Lionel Messi

Messi: "I wanted to close my career with this, I can no longer ask for anything else"

LUSAIL, Qatar - As fireworks exploded and some 80,000 people roared, Lionel Messi smiled. His Argentina soccer shirt covered by the bisht the Emir of Qatar had just draped him in — the cape reserved for top officials and sheikhs. He smiled, he paused, then he hoisted high the World Cup, a lifetime’s dream realized.

For all the accolades, all the awards, the riches, titles and silverware, there had been one stain on his career resume, and it was one he erased forever on a magical World Cup night for Argentina.

Argentina breaks the record for most penalty kicks awarded to one team at a World Cup

Argentina made history during the 2022 World Cup Final as they were awarded their fifth penalty kick of the tournament. The previous record was shared by the Netherlands in 1978 and Portugal in 1966 with four penalty kicks each. With his subsequent goal, Messi now is level on four goals with Eusébio and Rob Rensenbrink having scored the most penalty kicks in a single tournament. 

Emiliano Martínez shimmies, saves and secures Argentina’s World Cup with vital saves at the end

Emiliano Martínez didn’t have a single shot come toward his goal until the 71st minute. From that moment on he became one of the key figures in Argentina’s 4-2 penalty shootout victory vs. France in the World Cup final after the game finished 3-3 at the end of extra time.

Martínez was one of the most polarizing characters at the 2022 World Cup. His haters despise him for his gamesmanship, taunting and excessive celebratory body gyrations. Martínez’s critics have one other thing to deal with: he’s a DAMN good goalkeeper.

The GOAT: Messi delivers World Cup to Argentina with defining performance in final

It was Lionel Messi's World Cup. With almost 80 minutes gone in Sunday's final and Argentina leading 2-0, the 35-year-old looked destined to lift the trophy while capturing both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball — a clean sweep of everything on the GOAT's World Cup swan song.

Then, in 97 seconds of Kylian Mbappé-inspired madness over the 80th and 81st minutes, France pulled level with Messi's PSG teammate scoring from the spot before unleashing a 15-yard side-volley for the equalizer. 

Messi cumple su sueño y Argentina es campeón del mundo

Lionel Messi consiguió su sueño: ser campeón del mundo.

El "10" lideró a Argentina ante Francia en la final de Catar 2022, acaso la mejor final en la historia de los mundiales.

Y no es exageración. 

El partido tuvo polémica, una remontada increíble, tiempos extras lleno de suspenso y una definición desde los 12 pasos que dejó a más de 3.500 millones de personas – si creemos las proyecciones de la FIFA – con el corazón en la boca.

Argentina or France? The18's 2022 World Cup final predictions

We are at the end of the road. Yeah! It's hard to believe it. After a month and 63 games filled with drama, joy and other emotions, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is almost finished. The only thing left to know is who will be the grand champion.

Argentina and France are the finalists, and both are chasing to lift the tournament's trophy for the third time in their history. But that's not all. Their best players, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, are also locking horns, seeking individual glories: the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball. 

Fan footage shows superb Messi assist vs. Croatia in a whole new dimension

If you're still rewinding and replaying Lionel Messi's magnificent assist vs. Croatia, this fan footage of it will knock your socks off. 

The magic behind the clip is that it shows the play from its genesis and allows you to see how Messi masterminded the sequence with some small talk with Julián Álvarez near the midfield line. 

It took five Morocco players to try and stop Kylian Mbappé… France still managed to score

No guys, that won’t count as an assist for Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman helped set up an amazing game-sealing goal during France’s 2-0 World Cup semifinal win vs. Morocco on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 late in the game, Morocco looked to be getting closer and closer to finding an equalizer until Mbappé produced a moment of magic in the 79th minute.

Receiving the ball at the top of the Moroccan box, Mbappé quickly glided past Soyfan Amrabat and then slithered away from Achraf Dari. In the blink of eye there were five Morocco players converging on the 23-year-old.

Ronaldinho se rinde ante la exhibición de Messi y Argentina rumbo a la final del Mundial

Argentina se convirtió en el primer finalista del Mundial de Catar 2022.

La Albiceleste venció a Croacia por 3-0, gracias a una clase magistral de Lionel Messi. El 10 anotó un gol y dio una de las mejores asistencias del torneo para guiar a sus compañeros en una victoria que tuvo el reconocimiento de Ronaldinho en las tribunas del Estadio Lusail.

Reacción de Ronaldinho al triunfo de Argentina vs Croacia

Messi comenzó la fiesta anotando desde los doce pasos, tras un claro penal cometido sobre Julián Álvarez

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