Lionel Messi soaked in the celebrations of winning the World Cup with his young family and his mother on the pitch after starring in Argentina’s remarkable final victory over France.
Messi broke multiple records in the final and while he eventually missed out on the Golden Boot to Kylian Mbappe – whose stunning hat-trick had appeared to twice thwart Argentina in the showpiece event – the superstar eventually got his hands on the trophy.
Messi was once again instrumental for his nation throughout the encounter, netting twice during the six-goal thriller and also converting his penalty in the shootout at the end of the game. It was his final game of the World Cup, and he bowed out in style after starring in five editions of the tournament.
The 35-year-old had opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Angel Di Maria went down under minimal contact from Ousmane Dembele’s challenge midway through the first half, and Messi provided a clever flick in the build-up for Di Maria to double Argentina’s lead nine minutes before the break.
It had appeared that the South American nation had blown their chance of winning the tournament as Kylian Mbappe struck twice in the space of 90 seconds to dramatically level the tie with nine minutes remaining of normal time, setting up a scarcely believable period of unbeatable drama.
Both sides had plenty of chances to win it in the 90 minutes and after extra-time, before Messi restored Argentina’s lead after Lautaro Martinez’s initial effort was saved by Hugo Lloris. Yet just as he thought he had won the World Cup, Mbappe struck again from the penalty spot after Gonzalo Montiel’s handball.
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Messi scored again in the penalty shootout as Argentina dramatically lifted the trophy, ending their 36-year wait to land their first tournament since 1986. It sparked emotional scenes on and off the pitch for Argentina, but particularly their superstar.
The Paris Saint-Germain attacker could be seen relaxing on the pitch after the game with his young kids Thiago (born 2012), Mateo (born 2015) and Ciro (born 2018), along with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.
There was another emotional moment on the pitch as his mother Celia Maria Cuccittini shared a warm embrace with her son on the pitch in the aftermath of the games.
Messi has now played his final World Cup game by lifting the trophy, having previously clarified he would not be returning for the 2026 edition. The superstar may end his international career altogether, with a decision likely to be clarified in due course.
