Pele: 'Maradona is smiling'
After the final match at Lusail Stadium, Doha, Qatar on the evening of December 18, Pele posted a message on social networks: "Today football continues to tell its history, as always, passionately. Messi has Win his first World Cup, as his career deserves. Congratulations, Argentina. Sure, Diego Maradona is smiling."
The three-time World Cup champion also congratulated Kylian Mbappe on four goals in the net against Argentina. According to him, witnessing this achievement is a gift for viewers.
In the World Cup final, Mbappe scored in the 80th, 81st and 118th minutes. This 23-year-old striker's hatrrick helped France shorten the gap and then equalized twice. Before that, in the 23rd and 36th minutes, Messi and Di Maria gave Argentina a 2-0 lead. In the 109th minute, Messi continued to score to raise the score to 3-2.
After drawing 3-3 for more than 120 minutes, the two teams had to take a penalty shootout. Mbappe and Muani succeeded, but two teammates Coman and Tchouameni both missed. Meanwhile, Messi, Dybala, Paredes and Montiel hit all four headers for Argentina.
A 4-2 victory on the penalty spot took Argentina to its third World Cup. The blue and white striped team was crowned for the first time in 1978, when playing at home. In 1986, the late Diego Maradona took Argentina to its second title in Mexico. At the end of 2020, Maradona died at the age of 60 due to heart disease.
The newly won title is Messi's first World Cup. Before that, the Argentina captain had twice reached the quarterfinals, once in the final and once in the 1/8 round.
Before Pele, another Brazilian star, Neymar also sent a message on social networks to Messi: "Congratulations". Before that, Neymar and the Brazilian team had to return home early after losing to Croatia 2-4 in the penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, Argentina beat Croatia 3-0.
Many big names in world football also went on social networks to congratulate Messi and Argentina after the victory in Qatar 2022. British player David Beckham posted three photos, including a portrait of the Argentine striker at the time. baby, and two pictures of Messi's coronation moment, with the caption "King Leo Messi", and the symbol of the Argentine flag.
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao also posted a photo of the moment Messi and the whole team lifted the FIFA Gold Cup with bright fireworks to congratulate, and tagged the Argentine Football Federation.
Besides the championship, Messi also won the title of Best Player. Mbappe was crowned top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi. The titles of Best Goalkeeper and Best Young Player both went to Argentina: Emiliano Martinez and Enzo Fernandez.
Pele won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and is the only player to have won it three times. Brazil still holds the record of five World Cup wins, one title ahead of Germany and Italy. Argentina is fourth with three titles, just ahead of Uruguay and France with the same two. England and Spain have only one title.
