Argentina Wins World Cup Over France

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) – Lionel Messi finally won the biggest prize in soccer. Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.

Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty as Argentina won after a 3-3 draw.

Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete now that he is finally a World Cup champion.

At 35, this is likely his last appearance in soccer’s biggest tournament but he confirmed after the match he intends to play on.

Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players alongside Pelé and Diego Maradona. Europe’s run of four straight World Cup winners dating to 2006 came to an end.