The FIFA World Cup deserved Lionel Messi
This article reflects on Lionel Messi's historic performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France. It highlights the dramatic nature of the match and Messi's pivotal role in securing Argentina's victory.
Why it matters
It captures a defining moment in modern sports history, cementing Messi's legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
On the grandest of all stages, Lionel Messi conjured up an act of magic for ages. How he won Argentina the World Cup in 2022 will remain one of the greatest stories in sport.
He scored two goals in the final against France in what many regard as the finest World Cup game of all time. That was the game in which Kylian Mbappe performed an unforgettable hat-trick. Only Messi could have made the young Frenchman look the second best on that night in Doha.
That final, which ended 3-3 after extra time and thus went into the shootout, was watched by about 1.5 billion people across the world. Those fans would have felt the match, and the World Cup, was Argentina’s when they saw Messi’s men go 2-0 up after 36 minutes. He had opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Angel Di Maria scored the second.
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