WORLD CUP FINAL WRAP | Argentina win on penalties to be champions of the world

December 18 2022 — 19:57

PENALTIES:

Mbappe scores ... 1-0 to France; Messi scores 1-1; Coman shot saved by Martinez ... France 1 Argentina 1;  Dybala scores ... France 1 Argentina 2; Tchouameni misses ... France 1 Argentina 2; Paredes scores ... France 1 Argentina 3; Kolo Muani scores France 2 Argentina 3; Montiel scores!!! ... France 2 Argentina 4!!!

Argentina are champions of the world!!!!!!!!!!

December 18 2022 — 19:44

120th minute + 3 min ... 3-3 AET it's gone to penalties.

December 18 2022 — 19:37

118th minute GOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!! Mbappe scores to the left of Martinez. Argentina 3 France 3.

It's Mbappe's hat-trick — a magnificent hat-trick in a World Cup final — and surely the game is headed to penalties.

December 18 2022 — 19:36

116th minute PENALTY!!! to France !! ... Mbappe shot into Montiel's arm ... Mbappe to take ...

December 18 2022 — 19:33

114th minute ... This is the greatest World Cup final in history. Fight me.

December 18 2022 — 19:28

108th minute ... GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! Messi goal crossed the line! Argentina 3 France 2.

Fernandez through on the right, forces a stop from Lloris, Messi sweeps in and Kounde can only clear from behind the line.

December 18 2022 — 19:24

105th minute ... the action is back for the second half of extra time.

Argentina ended the first 15 minutes back on top.

December 18 2022 — 19:22

105th minute + 1 min ... Both sets of supporters in full voice at the extra time break.

December 18 2022 — 19:21

104th and 105th minute ... Big strike from Messi cannons onto head of Upemacano and L. Martinez through on the left but scoops wide.

December 18 2022 — 19:20

103rd minute Scaloni makes double substitution as Lauturo Martinez and Paredez on for Alvarez and De Paul.

December 18 2022 — 19:19

102nd minute ... Of course, after all THAT, both sides taking less risks ... for now.

December 18 2022 — 19:11

95th minute ... Hope everyone is OK out there?

Both teams taking a breather at the start of ET ... slower pace, thank goodness for us all. How long will it last though?

December 18 2022 — 19:06

91st minute ... Extra time kicks off. Will there be sanity? Surely not.

December 18 2022 — 19:01

90th minute + 8min 40 sec ... 2-2 at the end. We're into extra time. 

Breathe, gather your thoughts, calm yourselves, regroup, there's more to come. How do we cope? Not the players ... us?!

December 18 2022 — 18:59

90th minute + 4 min ... Messi cannons one at Lloris. 

December 18 2022 — 18:58

90th minute + 4 min ... All France as Rabiot forces stop from Martinez.

LITERALLY anything can happen here.

Yellow cards are also flying, but the author cannot type that fast!

December 18 2022 — 18:54

90th minute + 2 min ... Two minutes into added time and never mind Argentina — the world is stunned.

What a final!

December 18 2022 — 18:51

89th minute ... Well ... (what just happened??!!)

Game on.

December 18 2022 — 18:46

81st minute ... GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Mbappe scores again!! Argentina 2 France 2.

A one-two chip finds the striker free on the left of the box to sweep in a volley past Martinez.

The second goal came 97 seconds after the first.

December 18 2022 — 18:45

80th minute ... GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Mbappe hits low to the left of Lloris, who gets the slightest of touches. Argentina 2 France 1.

December 18 2022 — 18:43

79th minute ... PENALTTTYYYYY for France!!!!!!!!!! Mbappe to take.

December 18 2022 — 18:34

78th minute ... Messi feeds De Paul on the right to shoot at Lloris. There's no sniff of a chance for France to get possession, territory or chances. 

December 18 2022 — 18:34

71st minute ... “Kitchen sink football” ... more changes for France ... Camavinga and Coman in for Hernandez and Griezmann.

December 18 2022 — 18:32

67th minute ... “France extraordinarily have yet to legitimately touch the ball in the Argentina penalty area”: Drury.

A quarter of the final left to play.

December 18 2022 — 18:24

59th and 61st minutes ... And still Argentina as Alvarez bursts down the left and forces a stop low at his near post from Lloris with a sharp strike.

Moments later Messi drags past a defender and shoots outside the right upright.

(The coffee is good).

December 18 2022 — 18:18

56th minute ... “A 2-0 lead they have at the moment ... doesn't feel remotely fragile, but football does strange things,” says Peter Drury.

December 18 2022 — 18:17

55th minute ... France's Rabiot booked for clattering down De Paul.

December 18 2022 — 18:12

49th minute ... Slower start to the second half but more of the same as Messi finds Di Maria on the left who chips to the right, De Paul volleying at Lloris.

December 18 2022 — 18:08

45th minute ... We are back as referee Marciniak blows for the start of the second half.

December 18 2022 — 18:06

Half time ... and the TV replays show the penalty was correct. Dembele clipped at the heels of Di Maria.

December 18 2022 — 17:53

45th minute  + 7min ... It's half time. The author would like a well-deserved coffee.

December 18 2022 — 17:49

45th minute + 3min ... As added time winds down, a word on the superb intensity of a spectacular first half where Argentina and Messi were explosive and had France reeling.

December 18 2022 — 17:42

45th minute ... Seven minutes added on for the first half ... 

December 18 2022 — 17:42

42nd minute ... Big double substitution from Deschamps for France ... Kolo Muani and Thuram on for Dembele and Giroud.

December 18 2022 — 17:36

36th minute ... GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!! Di Maria for Argentina on the breakaway!!! Argentina 2 France 0.

Mac Allister breaks on the right and squares for Di Maria. Was that the knockout punch?! A double blow for an inspired Argentina. They are hungrier, they are sharper, they have the look of being possessed!

France have not had an answer. They are desperate for one.

December 18 2022 — 17:34

34th minute ... 12 minutes since the goal and it remains almost all Argentina ... the South Americans consolidating expertly, keeping possession and still looking dangerous. France look for a way back, and desperate to find some rhythm ... 

December 18 2022 — 17:22

23rd minute ... GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!! Messi hits low to the right of Lloris!!!!!! Argentina 1 France 0.

December 18 2022 — 17:21

22nd minute ... Penalty to Argentina!!! ... Dembele brings down Di Maria ... some doubts about genuine contact perhaps (we will look at the halftime highlights with interest) ... Messi to take ...

December 18 2022 — 17:19

19th minute ... Best chance for France so far ... Griezmann free-kick from the left of the area floated in and Giroud gets up to attack the cross powerfully with his header over the bar.

December 18 2022 — 17:17

17th minute ... But it's still Argentina decidedly in charge and dangerously sharp around the box as Di Maria skies one over the bar with space and time on his side.

December 18 2022 — 17:16

16th minute ... France stabilise to some extent as Mbappe gets an attacking movement in, but they're still largely second to the ball as Argentina dominate early possession and territory.

December 18 2022 — 17:05

5th minute ... Argentina push early on. After Alvarez has an early offside and he then has a back-heel to set up Alexi Mac Allister to shoot hard at Lloris from the edge of the box.

December 18 2022 — 17:00

And we're off ... Polish referee Szymon Marciniak blows kickoff for the 2022 World Cup between Argentina  and France at Lusail Stadium.

December 18 2022 — 16:58

Anthems completed, kickoff moments away, below is a taste of the closing ceremony ...

December 18 2022 — 16:49

And we're back, from the author's lounge. T minus about 11 minutes to kickoff and counting ...

December 18 2022 — 16:30

And the author's power is back as load-shedding in this part of Melville ends. Time to get the bill at IT Corner and sprint the 120-odd-metres home to the lounge. Bare with us for a sec ...  

December 18 2022 — 16:28 — Starting XIs: Di Maria starts for Argentina, usual suspects in for France

Angel Di Maria is starting for Argentina in their World Cup final clash against France as coach Lionel Scaloni opted for a 4-3-3 formation on Sunday.

December 18 2022 — 16:10

And there they are. The starting line-ups (see tweet below). No surprises from what I can make out. Di Maria comes back from injury for Argentina, France's players who missed trainings with a virus are back, including Varane ...   

(Feel free to tweet me if I'm missing anything ... @marc_strydom)

December 18 2022 — 16:00

And the closing ceremony of a memorable, super-competitive, intense World Cup (one of the best ever? ... the best even?) has started. We will post some pics as it goes along.

December 18 2022 — 15:54

I am your host, Marc Strydom, sports editor of TimesLIVE. And just a quick clarification for factual purposes is that I am not in Qatar in Lusail Stadium ... very unfortunately. 

Right now I am in IT Corner in Melville, Joburg, because I have load-shedding at home. I will move just before kickoff, when the power is back, to my lounge, also in Melville.

But no matter. Live updates are live updates, and will bring you the major moments of the final, the tweets, the social media comments, the colour  and  the action as they happen ... from my lounge. Not Lusail Stadium. Very unfortunately.

Roughly an hour and six minutes to kickoff. Excitement and tension building for these two great teams, and two great players, Messi and Mbappé, slugging it out (reminder ... 5pm kickoff SA time).

Now come on Fifa, where are those starting line-ups?

December 18 2022 — 15:40

Good day and welcome to the TimesLIVE blog for LIVE updates on the 2022 Qatar World Cup final between Argentina and France as it happens at Lusail Stadium (5pm kickoff SA time).

December 18 2022 — 13:33

IN PICS | Fans and dignitaries arriving for the big game

December 18 2022 — 13:20

Messi and Mbappé's battle for Golden Boot and Ball epic subplot to final

As if the battle of giants Argentina and France, who have progressed through epic contests to reach the final in one of the most competitive World Cups in memory, were not enough, the personal battle between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé provides an excellent subplot.

December 18 2022 — 11:45

OPINION | Perhaps football owes genius Messi the World Cup

He doesn’t have a divine or birthright to it but a strong argument can be made by football purists that somehow the sport “owes” Lionel Messi the Fifa World Cup.

A strong argument along those lines will be made by millions around the world who have been mesmerised by the outrageous football genius of the Argentine over the better part of the last decade as Argentina line up against France in Sunday's final at Lusail Stadium (5pm SA time).

It will be made by his fanatical followers and possibly the entire population of Argentina, the country that birthed this superstar footballer who broke records and defied the laws of physics with his genius on the football pitch.

December 18 2022 — 11:24

Scaloni tight-lipped on Argentina line-up ahead of World Cup final

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni kept his cards close to his chest when quizzed about his likely line-up as he prepares to face holders France in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Scaloni was evasive on Saturday when asked if he would deploy a three-man defence as he did for the quarterfinal against the Netherlands, to give right-back Nahuel Molina support against France's lightning-fast attacking star Kylian Mbappé.

“We already decided the strategy and we will play in a way in which we think we can hurt our rivals the most and suffer the least,” Scaloni said.

December 18 2022 — 10:05

All France players start training ahead of World Cup final

France's Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman, who missed training on Friday with a virus, were present at the start of Saturday's session on the eve of the World Cup final clash against Argentina.

The three players started the session, which was open to the media in the first 15 minutes.

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