Golden Boot goes to France but Golden Gloves and Ball and, most importantly, the 18 carat gold World Cup trophy went Argentina’s way as FIFA confirm tournament awards

  • Sun, Dec 18 2022
World Cup Trophy in front of Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar

World Cup Trophy in front of Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar Credit: Tom Dulat/FIFA/Getty Images

They said it would be Messi v Mbappe and so it proved. However while the Frenchman scored a hat-trick in the World Cup Final to secure the Golden Boot, it was the Argentinian skipper who inspired his country to win their third World Cup in a breath-taking final.

Lionel Messi also won the Golden Ball awarded to the best player in a final where he scored twice with his 26th appearance in a World Cup put him top of the all-time record appearance charts for the tournament.

Argentina looked like they’d won the game, only to concede two late goals and lose all momentum. Messi’s goal early in the second half of extra-time seemed the winner, only for Mbappe to peg them back in the 118th minute.

France then failed in the penalty shoot-out despite having the advantage of going first.

Both Messi and Mbappe scored their spot kicks but Emi Martinez – who won the Golden Glove award for the tournament – saved from Kingsley Colman and, along with Tchouameni’s miss, that proved crucial with Gonzalo Martinez scoring the winner in the shoot-out.

Messi was carried around the Lusail Stadium shoulder high with the World Cup trophy afterwards while his manager Lionel Scaloni came into the post-match press conference in an Argentina jersey now with three stars above the crest.

Scaloni became the youngest coach to win the World Cup at the age of just 44 years and 216 days

Enzo Fernandez won the Young Player Award and, fair play to them, to round out the awards you may wish to know that England won the FIFA Fair Play Trophy.

 

 



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