Triumphant Argentina concludes unprecedented FIFA World Cup
- Record-setting numbers for highest-scoring tournament ever
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Lionel Messi awarded Golden Ball, Kylian Mbappé gets the Golden Boot
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Football united the world
Victorious Argentina held aloft the hallowed FIFA World Cup trophy last night before a packed house of 88,966 inside a resplendent Lusail Stadium, drawing the curtain on an epic, unforgettable and unprecedented tournament. Goals. Drama. Legacy-altering performances. This one had them all. The final between holders France and inspired Argentina, with the South Americans backed by their huge contingent of fervent supporters, also produced a showdown between the tournament’s star players, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.
Here are some facts and figures from this remarkable FIFA World Cup.
- Argentine captain Messi hoisted the coveted winner’s trophy for the first time in his storied career, while notching his record 26th FIFA World Cup appearance and winning the Adidas Golden Ball Award along the way.
- Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup Final, where he also held his nerve to convert his spot kick in the decisive penalty shootout, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 8 goals, to take home the Adidas Golden Boot.
- His second-half volley to level the scores at 2-2 was clocked at 123.34 km/h, making it the most powerful scoring shot in the tournament.
- The six-goal final helped make it the highest-scoring FIFA World Cup ever. A total of 172 goals were scored, eclipsing the previous tournament record of 171 goals, achieved in 1998 and 2014.