Argentina have lifted the World Cup for a third time in a thrilling and see-sawing match that required a penalty shootout to sort out the winner. Argentina looked to be cruising towards the title until two goals from Kylian Mbappe in two minutes blew the game open. Argentina looked to have sealed the game again in the perfect moment for Messi in the second half of extra time, but a second penalty with minutes to go leveled the scores again. They made hard work of it, but Argentina were the new Champions of the World.
World Cup Final Argentina v France Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
2′ Min An early free kick to France, and plenty stupid from Rodrigo De Paul. He pushes Rebiot in the back after he’s passed the ball, and given that footballers fall over with almost a change in wind gust, of course the French players was going to fall over like he;s being murdered and earn a free kick.
3′ Min Half chance to Argentina as a Messi one-two in the French penalty area is forwarded to Alvarez who produces a very save-able shot, and he was offside, so neither are worthy of a goal.
5′ Min Alexis Mac Allister fires a shot from a long way that appears to have a target on the French keeper and is well held. Two shots on target early is decent form though, and neither to Messi.
8′ Min Corner for Argentina after another shot on target is deflected. Quite a scramble from the corner with the ball popping up a few times, and a few Argentine players hitting the deck, but the third player to hit the deck is the most worrying. Huge Lloris was shoulder charged in the chest by Spurs team mate Cristian Romero. After a few minutes to let the magic water work, Lloris was up and about.
14′ Min First decent attack from France doesn’t end with a serious shot on goal, but does provide a sniff of the danger that France can offer. Kylian Mbappe involved of course.
17′ Min A promising criss-crossing attack for Argentina ends in Angel di Maria skying a ball well over the posts, which figures we guess given his first name.
19′ Min Free kick to France, and fair enough too. Theo Hernandez is pushing down the left of the penalty area and is barged over with a bonus hand to the face by Cristian Romero, who is probably lucky he didn’t see a little Taubmans action for his trouble. The subsequent free kick sees Olivier Giroud climb over a defenders to deliver a header that went as far over the bar as he was over the defender.
21′ Min Penalty to Argentina
Angel di Maria charges into the penalty area and is “assaulted” with the most minimal of contact by Ousmane Dembélé. But contact it is and di Maria hits the turf and earns the penalty.
23′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
Lionel Messi steps up, goes right, the keeper goes right (which is of course the wrong way) and scores the opening goal of the World Cup with such ease. Perhaps the penalty was a little soft, but on the balance of play you can’t say Argentina don’t deserve a lead.
ARGENTINA 1 FRANCE 0
26′ Min Cristian Romero secures a hat trick of free kicks against him as he inflicts a bit of pain on the French Wil Anderson aka Olivier Giroud. Luckily the referee doesn’t have time to read our report as he might have handed out a yellow card this time.
28′ Min Theo Hernandez threatens to make himself the most hated man in Argentina, fake jersey rip-off factories around the world and FIFA by appearing to shouldering Messi in the head in an aerial battle. Both hit the ground in pain, one of them justified, the other likely to be trying to avoid a card.
36′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
And what a goal of beauty this is. From deep inside their own half the Argentine play some crisp passes between themselves. Messi’s sidefoot under pressure to Alvarez, Alvarez’s perfect through ball for Alexis Mac Allister, whose selfless pass to Angel di Maria was enough to give the number 11 the perfect shot at goal and he converts past Lloris for goal number two.
ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 0
40′ Min Ouch, double substitution for France – Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembélé – which seems odd when you’re chasing goals.
45′ Min FIFA have instructed their match officials well, with seven minutes of added time offered up to give maximum final time.
45′ +7 Min Free kick to France to end the half, and the free kick does indeed end it as it goes across the face of everyone and goes out for a goal kick that won’t happen.
HALF TIME – ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 0
46′ Min Argentina are straight on the attack, which is a worrying sign for France that they aren’t settling for the two goal win. But a good sign for those watching at a ridiculously early time who don’t want the game to go past 90 minutes.
52′ Min A corner for each offers an early opportunity to open the second half scoring, an offer that remains on the table.
54′ Min First yellow card of the game given to Adrien Rabiot for tackling de Paul from behind. Replays shows Rabiot getting plenty of the ball, but de Paul was convincing enough. De Paul gets a proper kicking in the back of the leg from Mbappe not long after,
58′ Min Half chance for Argentina. Alvarez receives a through ball in the penalty area, and his near post shot is just saved by Lloris. Add another half chance to Messi a few minutes later and it’s all Argentina right now.
62′ Min Alexis Mac Allister is through into the penalty area and appears to be pushed over, not so says the referee who dismisses the claim with a harsh “get up” arm wave.
67′ Min A chance for France. Which rhymes of course and comes from a corner. The cross is good but the header isn’t. We guess that miss sort-of rhymes with piss(poor) to use rhyming to describe the end of the play.
71′ Min Kylian Mbappe gets a shot away that clears the crossbar by a few metres/ Sadly it goes down as one of France’s better efforts so far.,
74′ Min Cristian Romero goes down after a clash with a French opponent, which is pretty much pot-kettle based on his own work from most of the match.
78′ Min Penalty to France.
Randal Kolo Muani charges into the box, and after several attempts to bring him down,
80′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Kylian Mbappe steps up and stutters his way through the shot, goes left, and the Argentine keeper guesses correctly and gets a hand on the ball, but not enough hand and it goes in. This makes it interesting now, France only a goal behind, which is generous on the balance of play.
ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 1
81′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Wow. Kylian Mbappe makes it two in two minutes. Kinglsey Coman steals ball off Messi in the midfield and the ball is sent upfield, a One-Two between Thuram and Mbappe sees the ball go out to Mbappe who is waiting on the edge of the box and he drills the balls with a volley into the far corner past Martinez’s dive. A game that was seemingly headed for a Messi love-in stroll to the World Cup title is now an action packed 2-2 draw and a surging French side.
ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 2
87′ Min France’s Thuram goes down in the box but the only penalty given is the yellow card for the French players after a clear dive.
90′ Min Eight minutes of added time coming, and Argentina look on the ropes as they would say in boxing and on a ropes course over a river. Surely the narrative says a Messi inspired magic for a third right at the end. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking from us wanting to go to bed.
90′ +4 Min A Rabiot shot for France leads to a mad scramble in the penalty area that Martinez eventually cleans up. It’s all France now, and Argentina looking to hold after dominating for so long.
90′ +7 Min Shots from Lionel Messi, and a very good save from Lloris. It forces a corner which is likely the last play of regular time in the World Cup final. It wasn’t as the game had one more end to end in it before full time was blown. Extra time awaits.
FULL TIME (REGULAR TIME) ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 2
EXTRA TIME
100′ Min With an opening ten minutes of few chances, France has the best one of extra time so far with a free kick close to the penalty box, followed by a corner. Neither produces a goal, but the former did produce a yellow card for Argentine players who rugby tackled his friend to the ground. We mean rugby league, not union, they would have missed it.
105′ Min Big chance/s for Argentina. Messi and friends attack the box but can’t get a clean shot away. Gonzalo Montiel does and it goes out for a corner. No goal, but Argentina are clawing back the advantage they lost later in the second half.
HALF TIME (EXTRA TIME) ARGENTINA 2 FRANCE 2
108′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR ARGENTINA
And who else? Lionel Messi scores his second and Argentina’s third to put them back in front. The move starts in their own half then Gonzalo Montiel floats a ball over the top of the French defence, followed by an exchange of passes between Enzo Fernández and Messi before Lautaro Martinez out wide blasts the ball at the near post, Lloris saves but the ball bounces back for Messi who puts the ball away despite the clearance from the French defender halfway in the net.
ARGENTINA 3 FRANCE 2
114′ Min Nasty tackle from Leandro Paredes on Eduardo Camavinga gives France an attacking play in Argentina’s half and a yellow card for the Argentine player.
116′ Min Penalty for France
The ball is blasted at Argentine defender Gonzalo Montiel just inside the penalty area who turns his back but has a chicken wing hanging out, the ball strikes that and the referee calls for a penalty. It seems harsh but it stands.
117′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Kylian Mbappe scores his second penalty of the game and secures a World Cup final hat trick as he goes left and so does Martinez.
ARGENTINA 3 FRANCE 3
119′ Min And France go so close to sealing the game. A floating Mbappe cross is met by Randal Kolo Muani but he heads wide.
120′ +2 Min Chance for Argentina but offside is the call. Penalties are calling.
120′ +3 Min Not quite!!! France have a golden chance to steal the game and it is Randal Kolo Muani who has a one-on-one with the keeper, but the outstretched leg of Martinez saves the day. He has the chance to do it again in the penalty shootout.
FULL TIME (EXTRA TIME) ARGENTINA 3 FRANCE 3
PENALTY SHOOTOUT
France Shot 1 – Kylian Mbappe – SCORES – Goes left and is almost saved by Martinez who gets a hand on it, but not enough, again.
France 1-0.
Argentina Shot 1 – Lionel Messi – SCORES – Goes csual and rolls it just to the right of the keeper. That could have ended in tears but thankfully for Messi it goes in.
Draw 1-1
France Shot 2 – Kingsley Coman – SAVED – Great save from Martinez as Coman goes left but not with enough power.
Draw 1-1
Argentina Shot 2 – Paulo Dybala – SCORES – Goes down the middle, and the keeper goes left. Cheeky, but successful.
Argentina 2-1
France Shot 3 – Aurélien Tchouaméni – MISSES – He goes left, but way too left and misses the target.
Argentina 2-1
Argentina Shot 3 – Leandro Paredes – SCORES – He goes left, and Lloris guesses the correct way but just can’t get there.
Argentina 3-1
France Shot 4 – Randal Kolo Muani – SCORES – Kicks it straight and true up the middle. A diving Martinez can’t do anything.
Argentina 3-2
Argentina Shot 4 – Gonzalo Montiel – SCORES – That’s the World Cup for Argentina!!! He goes left, and Lloris goes the other way, as does the title to Argentina and Messi.
Argentina 4-2
Final Score
ARGENTINA 3
Lionel Messi 23′ (pen) Angel di Maria 36′ Lionel Messi 108′
FRANCE 3
Kylian Mbappe 80′ (pen) Kylian Mbappe 81′ Kylian Mbappe 117′ (pen)
HT Argentina 2-0
FT 2-2
Extra Time 3-3
Argentina wins 4-2 on penalties.
Player of the Match
Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe
Points of Interest
- A fit and good Angel di Maria took a long time coming this World Cup, but he sure made some difference for Argentina, giving them that non-Messi edge to their attack that they were missing. Well, not really missing, as they had just made a World Cup final mainly without him. The point is di Maria is good and played good. One could say he added some extra spirit to the team.
- One trend that some may not have seen that showed why Argentina would win was this one. Following the Portugal-Morocco game Portugal complained about the refereeing when Morocco won, yet lost their next game. Then Morocco massively complained about the refereeing in their loss to France (and again v Croatia), and France went on to loss the final. So we guess our point is that in the knockout stage, if a team wins after an accusation of favourable treatment by match officials, they go onto to lose their next game.
- Only the most bitter of French fans, potentially Falklands War veterans and Cristiano Ronaldo would be unhappy for Lionel Messi completing his career achievements with a World Cup. We presume a best player of the tournament award is coming, we ain’t hanging around for that at this hour. Who knows, with a better French performance and win, Griezmann or Mbappe could have won it.
World Cup Final Argentina v France Starting Teams
ARGENTINA (4-4-2)
23 E Martínez
26 Molina
13 Romero
19 Otamendi
3 Tagliafico
11 Di María
7 De Paul
24 Fernández
20 Mac Allister
10 Messi
9 Álvarez
FRANCE (4-2-3-1)
1 Lloris
5 Koundé
4 Varane
18 Upamecano
22 Hernández
8 Tchouaméni
14 Rabiot
11 Dembélé
7 Griezmann
10 Mbappé
9 Giroud
