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The FIFA World Cup 2026 is almost here however football fans are still hooked to the night of December 18, 2022 when the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France took place in Qatar.
It is known as one of the greatest football matches ever played and had everything a fan could want. Lionel Messi was chasing his first World Cup title and on the other hand Kylian Mbappe delivered one of the finest performances ever seen in a final match.
After a total of 120 minutes, 6 goals and nail-biting penalty shootout, Argentina finally took the title home. Here is a recap of the FIFA World Cup 2022 final.
Who Won the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 where they defeated France 4-2 in the penalties. The penalties were played because the match ended in a tie of 3-3. This was Argentina’s third World Cup title and Lionel Messi’s first World Cup trophy. Here is a brief overview:
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Detail
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Information
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Winner
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Argentina
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Runner up
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France
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Final score
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3-3 (after extra time)
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Penalty shootout
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Argentina won 4-2
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Venue
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Lusail Stadium in Qatar
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Date
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December 18, 2022
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Man of the Match
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Lionel Messi (Golden Ball)
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Top scorer of tournament
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Kylian Mbappe, 8 goals (Golden Boot)
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Best goalkeeper
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Emiliano Martinez (Golden Glove)
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How Did Argentina Reach the Final?
Argentina lost their first match to Saudi Arabia and was ranked at the bottom. However the team made a strong comeback and continued to win every match after that. Here is a brief timeline:
Group Stage
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Match
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Result
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Goal Scorers
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Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
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Lost 1-2
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Messi
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Argentina vs Mexico
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Won 2-0
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Messi, Enzo Fernandez
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Argentina vs Poland
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Won 2-0
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Mac Allister, Alvarez
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Knockout Stage
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Round
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Opponent
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Result
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Round of 16
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Australia
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Won 2-1
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Quarter-final
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Netherlands
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Draw 2-2, won 4-3 on penalties
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Semi-final
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Croatia
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Won 3-0
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Finals
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Against
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Results
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France
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Draw 3-3 and Argentina won 4-2 on penalties
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How Did France Reach the Final?
France was quite strong in their game as they reached back to back in the World Cup finals. The team defeated Croatia in the 2018 season and reached the finals in 2022. Here is a brief timeline:
Group Stage
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Match
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Result
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Goal Scorers
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France vs Australia
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Won 4-1
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Rabiot, Giroud (2), Mbappe
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France vs Denmark
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Won 2-1
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Mbappe (2)
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France vs Tunisia
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Lost 0-1
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None
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Knockout Stage
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Round
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Opponent
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Result
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Round of 16
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Poland
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Won 3-1
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Quarter-final
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England
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Won 2-1
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Semi-final
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Morocco
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Won 2-0
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Finals
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Against
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Results
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Argentina
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Draw 3-3, lost to Argentina in penalties 4-2
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Argentina vs France 2022 World Cup Final: Match Timeline
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Time
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Goal
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Score
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23rd Minute
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Messi scores a goal
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Argentina 1-0
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36th Minute
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Di Maria scores another goal for Argentina
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Argentina 2-0
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Half time
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Argentina 2-0 France
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80th Minute
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Mbappe scores a goal for France
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2-1
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81st Minute
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Mbappe scores another goal just after a few seconds of his first goal
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2-2
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Full time
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2-2, match goes to extra time
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108th Minute
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Messi scores again
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Argentina 3-2
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118th Minute
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Mbappe completes hat trick and scores goal for France
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3-3
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End of extra time
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3-3 and match reaches to penalties
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Penalty Shootout
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Order
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Player
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Team
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Result
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1
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Messi
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Argentina
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Scored
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1
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Mbappe
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France
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Scored
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2
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Dybala
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Argentina
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Scored
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2
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Coman
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France
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Missed
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3
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Paredes
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Argentina
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Scored
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3
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Tchouameni
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France
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Missed
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4
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Montiel
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Argentina
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Scored, match winner
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Why This Final is Considered As One of the Greatest Matches Ever?
This match broke many records and statistics. Mbappe holds the record for scoring the most goals in FIFA World Cup finals where his tally reached to 4. On the other hand, Messi was awarded with the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and this made him the only player in the World Cup history who has won this award twice.