For the third time, Argentina lifted the World Cup trophy in soccer as they beat France yesterday in a thrilling, scintillating final match held in a Qatar stadium packed with fans. The match ended 2-2 and went into extra time, when both teams scored again, ending with a 3-3 final score. This led to the nerve-ending penalty kicks, which Argentina won 4-2. It was in a way a battle between Lionel Messi of Argentina and Kyrien Mbappe of France who scored a hat-trick in a losing effort. The game was dominated by Argentina, who were leading 2-0 until the 80th minute, when suddenly Mbappe scored twice to tie the game up. The extra-time provided some added excitement as first Messi scored and then Mbappe tied it up again. It was a tit-for-tat in a way between these two stars who actually play on the same team in France with Paris St-Germain. Mbappe had won the trophy 4 years ago with France when he was only 19 years old, and this was the last opportunity for Messi to win the trophy at the age of 36. And thanks Qatar for organizing a sensational World Cup tournament that was one of the best ever, topped by the heart-pounding final match. Among the surprises during this World Cup was the success of Morocco reaching the semi-finals, and other African and Arab countries doing so well. Who can forget teams like Senegal, Iran, Tunisia, and even Saudi Arabia who beat Argentina in the preliminary round? And no doubt about it, Pope Francis’s support and prayers must have helped his native country triumph. Congratulations to Argentina!
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