The World Cup has finally concluded. In a drawn-out game on Sunday, December 18, Argentina pulled ahead of their French foes to claim a victory. The game was tense and long, stretching through two periods of extra time and making its way to a stage of penalty kicks. When Argentina scored the winning kick, there were celebrations throughout the world, rooting for both Argentina and their world-famous captain, Lionel Messi, in his last World Cup.
The game started well enough, and proceeded through the first half. At 23 minutes, a penalty opportunity came up for Messi, and he took the shot and scored with it. Then, at 30 minutes, Angel Di Maria was able to score a single goal for Argentina, and Argentina carried those two points through to halftime.
Coming back from halftime, the Argentines continued to stop French attempts at goal. They were nearly successful, and many were doubting the ability of the French to continue play. However, the French were tenacious, and in the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappé was able to convert a penalty opportunity into a goal, changing the score to a 2-1 Argentine lead. Mbappé was then able to immediately follow it up with a goal in the 81st minute, tying the game.
This action radically changed the game, with it turning into a much more active competition. The first extra time period was tense, and both teams could feel it. The game proceeded and time slowed down. However, neither side was able to get a goal in that period.
The second period, however, was a different story. 3 minutes after the period began, Messi scored his final goal at the World Cup, making the score 3-2 Argentina. The game continued, and Mbappé was able to tie the score in the 118th minute, making the score 3-3 all. At this point, the game proceeded to penalty kicks. After a series of nerve-wracking kicks, Argentina came out on top 4-2 on penalties and received their trophy.
The third-place match, taking place the day before, saw Croatia triumph over Morocco and secure the 3rd place spot, with Morocco then coming in 4th place, the highest-ever ranking for an African team. This World Cup was certainly one filled with twists and turns, and it will likely not be forgotten for decades to come.
