World Cup 2022 news LIVE: Lionel Messi and Argentina return home after final triumph over France
Messi scored twice before Argentina beat France on penalties to end a 36-year wait for the trophy
Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates have returned to their home country after ending the nation’s 36-year wait for a World Cup trophy.
Messi scored twice against France, but Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as Sunday’s final in Qatar ended 3-3 after extra time.
What was surely the greatest final in World Cup history was then decided on penalties, as Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning spot kick before Messi lifted the trophy that had eluded him for so long.
Argentina have now returned home, while France striker Karim Benzema – who missed the tournament through injury – has hinted that his time with the national team is done.
Follow all the reaction to the final and the World Cup as a whole in our live blog, below:
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Karim Benzema has strongly suggested that he will retire from international football following France’s defeat by Argentina in the World Cup final.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or played no part in the World Cup in Qatar after he was ruled out due to an injury picked up in training one day before the tournament.
The 35-year-old striker, who has won 97 international caps for France and sits fifth on their all-time scorers list with 37 goals, also played no part in their 2018 World Cup victory.
Here’s what the Real Madrid man had to say:
‘I’ve written my story’: Karim Benzema hints at international retirement from France
‘I have written my story and ours is ending,’ Benzema posted after France’s defeat to Argentina in the World Cup final
World Cup final reaction LIVE
In his first message published on Instagram and Twitter following Sunday’s defeat by Argentina, France forward Kylian Mbappe posted a photo of himself, head down, behind the World Cup trophy with the message: “We will be back.”
More than 24 million people — eight out of 10 viewers — watched the final on French TF1 television, a record high.
In 2018, Mbappe – then aged 19 – became the youngest goalscorer in a World Cup final since Pele when he struck in the 4-2 win against Croatia.
The Paris Saint-Germain star then scored a hat-trick in this year’s final, taking his overall World Cup goals total to 12 (the same as Pele), becoming the second ever hat-trick scorer in the tournament’s final (Geoff Hurst was the other in 1966) and the first player ever to net four goals in World Cup finals.
Mbappe also claimed the Qatar World Cup’s Golden Boot with eight goals at the tournament, more than any other player.
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Argentines let loose on Sunday and streets across the country became places of celebration after an epic World Cup final in which the national team beat France on penalties.
It was the country’s third World Cup title, and the first since 1986.
“I’m very happy, we really deserved this. The team suffered quite a bit, but it recovered as time went on,” said Josefina Villalba, a 55-year-old nanny who joined hundreds of fans at one of the many public plazas where giant screens were set up to watch the long-awaited match.
Millions of Argentines cried, yelled and hugged as they followed the game, which was a rollercoaster of emotions.
“I feel an immense happiness in my heart because this is the first World Cup I truly enjoy,” Hector Quinteros, a 34-year-old security guard, said as his eyes welled up with tears. “This always happens. They always make us suffer.”
More reactions here:
‘The people needed this’: Argentines put problems aside to celebrate World Cup win
Argentines let loose and streets across the country became places of celebration after an epic World Cup final in which the national team beat France on penalties
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Thousands of fans in central Paris cheered the arrival home of a France team that lost one of the greatest World Cup finals.
Kylian Mbappe and teammates landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport just after 8pm. local time on Monday and descended from the plane in a somber mood.
Smiling airport staff members holding signs that said “Thank you” and “Paris loves you” were passed without acknowledgement by the team.
Looking tired and still visibly disappointed by their loss to Argentina in a penalty shootout in Qatar, the players boarded buses that took them to greet the hordes of excited fans waiting for them at Place de la Concorde. There, the team’s mood brightened.
In contrast with 2018 when France won the World Cup in Russia, the team did not receive a parade on the Champs-Elysees.
Full story here:
Thousands welcome France home after World Cup heartbreak
Fans lit flares, waved flags and sang ‘La Marseillaise’ as the players and coach appeared on the balcony of the Hotel de Crillon in Paris
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory and has now “reached eternity”.
That was the reaction from La Nacion in Argentina, with the media back home delirious after a third world title secured in Qatar following the absorbing final in Doha, which finished with a penalty shoot-out win over France.
The newspaper adds that Messi “touched the sky in Qatar” and that they and everybody associated with the Albiceleste went “through all the states of mind”.
“Campeones del Mundo” naturally proliferated many of the websites and front pages, while Olé used the play on words for ‘god’ in Spanish, hailing Messi with their headline reading: “Lios is Argentine”.
More here:
‘Messi reaches eternity’: Argentine newspapers react to Argentina’s World Cup glory
The newspapers and media back home revelled in a third World Cup triumph after the Scaloneta defeated France on penalties
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the Argentina squad that won one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time, ahead of a day of celebrations in Buenos Aires.
Members of the team, led by captain Lionel Messi, were all smiles as they descended from the plane in Ezeiza, right outside Argentina’s capital, shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday onto a red carpet that had been rolled out for the squad.
Messi was the first player from the plane carrying the World Cup, flanked by coach Lionel Scaloni, who put his arm around the captain as they walked past a sign that read, “Thank you, champions.”
Full story here:
Lionel Messi and Argentina welcomed home by huge crowds after World Cup win
Thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the team ahead of a day of celebrations in Buenos Aires
World Cup final reaction LIVE
Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates have returned to their home country after ending the nation’s 36-year wait for a World Cup trophy.
Messi scored twice against France, but Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick as Sunday’s final in Qatar ended 3-3 after extra time.
What was surely the greatest final in World Cup history was then decided on penalties, as Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning spot kick before Messi lifted the trophy that had eluded him for so long.
Argentina have now returned home, while France striker Karim Benzema – who missed the tournament through injury – has hinted that his time with the national team is done.
Follow all the reaction to the final and the World Cup as a whole in our live blog, right here.
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