FIFA president Gianni Infantino pictured alongside former French President Emmanuel Macron inside the Lusial Stadium. (Image: Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Paul Pogba alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the stands before the final (Image: Reuters)
Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo with their children Mateo and Thiago, and Celia Maria Cuccittini and Jorge Messi, parents of Argentina's Lionel Messi, in the stands before the match. (Image: Reuters)
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani waves as he arrives on the tribune ahead of the FIFA World Cup final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. (Image: AP)
Former Spanish footballer and World Cup winner Iker Casillas holds the winner's trophy ahead of the World Cup final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. (Image: AP)
French players pose for the team photo just before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022 final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. (Image: AP)
Argentina players pose for the team photo prior to the FIFA World Cup 2022 final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. (Image: AP)
France started the final slowly and french forward Ousmane Dembélé fouled Ángel di Maria inside the French box to concede a penalty. Lionel Messi stepped up and converted from the spot to give Argentina an early lead. (Image: AP)
Argentina's Angel Di Maria scored his side's second goal past France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as La Albiceleste extended their lead over Les Bleus. (Image: AP)
Argentina were cruising to an easy 2-0 win and were 10 minutes away from the win. That was when Kylian Mbappe turned the screws on Argentina. First, he converted a penalty from the spot in the 80'th minute and then a minute later fired in a volley to bring France on level terms. The brace from Mbappe meant that the final stretched beyond 90 minutes into extra time. (Image: AP)
In the 108th minute of the extra-time, Messi fired in his second goal of the match and Argentina were back in front. (Image: AP)
But France were not to give up. Just two minutes away from full-time France earned their second penalty of the match. Mbappe stepped up again to take the penalty. Without any hesitation, Mbappe converted from the spot to complete his hat trick and bring France on level terms yet again. (Image: AP)\
There wasn't to be any more drama as the full 120 minutes came to an end and the match was forced into the penalty shoot-outs. Now the fate of Argentina and France were in the hands of Emi Martinez and Hugo Lloris. respectively. (Image: AP)
In the penalty shoot-outs, Emi Martínez saved a penalty kick from France's Kingsley Coman. This was followed by a misfired penalty kick from Aurélien Tchouaméni. (Image: AP)
With Messi, Paulao Dybala, and Leandro Pardes all firing in their penalties and Coman and Tchouaméni misfiring their penalties it was on the shoulders of Gonzalo Montiel to convert and take Argentina home. Montiel cooly sent Lloris the wrong way and nestled the ball in the back of the net to win the penalty shoot-out and the match for Argentina. (Image: AP)
With all the drama behind him and the World Cup final in his pocket the GOAT of all time, now, without doubt, Argentina captain and superstar, Lionel Messi could finally lay his hands on the most coveted trophy in football, the FIFA World Cup. (Image: AP)