December 18, 2022
It was an incredible game, at times anguishing. This team made people fall in love with them for the first time in decades.
46-year-old fan, Diego Aburgeily, said in a post-game interview from Buenos Aires.
The Big Picture: In one of the “… most dramatic major sporting events in history” (NBC News), Argentina beats France in overtime penalty kicks. The teams tied 2-2 at the end of the regular game time, then tied again 3-3 at the end of extra-time. They finished the game with a head to head shootout in which France missed two goals.
Why It Matters: This marks the first World Cup win for Lionel Messi who is coined by many as the “best player in the world today” (Bleacher Report). Messi first appeared at the World Cup in 2006 and has played 26 World Cup games in total.
An Historical Game for Both Sides: If France had won, they would have been back-to-back Men’s World Cup champions, after their win in 2018.
Lionel Messi and France’s highest scoring player of the game, Kylian Mbappé, play for the same club team; Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Argentina wins World Cup on Penalty Kicks over France (NBC News)
The Lionel Messi Story: How Did He Get to the Top of the World? (Bleacher Report)
by Jenna Lee,
