Argentina beats France on penalties to win World Cup

Yeah! Final decision by yet another penalty shoot-out! What a fitting end to this turkey of a tournament. I guess it’s better than a coin toss – but not by much.

So, now it’s to cheer the end of Qatar’s futile and wasteful endeavor where matches started after midnight. How many tons of greenhouse gases were pumped into the atmosphere for the “PK Cup”? Next time, make it Zoom instead.

I predicted that a team from outside Europe would win it. Good to see the lesser known nations winning.

Couldn’t have been won by a nastier team.

Hats off to Argentina - and in particular the great man Messi, hoisting that Cup for the first time in his last WC game! Amazing scenes! Argentina were the better team, but France didn't surrender easily and never went away. Mbappe with a hat-trick was brilliant and has the chance to make history in the next 3 WCs, what a talent.

Good to see the lesser known nations winning.

You may be quite new to soccer - but as a long time fan I can assure you Argentina are no minnow. 3 WC titles attest to that. Without the great man they may struggle next edition, though.

I guess it’s better than a coin toss – but not by much.

Is the NBA the only pro sport left that doesn't and a final with these uncompetitive rules?

If this keeps up there will be no more Finals in the future and everyone goes home with a participation trophy.

I've watched 13 world cup finals and that was the most exciting since 1982.

That game had everything.

Anyone with some sense of football would agree.

The twists and turns the game had were just amazing.

Can't wait to see how crazy Argentina gets when the land with the cup.

It was just fantastic.

What a boring sport. What a horrible country to hold the World Cup in. Winning through PK is just pathetic.

A PK of Thuram without VAR check is simply what can change à complete match. Fonally Fifa got what they wanted.

Until minute 75 was bad but then they were much better and deserved this cup.

Now there's no debate. Messi joins Pelé - a record three-time World Cup champion - and Diego Maradona, the late Argentina great with whom Messi was so often compared, in an exclusive club of the best soccer players of all time.

I was surprised to read this. I didn't know Maradona had died. RIP.

Missed it all. From reports from colleagues I hear it was an excellent game. Well done Argentine and Messi.

Nasty team won the world cup as wished by FIFA. The whole road up to the final has been in Messi's favor. But they played a great first half, of course helped by a disputable pk. I just wished people stopped calling people the "goat", it just creates blind followers.

I've watched 13 world cup finals and that was the most exciting since 1982.

No doubt! That was one of the best games period I have seen. Both teams deserved to go home winners. All the focus is on Messi and rightfully so but Mbappe single-handedly tied the game for them twice and got every French goal on an injury depleted team. France is going to be a scary team as long as he is playing for them which might be another 3 World Cups.

A tragic ending.

No longer France versus Argentina, but instead an individual from each country against an individual from the other country.

Get rid of that shootout.

There will be an asterisk next to Messi's name.

What a game!

A tragic ending.

Nah, best game ever to be totally honest. Have a cup of tea and I hope you recover.

Elvis is hereToday  09:04 am JST

Nah, best game ever to be totally honest.

You wrote you didn't see it:

Elvis is hereToday  08:24 am JST

Missed it all. From reports from colleagues I hear it was an excellent game.

Thank God for that. France had offered nothing throughout the tournament apart from the sporadic seconds when they deigned to turn up.

Was heading to bed at about 80 minutes in but then Mbappe worked his magic. After that, it really did get interesting but Argentina deserved to win this time.

BEAUTIFUL, CONGRATULATION to Argentina, and France for making it this far, and all of the world cup participants. Looking at these smiles gives me hope that the world will get over the current crisis and be just fine.

Not an expert on soccer but I like the sport, particular when the world cup comes around. Not a big fan of deciding the game by penalties. I would play an extra 15 minutes and if no result decide the game on who had the most shots on goal.

Was heading to bed at about 80 minutes in but then Mbappe worked his magic. After that, it really did get interesting but Argentina deserved to win this time.

No doubt! It was definitely a great game. Spectacular!

Reading some of these posts and comments gives me some sense that sometimes SILENCE is not only gold but Platinum.

Googled this: ""president Gianni Infantino and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani draped the robe on the Argentina captain after the epic final against France which was won on penalties.

The robe is known as a Bisht which is a traditional piece of clothing in the Arab world that has been worn for thousands of years. ""

It is well known that the gold stitching around the neck and down the sides of the Bisht is real 24K or even pure gold threats, which is not unusual as many gulf states prince wear them in black and white .

In the end, it was PK. But 2nd half was a nail biter and the 30-minute overtime gave equal score 1-1.

Well deserved victory. Argentina were much the better team in terms of quality, tactics, and fighting spirit. They did look a bit ragged and fatigued near the end which let the French back in it. Messi is a legend Possibly the greatest match in any sport ever played

Another (fake/forced) penalty (the first goal influences/changes the entire game) and France was unrecognizable(!) (until Mbappé showed us why he’s the real mvp) but, yes, I’m gonna say it: congratula… nah, wait, I don’t congratulate bullies and cheaters. :)

Amid the chaos inside Lusail Stadium, Mbappé did all he could to emulate Brazil great Pelé as a champion at his first two World Cups. Even scoring the first hat trick in a final since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.

Mbappé (the real mvp) was (very) upset after the game and, of course he was; he deserved that cup(!)

Who is the greatest? It's a discussion that will rage forever because there can never be a definitive answer. Messi has put up a good argument, though, and - with the World Cup title on his resume - he is surely above Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player of his generation.

Messi achieved what Maradona did in 1986 and dominated a World Cup for Argentina. He scored seven goals and embraced the responsibility of leading his team out of those dark moments after a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the group stage.

a) seven goals, and five(!) of them were penalties; (that should be mentioned in every article; it’s misleading); b) not sure if he’s above Cristiano Ronaldo; many people will still argue that Ronaldo is better because 1) Argentina was always a stronger national team (by far) than Portugal; (except Uruguay (a looong time ago), the winners of the WC are all bigger and stronger than Ronaldo’s tiny Portugal; 2) there were 298 copa americas in the last few years and 3) Ronaldo made the difference in England(!), Spain and Italy.

Legends once wrote, Real men do NOT speak ill of their fellow men.

2 incredibly talented teams both fighting it out to the very end.

One for the ages.

Argentina were the better side overall and deserved the win. To be honest, France’s performance in the first half and a lot of the second was dire but credit to them for getting back into it.

Messi is a great player and has his World Cup winners medal although I’d say Mbappe was the player of the tournament. Mbappe has now scored 12 in World Cups at the age of 23. His finish to make it 2-2 was a beauty.

Football is the best game on the planet. Nothing comes close. No other sport can attract this kind of attention around the world from lovers of the game and even from those who didn’t watch it and know nothing about it but still want to whine about it.

and a hat trick by his heir apparent, France forward Kylian Mbappé.

Well Mbappé is not in the league of Messi, and definitely no heir apparent, he is more in the lines of C Ronaldo where the rest of the team is assisting him to score the goals.

Not really a huge soccer fan but I watched it live and if a game ever was gonna make me a fan, that was it. It really was a brilliant game. Not what I’ve come to expect from usual performances at all.

JimizoToday  10:49 am JST

Argentina were the better side overall and deserved the win.

Not the better side overall--it was even. Hence the shootout.

As for deserving to win, yes, scoring more in the shootout means the team deserves to win.

To be honest, France’s performance in the first half and a lot of the second was dire but credit to them for getting back into it. 

They didn't get back into it--they tied it, meaning Argentina's play in the final half was as dire as France's in the first half.

Messi is a great player and has his World Cup winners medal although I’d say Mbappe was the player of the tournament. Mbappe has now scored 12 in World Cups at the age of 23. His finish to make it 2-2 was a beauty. 

Mbappe was the player of the game and tournament, outscoring Messi,

Football is the best game on the planet. Nothing comes close.

No. And many sports exceed the attraction of soccer in a multitude of categories.

No other sport can attract this kind of attention around the world from lovers of the game and even from those who didn’t watch it and know nothing about it but still want to whine about it.

Except for the Tour de France, to start with.

France didn't win.

Excellent game...

Very good for Argentina, South America and especially for Messi, he deserved it for a long time..

Argentina shut up many mouths, especially when Mbappe spoke badly about South American football...

Couldn’t have been won by a nastier team.

When bitterness can't be contained..

Let the haters whine, lol..

“The PK cup”; a fitting name for this WC, indeed; and apparently, while receiving the award for best scorer, Mbappé was booed by the Argentinians… (again, not surprising); Brazil should’ve been the winner (they’re the best team in the world (now); I read an interesting article the other day and it said that the WC was never about finding the best team in the world; the writer talked about several things: luck, refereeing, commercialism, etcetera)… but I’d still support an European team in the final(!)

Not the better side overall--it was even. Hence the shootout.

No. By far Argentina was much much better. Messi's penalty was the best I've ever seen. Overall, it was an excellent game of football to watch, so many shifts, goals and near-misses, but in the end Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi was finally able to win the World Cup as the better side.

Congratulations!

To me Argentina played better and deserved to win. France looked a bit off and it was Mbappe who kept them in the game. Mbappe was awesome! He'll be disappointed of course but he can hold his head up high.

Qatar should enjoy this moment while they can.

once nuclear fusion tech takes off, the days of oil sheiks buying a World Cup or a football team are over

once nuclear fusion tech takes off, the days of oil sheiks buying a World Cup or a football team are over

Doubt it. Nuclear fission has always been 30 years away! Last time was back in March 1989.

Yay Argentina! Yay Messi!

Congratulations!!!

Great to watch such an entertaining sport final without constant advertisement interruptions like Super Bowl

To me Argentina played better and deserved to win. France looked a bit off and it was Mbappe who kept them in the game

They were certainly more positive for the majority of the game and looked sharper. DI Maria was causing havoc.

once nuclear fusion tech takes off, the days of oil sheiks buying a World Cup or a football team are over

Let’s hope it happens sooner rather than later.

*Nuclear fusion. Not fission

France had only rental paid foreigners in their team, lacking of patriotism and the unlimited will to bring that cup home to their country, that’s why the French lost. In such a most top tournament, soccer’s crown is decided not only by bringing any ten outstanding players and a usually perfect goalkeeper. There’s of course a bit more to it, and this time the Argentinians had that little extra package.

To me Argentina played better and deserved to win. France looked a bit off and it was Mbappe who kept them in the game. Mbappe was awesome! He'll be disappointed of course but he can hold his head up high.

Not to take anything from Mbappe but he is part of the reason France couldn't get into the game to begin with. He doesn't defend and so Argentina was able to dominate the midfield easily. And when France go to cover on Mbappe's side space opens up for Di Maria on the other side. Argentina knew this and I'm sure Deschamps knew this was a possibility as well, which is why he was prepared to sub out Griezmann and Giroud pretty early. It was just a situation where all 3 of those players couldn't coincide and yet they have been so massive for France that Deschamps couldn't not start them.

Honestly after Argentina blew the lead I thought it was over but credit to them for regrouping in extra time and then again in penalties.

France had only rental paid foreigners in their team, lacking of patriotism and the unlimited will to bring that cup home to their country

What foreigners did they have in the side?

Was it very different to 2018 when they won it?

France had only rental paid foreigners in their team, lacking of patriotism and the unlimited will to bring that cup home to their country, that’s why the French lost

and this is why you’re not a football commentator, or journalist.

Maradona will be rubbing his hands with glee upstairs!

Pope Francis in his younger days before he entered the ministry loved to play soccer, among other things. He just turned an alive-and-kicking 86 years of age this past week and his homeland team of Argentina are the 2022 Qatar World Cup Soccer CHAMPS!!!!!!!! Watch him do some cartwheels over this.

Great match. Hated the result but at least Brazil is still clear of Argentina in WC wins.

Maradona will be rubbing his hands with glee upstairs!

if he wasn't already dead he surely would've had a heart-attack watching this match...

An exciting match, the result of which looked a foregone conclusion until the impressive French comeback. Although these are teams I have no real interest in I have to concede it was double plus exciting and a fitting way to end the worlds best football event and second best sporting event after the Olympics.

Football is the most watched sport in the world. 3.5 billion fans. Cricket – Over 2.5 Billion Fans.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html

The Dept of Homeland Security seized tens of sites showing pirate streams of the matches, including the final. Now they show a warning sign. The arm of FIFA is long.

I watched it on British TV.

wallaceToday  03:54 pm JST

Football is the most watched sport in the world. 3.5 billion fans. Cricket – Over 2.5 Billion Fans.

RankSportsViewers

1Tour de France 3.5 Billion

2Soccer World Cup3.3 Billion

3Cricket World Cup2.6 Billion

https://playersbio.com/most-watched-sports-event-in-the-world/

Football is the most watched sport not by single events over entire seasons lasting months.

 With an estimated 250 million players active in over 226 countries and territories, it is considered the world's most popular sport.

"Soccer originated over 3000 years ago when it was first played by the Aztecs. They called it Tchatali and played with a rock for a ball. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE, the first ball game, called Cuju, took place in China. They played with a leather ball filled with feathers. In ancient Greece and Rome, ball games were also played, however, not at the Panhellenic Games or in amphitheaters. "

What is the most watched American sport?

American football. How many watch? 100 million.

Football just needs a ball and four sticks. Sadio Mane played football as a kid without shoes. Today, he can buy the whole shoe factory.

Argentina and France took football to the next and a higher level. A big thanks to footballers of Argentina, France, and to all footballers from the participating teams. All the best for 2026 World Cup.

Imagine being a goal keeper and Messi is shooting at you -

Congratulations to Argentina - and mostly to Messi who now as a World Cup trophy to add to is illustrious career

Lol more people watch the Tour de France than the World Cup?

Do you really believe that?

Bob FosseDec. 19  09:12 pm JST

Lol more people watch the Tour de France than the World Cup?

Do you really believe that?

Lol triggered by an event held in France!

Bob Fosse

Tour de France 2022. A total of 41.5 million viewers watched the 2022 edition (one-minute viewing threshold) on public service channels and 4 million on the pay channel, according to Médiamétrie.

Fans of England still suffering from defeat at the hands of France struggling to allow that country to have the most watched sporting event.

Smashingly cringeworthy.

Argentina definitely beat France by every objective measure, including the final score.

Argentina is a fun place to visit, but they have huge economic challenges from poor fiscal choices by the govt. Winning the world cup is a nice distraction for the country for a few weeks.

Happy Belated birthday, Pope Francis. Break out the red wine because your homeland soccer team are the World Cup Champs. Congratulations to the tam and all you Argentine fans at home. And enjoy your Merry Christmas celebrations on the beaches this weekend. It's time to tango and Wang Chung!

It's time for the Argentines to wine and dine and Keep Kool and Celebrate Good times, C'mon!

Yes! Argentina beat France. But. but Paris gave the French team a heros'

welcome at the Place de la Concorde on their return!

Most viewers of the Tour de France watch for a couple of minutes. 4 billion watched the WC final for nearly three hours of football. People traveled across the globe to be there.

Now THAT was a game! Heck of a way to lose (and win), and Mbappe should definitely hold his head high, but still... a great game with some fantastic shots and goals.

Comparing a country with a population of 330 million with one with 45 million. Comparing stadiums with 100,000 capacity with one limited to about 60,000.

If both Liverpool and Man U and Man City had 100,000-capacity stadiums they would fill them.

Super Bowl 99 million. Liverpool vs Manchester United 700 million viewers.

wallaceToday  02:02 pm JST

Comparing a country with a population of 330 million with one with 45 million. Comparing stadiums with 100,000 capacity with one limited to about 60,000.

If both Liverpool and Man U and Man City had 100,000-capacity stadiums they would fill them.

Super Bowl 99 million. Liverpool vs Manchester United 700 million viewers.

Comparing soccer to American football is like comparing rice to filet mignon.

More people eat rice (and primarily in poorer nations) but they would rather be eating the steak, but cannot, and for obvious reasons.