On December 18, 2022, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, Argentina and France produced a World Cup final that finished 3–3 after extra time — the first time in history a team scored three goals in a World Cup final and lost. The match featured a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé, two goals from Lionel Messi, a 97-second comeback from 2–0 down, a last-second save from Emiliano Martínezin the 120th minute, and a penalty shootout that Argentina won 4–2. Messi, at 35, lifted the one trophy that had eluded him throughout his career. Mbappé became only the second player in men's World Cup final history to score a hat-trick, after Geoff Hurst in 1966. It was not enough.
The Road to the Final
Argentina's path to the Lusail final was not straightforward. They opened the tournament with a 2–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia — one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history — and appeared briefly at risk of an early exit. What followed was a complete transformation. Messi responded with a goal in every subsequent match, becoming the first player in history to score in the group stage and then in every round of the knockout stage of a single World Cup. He was directly involved in 10 of Argentina's 15 tournament goals — scoring 7 and assisting 3 — across seven matches. Argentina beat Australia, the Netherlands (on penalties after a dramatic 2–2 draw), Croatia, and then faced France knowing that victory would deliver their third World Cup title and first since 1986, the year Maradona's Argentina last stood on the summit.
France, the defending champions, had navigated their own difficulties.Karim Benzema withdrew injured before a ball was kicked, Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kantéwere also absent. Yet Mbappé had been arguably the player of the tournament — quick, clinical, and carrying France almost single-handedly through the knockout rounds. He arrived at the final having already scored five goals.
The Starting Line-Ups
| Argentina (4–3–3) | France (4–3–3) |
|---|---|
| Emiliano Martínez ★ | Hugo Lloris |
| Nahuel Molina | Jules Koundé |
| Cristian Romero | Raphael Varane |
| Nicolás Otamendi | Dayot Upamecano |
| Nicolás Tagliafico | Theo Hernández |
| Rodrigo De Paul | Adrien Rabiot |
| Enzo Fernández | Aurélien Tchouaméni |
| Alexis Mac Allister | Antoine Griezmann |
| Ángel Di María | Ousmane Dembélé |
| Julián Álvarez | Olivier Giroud |
| Lionel Messi ★ | Kylian Mbappé ★ |
★ Messi: Golden Ball (tournament best player). Mbappé: Golden Boot (8 goals). Martínez: Golden Glove (best goalkeeper). France made two early substitutions at half-time — Giroud and Dembélé replaced by Kolo Muani and Thuram — which transformed their attacking shape and directly led to the comeback.
Argentina's Dream First Half
From the first whistle Argentina controlled everything. Their 4–3–3 pressed high, disrupted France's build-up, and funnelled the ball quickly to Messi and Di María on the left. France were passive and disorganised — Mbappé barely touched the ball in the first half, while Dembélé and Giroud struggled to create any meaningful threat. Argentina's tactical superiority was total.
In the 23rd minute, Di María drove into the penalty area and was fouled by Ousmane Dembélé. Messi stepped up and drove the ball low to the right corner past Lloris — his 11th career World Cup goal, tying Pelé in sixth place on the all-time list. Thirteen minutes later, Argentina's second goal was a masterpiece of counter-attacking football: Messi played to Álvarez in midfield, who found Mac Allister driving forward on the right, who then slid a perfect pass to Di María on the left — and the winger finished first-time over Lloris into the right corner. 2–0 at half-time. France had not registered a single shot on target.
Didier Deschamps made a bold decision: he substituted bothGiroud and Dembélé in the 41st minute, replacing them with Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani. It was an admission that the starting plan had failed — and a gamble that would almost win France the World Cup.
Mbappé's 97-Second Miracle
As the clock approached the 80th minute, France had still not managed a shot on target. Argentina were 10 minutes from their third World Cup title. Then everything changed.
In the 80th minute, Kolo Muani was brought down in the penalty area by Nicolás Otamendi. Penalty. Mbappé stepped forward — and converted low to Martínez's right. 2–1.
Ninety-seven seconds later, in the 81st minute, France won the ball quickly in midfield. A rapid exchange of passes found Mbappé just inside the penalty area. He controlled, opened his body, and struck a volley into the top corner. 2–2. From certain defeat to level in under two minutes. The stadium — 88,966 spectators — erupted.
Two goals in 97 seconds. France had not had a shot on target for 79 minutes. Mbappé scored twice before the 82nd minute. The first hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966 was already halfway complete. "This match is completely insane." — Lionel Scaloni
Extra Time: Messi, Then Mbappé Again
The first period of extra time was dominated by Lautaro Martínez, who spurned two clear one-on-one chances. Then, in the108th minute, Lloris parried a Lautaro shot and the rebound fell directly to Messi, who reacted instantly from close range. 3–2. Argentina were ahead for the third time. The World Cup looked won.
In the 117th minute, Mbappé drove into the area and his shot struck the arm of Gonzalo Montiel — the same Montiel who would later score the winning penalty. Penalty. Mbappé converted. 3–3. Hat-trick complete.
Then, in the 123rd minute, with 15 seconds of extra time remaining, a loose ball fell to the unmarked Kolo Muani six yards from goal. He shot low and hard. Martínez — diving to his left — blocked with his shin. Without that save, France would have won the World Cup with the last touch of extra time. Instead, penalties.
Goal by Goal: The Complete Chronicle
| Min | Scorer | Score | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23′ | Messi (ARG) | 1–0 | Penalty — Dembélé foul on Di María. Low to right corner. |
| 36′ | Di María (ARG) | 2–0 | Counter-attack finish — Mac Allister assist, first-time left-foot over Lloris |
| 80′ | Mbappé (FRA) | 2–1 | Penalty — Otamendi foul on Kolo Muani. Low to right. |
| 81′ | Mbappé (FRA) | 2–2 | Volley — quick exchange with Thuram, top-corner strike from inside area |
| 108′ | Messi (ARG) | 3–2 | Rebound — Lloris parried Lautaro shot, Messi tapped in from close range |
| 117′ | Mbappé (FRA) | 3–3 | Penalty — shot hit Montiel's arm. Hat-trick complete. 2nd ever in a WC final. |
Rows in red mark Mbappé's 97-second brace. France had zero shots on target before the 80th minute.
The Penalty Shootout
| Kick | Argentina | Result | France | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Messi | ✅ Scored | Mbappé | ✅ Scored |
| 2 | Dybala | ✅ Scored | Coman | ❌ Saved by Martínez |
| 3 | Paredes | ✅ Scored | Tchouaméni | ❌ Missed (wide) |
| 4 | Montiel | ✅ Scored ★ | Kolo Muani | ✅ Scored |
★ Montiel — who had conceded the handball penalty in the 117th minute that let France equalise — stepped up last and scored the winner. Argentina won 4–2. Martínez saved Coman's kick after deliberately delaying — he was booked for gamesmanship during the shootout.
Match Statistics
| Argentina | Stat | France |
|---|---|---|
| 3–3 (4–2 pens) | Final Score | |
| 54% | Possession | 46% |
| 9 | Total Shots | 9 |
| 4 | Shots on Target | 6 |
| Messi 2, Di María 1 | Goals (normal+ET) | Mbappé 3 (hat-trick) |
| Lionel Scaloni | Manager | Didier Deschamps |
Why This Final Will Never Be Forgotten
In any other World Cup final, Mbappé's hat-trick would have been the defining story. In any other World Cup final, a 2–0 lead with ten minutes remaining would have been enough. In any other World Cup final, three Argentina goals — each scored or directly assisted by a 35-year-old playing his final World Cup match — would have been the climax. This final contained all of those things simultaneously.
Messi's tournament statistics confirmed what the final made visible. His 26th World Cup appearance set a new record, surpassing Lothar Matthäus. He became the first and only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice, having previously won it at Brazil 2014. He had scored in the group stage against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland; against Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia, and France in the knockouts. Not once had he gone through a match without either scoring or creating a goal.
The moment that distilled everything came after the final whistle. Messi, wearing a traditional Qatari bisht robe draped over his Argentina jersey by the Emir of Qatar, lifted the trophy above his head. The image became one of the most reproduced photographs in sporting history within hours of being taken. For a generation of football supporters, it was the moment the debate ended — not about who was better than whom, but about whether Messi had achieved everything the sport had to offer. He had. In the most dramatic final it had ever produced.