Key moments as Messi leads Argentina to World Cup glory against France

DOHA: Lionel Messi finally won the World Cup as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling World Cup final finished 3-3 after extra time in Qatar on Sunday (Dec 18).

AFP Sport highlights the key moments from the game at Lusail Stadium:

-- 23rd minute: Argentina take a 1-0 lead through a Messi penalty. Julian Alvarez pokes the ball out wide to Angel Di Maria, who skips past Ousmane Dembele and is caught inside the area by the backtracking France winger. Argentina are awarded their fifth spot-kick of the tournament, which Lionel Messi strokes home after committing Hugo Lloris to go the other way.

-- 36th minute: Argentina make it 2-0 after picking France apart with a devastating counter-attack finished off by Angel Di Maria. Alexis Mac Allister clips a first-time pass to Messi, who flicks out wide to Alvarez. Mac Alister continues his run and is played through by Alvarez, squaring for Di Maria to slot past Lloris.

-- 41st minute: France coach Didier Deschamps opts for a double substitution before half-time, knowing the final is getting away from his team. Olivier Giroud and Dembele are replaced by Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani.

-- 80th minute: France cut the score to 2-1 as Kylian Mbappe scores from the spot. Kolo Muani gets in behind Nicolas Otamendi and is fouled from behind by the Argentina centre-back. Mbappe drills low to the right of Emiliano Martinez, who gets a hand on it but cannot keep out France's first shot on target.

-- 81st minute: Mbappe strikes for the second time in as many minutes to bring France level. Kingsley Coman dispossesses Messi and finds Adrien Rabiot. He floats a ball towards Mbappe, who nods down to Thuram and then volleys the return pass first-time low into the corner.

-- 90th minute: Messi is denied at the death. The Argentina star has one final chance to win the game deep into stoppage time but his powerful 20-metre effort is tipped over by a flying Lloris.

-- 109th minute: Messi puts Argentina back in front at 3-2. Lautaro Martinez backheels Gonzalo Montiel's hack upfield to Messi. He lays off for Enzo Fernandez to play in Martinez, whose shot is superbly stopped by Lloris - but Messi is on hand to tuck away the rebound from close range.

-- 118th minute: Mbappe completes his hat-trick with another spot-kick as France equalise at 3-3. Mbappe's strike is blocked by the arm of Montiel and the striker goes the same way as his first penalty, burying it into the corner.

-- 120th minute: Kolo Muani has the chance to win the World Cup for France after latching onto a long ball over the top, but Martinez heroically sticks out his left leg to send the final to penalties.

-- Shootout: Martinez plunges to his right to save France's second attempt from Coman. Aurelien Tchouameni drags France's third effort wide. Montiel converts the winning kick as Argentina score all four of their penalties.

With the final whistle Messi hugged his family and team-mates after the match while coach Lionel Scaloni, Di Maria and Martinez could not contain their tears.

"It hasn't yet sunk in but this is a moment to enjoy, especially the people," Scaloni told the official World Cup media channel in Doha.

"We who live by this have had ups and downs, we're used to these things happening to us, taking blows," he added.