December 18, (THEWILL) – Sunday’s dramatic World Cup final between Argentina and France meant that the 2022 edition set a new record for the most goals scored.
At the Lusail Stadium, the Albiceleste won the competition for a third time in spectacular fashion, thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s conversion of the game-winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout that followed an end-to-end 3-3 draw.
Les Bleus twice rallied to fight for the comeback as Kylian Mbappe became just the second player to score a hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final. His third goal of the match ensured that the tournament finished on a historic note in terms of goals.
Mbappe scored the 172nd goal of the World Cup by taking advantage of Montiel’s handball to score his second penalty in the second half of the extra time period. As a result, the competition broke the previous mark of 171, which was jointly held by the editions from 1998 and 2014.
Lionel Messi, the Golden Ball winner and victorious captain, scored a brace in the final on Sunday, making it the first tournament game to have at least three goals from both teams. It also meant he became the first player to score at every stage of the competition.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
