(NEXSTAR) – After regulation time, two periods of extra time, and penalty kicks, Argentina beat defending champion France in the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
This is Argentina’s third time winning the biggest tournament in soccer.
Ultimately it was substitute Gonzalo Montiel that scored the winning goal to end the dramatic final match of the World Cup. Argentina won the penalty shootout 4-2 after the score remained tied at 2-2 following 90 minutes of play and two periods of extra time.
In what could be his last World Cup, Lionel Messi scored first in the game off a 23rd-minute penalty. A short time later, Angel Di Maria scored, giving Argentina a 2-0 lead against France at half-time.
France’s Kylian Mbappé scored on a penalty kick in the second half to set the score to 2-1. One minute later, Mbappé struck again to tie the game at 2-2.
The score held through the second half, sending the game into extra time.
Messi scored again in the 109th minute of the game to make the score 3-2.
Eight minutes late, Mbappé scored on a penalty kick, evening the score at 3-3 and completing a hat-trick for the night.
Following both extra-time periods, the game went into penalty kicks. Making four goals, two more than France, Argentina was able to win the World Cup.
France’s Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni missed their penalties while all four Argentina players that stepped up to the mark made theirs.
The win finally makes Messi, who has made 26 World Cup appearances, a World Cup champion.
Argentina won its previous World Cup titles in 1978 and 1986. In Qatar, the country backed up its victory from last year’s Copa America, its first major trophy since 1993. It’s quite the climax to Messi’s international career, which might not yet be over at the age of 35 because he is playing as well as ever.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
