LUSAIL, Qatar — Lionel Messi finally won the one prize he's been missing, helping Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years Sunday in a 4-3 win over France in penalty kicks. The goals came from Messi and Ángel Di María.
Messi, a seven-time world player of the year who has won virtually everything there is to win in international soccer, has nonetheless played much of his career in the shadow of Diego Maradona, who led Argentina to its last world championship in 1986. Sunday's win removes that shadow.
Argentina had to fight its way to the final after losing its opening game to Saudi Arabia, ending a 36-game unbeaten streak. But it shut out Mexico and Poland in its next two matches to win its group, got by the Netherlands on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals, then eliminated Croatia, the runner-up in 2018, to return to the championship game.
And it was Messi who carried them there, scoring five goals and assisting on three others, giving him a hand in eight of Argentina's 12 goals entering the final. Four of Messi's five goals put Argentina ahead.
Along the way, he became the only player since 1966 to score and assist in three different World Cup games, the only player to have an assist in five World Cup tournaments, and the only player to score a goal in a World Cup game as a teen, in his 20s and in his 30s.
Argentina and Messi lost 1-0 to Germany in extra time of the 2014 World Cup final.
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