Lionel Messi and his Argentina beat France in the penalties to lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the most exciting final ever. Messi scored two goals against France as the game ended 3-3 after extra-time, with Kylian Mbappe bagging a hat-trick for the reigning champions.
Messi also netted in the shoot-out with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saving one penalty before Gonzalo Montiel banged in the winning spot-kick to send Argentine players and fans into raptures.
Meanwhile, just like everyone, all cricketers across the world were also glued to their TV sets as they watched Messi kissing that glorious World Cup trophy live on television. Messi had fallen short in 2014 when Argentina were beaten by a ruthless Germany in Brazil. Meanwhile, a number of top Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag wished the ‘Greatest of All Time’ on this wonderful achievement. Cricketers like Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim, Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi also joined in on social media; here are some of the top reactions.
One of the greatest World Cup games of all time. Mbappe was outstanding for France but it was meant to be Lionel Messi’s crowning moment. Congratulations Argentina on becoming the #FIFAWorldCup champions.— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 18, 2022
The 35-year-old picked up the Golden Ball for the best player of the World Cup, finishing one goal behind Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.
It was a radically different story in Qatar for Cristiano Ronaldo, who has dominated football for a generation alongside Messi.
The 37-year-old, currently clubless, learned with a jolt that despite his pedigree he is no longer an automatic starter for Portugal, a team he has captained for so long. Ronaldo headed down the tunnel with tears streaming down his face after the team’s shock 1-0 defeat by Morocco in the quarter-finals, knowing his final chance to win the trophy had gone.
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