French star striker Kylian Mbappe, despite a hat-trick in the World Cup final, ended up on the losing side. France, the defending champion, lost to Argentina in a nail-biter on Sunday. The French President was seen squatting on his haunches consoling a dejected Mbappe after the match.
Argentina beat France on penalties in a final for the ages, triumphing 4-2 after Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick ensured the game ended level following extra time. Gonzalo Montiel rolled in the deciding penalty to give Argentina their third World Cup and prevent France becoming the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy.
Messi and Mbappe both lived up to their billing, with Messi scoring twice and Mbappe becoming the first player since England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 to net a World Cup final hat-trick in a game that ended 3-3 after extra time.
It is the second time in five World Cups that France have lost the final on penalties after they were beaten by Italy in 2006, and it is Argentina who are champions for the first time since 1986.
The win allows Messi, at 35, to complete his glorious career by emulating Diego Maradona, and this will be remembered as his tournament despite the best efforts of Mbappe, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer on eight goals, one more than his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Messi.
