Topline
France’s Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in under two minutes to tie Argentina 2-2 with under 10 minutes to play in the World Cup Final, in a thrilling quest for the sport’s biggest title.
Angel Di Maria of Argentina celebrates scoring his teams second goal with teammates, Julian Alvarez … [+]
Key Facts
France’s Kylian Mbappé scored France’s first goal in the 80th minute of the game and followed it with another goal in the games 82nd minute, stunning the stadium in Qatar.
The game was dominated by Argentina for nearly its entirety: Messi got Argentina on the board in the 23rd minute after converting a penalty after teammate Angel Di María was tripped by France’s Ousmane Dembélé inside the box.
In the 36th minute Di María widened Argentina’s lead with a clinical finish from inside the box after two quick passes from the midfield.
After being forced on the back foot by Argentina’s attacking brilliance France were forced to make two early substitutions in the first half itself—swapping out Dembélé and Olivier Giroud for Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani.
News Peg
Messi—widely considered the greatest of his generation—is facing a French attack led by 23-year-old Kylian Mbappé, considered by many to be the Argentine star’s heir apparent as the world’s top player. Messi and Mbappé came into the finals as the joint leaders of the tournament’s goal-scoring charts with five goals each in addition to three and two assists respectively. Argentine fans are hoping for a strong showing from Messi—who has won every other major trophy in the game. The Argentine talisman will also want to overcome the disappointment of losing 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 final, where he missed an opportunity to score shortly after half-time. History also beckons for the French team and Mbappé who seek to become the first team in six decades to win back-to-back World Cups—a feat last achieved by Pele’s Brazil.
Forbes Valuation
With an income of $130 Million this year, Messi was the top-ranked player on Forbes’ list of top-paid athletes of 2022.
This is a developing story.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/12/18/world-cup-final-live-france-comes-back-to-tie-argentina-2-2-with-minutes-to-play/