's been played, the excitement and just *** real family atmosphere around Qatar throughout this World Cup from day one has been really incredible. You know, we've all talked about the surprises and the shocks and you know, the great performances um and some of the, obviously the disappointments that have gone on throughout this World Cup, you know, on the field of have been *** real talking point. No, the fact that I've been able to walk around and meet so many different, you know, fans from different countries that are supporting different teams and different players, you know, you have, you have people from Saudi that congratulating the Qataris on this World Cup, you have the Qataris that are congratulating the Saudis on their performances, you know, for we were all shocked at that, that that that game, that where Saudi beat the Argentinians, but where, I, I don't think I've ever seen, you know, countries come together, like we've seen in this World Cup, you know, we have, we have seen when the moroccans have gone as far as they have done. You know, you have the Qataris that are celebrating it, you have the Saudis that are celebrating how far and how well the other teams from, from these different regions are playing and performing and that is *** special thing. I don't think I've ever seen that before. I think for me personally, yes the level of play has been incredible and I said this at the start of the tournament, you know, before the tournament started, I always said that *** World Cup at this point in the season for players, people said, is it ideal? Isn't it ideal? I always was *** supporter of it just because I feel that, you know, past world cups that I've been part of. You know, I've gone from *** long, grueling season into *** World Cup and of course you have some kind of exhaustion mentally and physically. I knew that these players were coming into this World Cup and once they were into it, then the fitness levels and the energy was gonna be *** lot higher and the level of the games were going to be higher and that's, that's proved right. Um, so I think the level of the play has been incredible, but my favorite thing of this World Cup is seeing people together is seen fans together, seeing young Children, you know, from, from England integrated with the fans from Morocco or Saudi and celebrating their success. You know, I don't think I've seen *** World Cup like this before. I don't think I've seen fans come together like this before. Wow, not at all. What happened like capitan? Yeah, as *** fan, I'm not sure there's gonna be another world Cup where you can go and watch 234 games in one day. I don't think that's ever going to be possible again, but it's been *** privilege to be part of that privilege as *** football fan, to be able to go to so many games in one day and see the excitement and, and, and see the fun that families and people have been having here. It's been incredible.
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Back-and-forth World Cup final ends in shootout as Messi, Argentina get win
Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar is finally a World Cup champion.Messi scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties Sunday to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.Now there’s no debate. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players, alongside Pelé — a record three-time World Cup champion from Brazil — and Diego Maradona, the late Argentina great with whom Messi was so often compared.Messi has achieved what Maradona did in 1986, dominate a World Cup for Argentina.Messi put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot and played a part in Angel Di Maria's goal that made it 2-0 after 36 minutes.Mbappé scored two goals in a 97-second span to take the game to extra time, and then Messi tapped in his second goal in the 109th minute. But there was still time for another penalty from Mbappé to take the thrilling game to a shootout.Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty kick after Kingsley Coman had an attempt saved by Emi Martinez and Aurelien Tchouameni missed for France.Video below: David Beckham on World Cup: 'I've never seen fans and nations come together like this before'

Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar is finally a World Cup champion.

Messi scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties Sunday to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.

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Now there’s no debate. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players, alongside Pelé — a record three-time World Cup champion from Brazil — and Diego Maradona, the late Argentina great with whom Messi was so often compared.

Messi has achieved what Maradona did in 1986, dominate a World Cup for Argentina.

Messi put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot and played a part in Angel Di Maria's goal that made it 2-0 after 36 minutes.

Mbappé scored two goals in a 97-second span to take the game to extra time, and then Messi tapped in his second goal in the 109th minute. But there was still time for another penalty from Mbappé to take the thrilling game to a shootout.

Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty kick after Kingsley Coman had an attempt saved by Emi Martinez and Aurelien Tchouameni missed for France.

Video below: David Beckham on World Cup: 'I've never seen fans and nations come together like this before'