Argentina beat defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after drawing 3-3 after extra time in front of an 88,000-strong crowd in Qatar.
Messi gets the glory of his first World Cup title, while Argentina is champions of the tournament for the third time, following their victories in 1978 and 1986. Argentina fans can now say they have a new football ‘God.’
Given Messi‘s physical and mental agility, he will remain manager Lionel Scaloni’s automatic choice for Team Argentina. Messi had announced that Qatar would be his last World Cup.
Messi told Argentine TV:
“I want to keep experiencing a few more matches as world champion. I knew God would bring this gift to me, I had the feeling that this World Cup was the one. It took so long, but here it is. We suffered a lot, but we managed to do it.”