At last, Argentina’s Lionel Messi is a World Cup champion.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar came to a close Dec. 18 in a nail-biter showdown between reigning champs France and La Albiceleste—each looking to secure their third cup World Cup Win—with the latter coming out on top. Argentina won with a score of 4-2 in a penalty shootout after Messi scored twice in a 3-3 tie.
Messi, 35, has now cemented his first World Cup victory in a record 26th match and fifth tournament overall.
The final also saw rising superstar Kylian Mbappe, seeking a second World Cup win on behalf of France at just 23 years old, finish with three goals. He also emerged as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals total.
Messi has signaled that the 2022 World Cup will likely be his last.
“There’s a lot of years until the next one and I don’t think I have it in me and finishing like this is best,” he told Argentina’s Televisión Pública Dec. 14 after his team’s 3-0 win over Croatia, the third-place winner.
