Seeing Lionel Messi in the crowds: The sadness of his last World Cup defeat to Saudi Arabia – the story of how Argentine won the tournament

The South American side was expected to brush aside its opponent, ranked 48 places below them in the world standings, and fans had come in droves to watch Messi put on a masterclass in what he says will be his last tournament.

The biggest upset in the World Cup’s history overshadowed the Argentine captain, as he watched Saudi Arabia celebrate its win.

Messi was one of two players to speak to the media as his teammates rushed by reporters on the way to the bus.

In the grand scheme of the tournament, a loss in the opening match isn’t necessarily the end of the world – after all, Spain won the 2010 World Cup after losing its opening match of the tournament to Switzerland.

Argentina will still likely qualify for the knockout rounds if it wins both of its next games against Poland and Mexico but the defeat was felt particularly hard at home.

A huge crowd of fans chanting ” Dale Campen, Dale Campen” welcomed Messi with joy after he arrived at his house by car.

This is not the Argentina of old, constantly trying to give Messi the ball, often at the cost of other brilliant attackers. Instead, a team of functional, hard-working players keep the game ticking by until Messi decides he wants to influence the game.

CNN heard fans joking about Lionel Messi missing the game and asking the volunteers if they had seen him.

Many fans who had just left the stadium continued to sing until their voices began to break.

Antoine Mbappe and the French goal difference in the final game of the World Cup final after a public holiday in Saudi Arabia on Sunday

The world came to terms with the result after Saudi Arabia ordered a national public holiday on Wednesday.

After all the hype heading into Sunday’s showdown, it was Argentina who started the better of the two teams, aggressively pressing France and forcing it into mistakes.

Argentina and France both have four players in the tournament that scored at least one goal, but neither team has been defined by their scoring prowess.

Lionel Scaloni, the coach for Argentina, was emotional after the game and struggled to control his emotions as his players embraced him.

Mbappé was defending France’s 2018 win at the tournament in Russia, while 35-year-old Messi was playing in his final World Cup match, looking to claim the trophy which had eluded him for so long.

Argentina and many other people around the world would hope that Lionel Messi could win the World Cup, so we will do everything we can to achieve our objective.

The build-up to the game was not ideal, but France will look toMbappe to light the match up. Several players, including central defensive pair Ibrahima Konaté and Raphaël Varane, as well as midfielder Adrien Rabiot, were infected with a virus that has hit the French camp.

Konaté, Varane and winger Kingsley Coman all missed collective training on Friday, and Deschamps said there was no further update to give on the eve of the game.

At the last World Cup, there was a teenager who scored in a World Cup final for the first time.

The man has five goals and two assists in this tournament, which is one more than he had in the whole of last year.

While he has not scored in the previous two games, his influence has been felt. Against Morocco, despite not scoring, his mere presence was instrumental in both France goals in the 2-0 win.

Both Messi and Mbappé have scored five goals this World Cup and across the last two tournaments have both scored or assisted eleven goals each, more than anyone else.

The fate of a hero: Jean Montiel, a superstar in Argentina’s best player, in the 2018 World Cup

The last time the two teams played was at the 2018 World Cup. The best game of the tournament was played in the round of 16 where France beat them 4-3.

Argentina has had a much higher percent of possession across the tournament, but showed that against the best teams, it prefers to have less of the ball.

When playing football, Les Bleus looks at its best. Using Giroud’s strength and Mbappé’s speed, the French can dominate any defense on the transition.

Argentina does not move the ball as fast as they would like, but they still prefer to keep control of the game and not try to control it with the ball.

It is more likely that both teams will dominate the ball for periods of the game while surrendering control at other times.

Both Messi and Mbappé seem too good to stop once they have the ball and so the game will be won or lost on each team’s capacity to stop either superstar from receiving the ball.

As the dust settled from the final, Messi was left with the golden trophy that Argentina had worked so hard to win.

Kylian Mbappe scored two goals late in the game to cancel out an Argentina’s 2-0 lead in the Lusail Stadium.

Messi’s penalty and Angel di Maria’s first-half goal looked to have settled the tie in normal time but Mbappé scored two late goals – one from the penalty spot – in as many minutes to draw France level.

The Argentine goalie saved his country in the shootout, denying Aurelien Tchouameni before Coman pulled his effort wide.

He was a hero on Sunday when he had a wonderful save in the last moments of extra time that could have been the winner.

The game went to sudden death, with Montiel scoring the winning penalty after the game had finished 3-3 after extra time.

France’s Kingsley Coman saw his spot kick saved by Emiliano Martinez, who was named as the tournament’s best goalkeeper, and Aurelien Tchouameni pulled his effort wide before Montiel secured Argentina’s third World Cup title and a first since 1986.

He has staked his claim as the greatest player of all time by matching Diego Maradona, his hero, who led Argentina to the World Cup 36 years ago.

The Moment of History of Kylian Mbappe vs. Kylian Messi in the Group Stage of the 2011 FIFA World Cup Finale

Messi picked up pockets of space and instigated attacks, while Mbappé did not see much of the ball in the opening stages.

In the 23rd minute, Di Maria was adjudged to have been brought down in the box by Ousmane Dembele. Once the penalty was awarded, all eyes turned to Messi.

The goal saw Messi become the first player to score in the group stage, round of 16, quaterfinals, semifinals and final of a single World Cup, according to Opta.

The substitution of Dembele and Giroud made little difference, as Argentina maintained its domination into the second half.

But just when it looked like the trophy was heading to Argentina, France was handed a lifeline after Randal Kolo Muani was brought down in the box and talisman Mbappé, who was peripheral for much of the match, scored the resulting penalty in the 80th minute.

It will be remembered for many things, including Messi’s moment of history, the seesaw nature of the game that raged from end to end and the fact thatMbapp was the only one in the match who didn’t score a goal.

The pièce de resistance, a moment that will live long in the memory like an impressionistic masterpiece, is that iconic image of Messi – lifted aloft on his teammates’ shoulders – with the World Cup trophy finally in his hands.

This match had been billed as Kylian Mbappé vs. Messi – the 23-year-old French star ready to assume the mantle of the world’s greatest player from his 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain teammate.

Argentina went up on France thanks to a Messi penalty and a Di Maria goal, before France came back with two goals of their own, tying the game at 2-2 at the end of the first half.

The two players that played over two hours were demonstrating the beautiful game in vivid, glorious technicolor.

The Uruguay – West Germany hat-trick at the 1966 World Cup final triggered by a penalty shootout: From Brazil to Uruguay, and back again

One team had already experienced the intensity of that pressure cooker atmosphere and the other team had not, so they emerged from the other side.

Argentina got the better of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in an epic which culminated in a penalty shootout, and one which saw the South American team display distraction and delaying tactics to arguably mentally monster their opponents.

A penalty shootout is arguably unlike anything else in sports – it’s a modern day duel and a World Cup final with so much at stake only heightens the tension and drama.

It was in the 35th minute, when a flick round the corner from Alexis Mac Allister to Messi, relieved some pressure on the Argentina defense as France pushed for an equalizer.

After his penalty reduced the deficit to 2-1, a neat one-two with Marcus Thuram had the ball falling to the PSG star out of the sky on the edge of Argentina’s penalty area.

In 1950, Uruguay upset Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, while four years later, West Germany provided another huge surprise, beating Hungary’s Magical Magyars, earning the country its first World Cup title.

The 1966 World Cup final had its first hat-trick by a player, by England’sGeoff Hurst. The second goal of Hurst is still a topic of discussion 56 years later. It did, according to the game’s officials and England won 4-2.

Four years later in Munich, host West Germany came from behind to win 2-1 against a star-studded Netherlands team – made up of Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens – to win its second World Cup.

Much like Messi at Qatar 2022, Diego Maradona almost single-handedly drove his team to its second title in eight years, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final.

In 1998, France hosted and won its first World Cup, mainly down to the genius of Zinedine Zidane, who scored twice in the final, to beat a formidable Brazil side, composed of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Cafu, Bebeto and Roberto Carlos.

The First Soccer Player Arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina: A Momentous Day in the Life of a World Cup Champion and a Historical Moment for Argentina

huge crowds lined the streets of Buenos Aires in the early hours of Tuesday morning to celebrate the return of the World Cup-winning squad.

The players were on their way to Argentina’s capital in the middle of the night when they were beamed at as they disembarked from their plane. Messi was the first one out, carrying the World Cup trophy, flanked by coach Lionel Scaloni, who put his arm around the captain as they walked past a sign that read, “Thank you, champions.”

As the team bus left the airport, it was swarmed by fans dressed in blue and white. Videos show the bus inching forward slowly behind a police escort, surrounded by tens of thousands of people waving the Argentine flag and setting off firecrackers in the night.

Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to line the streets of the capital later on Tuesday, which has been declared a national holiday, for the team’s victory parade following their thrilling penalty shootout victory over France in Qatar on Sunday.

Crowds of supporters had camped out at the training site on Monday ahead of the team’s arrival, with photos showing fans spilling out of cars parked on its grounds. Some sat on blankets while others lounged on chairs around the coolers.

Argentina has lost in three of the last four major finals, all of which were in the past two years – the World Cup and the Copa America.

Those losses prompted Messi at one point to announce his retirement from international football – though the almost-unanimous national outcry convinced him to reverse track, before wining the Copa América in 2021.

“I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni after the match Sunday, according to Reuters.

“I am proud of the work they did,” he added, fighting back tears as he was embraced by his players. “I want to tell people to enjoy, it’s a historic moment for our country.”

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A parade to celebrate the Argentine World Cup champions was abruptly cut short Tuesday as millions of people poured onto thoroughfares, highways and overpasses in a chaotic attempt to catch a glimpse of the national team that won one of the great World Cup finals of all time.

The world champion flew over the route on helicopters, because it was impossible to travel land due to the explosion of people’s happiness, said the spokesman for the president.

After flying over key points of Buenos Aires where fans had gathered, the helicopters returned to the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association outside the capital.

Overflow crowds in buenos aires forced the end of a world cup celebration parade: “It was like a burst for the world cup,” said M. Benavdez

Diego Benavdez said the government didn’t organize the event properly so they could all celebrate. They stole the World Cup.

The parade was halted after the people jumped from the bridge onto the open-top bus. One made it inside the bus, the other fell onto the pavement.

The changeup of plans was blamed by the football association head. “The same security organisms that were escorting us are not allowing us to move forward,” Tapia wrote on social media. I apologize for all of the champion players.

Toward nightfall, when most of the fans had already poured out of downtown Buenos Aires, there were isolated clashes between a few stragglers and law enforcemen. At least eight people were injured, according to local media reports.

The incidents began when firefighters went to the Obelisk, the iconic Buenos Aires landmark that is the traditional site of celebrations, to evict a few people who had broken their way inside the monument.

The World Cup and the team’s performance brought some much-needed good news for a nation that has been stuck in a tough economic situation for years, with nearly half of the population living in poverty.

“There’s an immense union among all Argentines — unity, happiness. Victoria Roldn said it was as if you can breathe another air and have another energy in the air. “My body and heart are about to burst.”

The 32-year-old and her sister, Mariana, were excited to see Messi in action because they had replicas of the World Cup.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/21/1144625866/overflow-crowds-in-buenos-aires-forced-the-end-of-a-world-cup-celebration-parade

Leo Roldán, president of the Argentina Football Association, and a key figure in Uruguay’s 1980 World Cup soccer team, whose victory was celebrated in Plaza de Mayo

“We’re dying to see him,” Roldán said. “Seeing him with that smile and bright eyes fills our hearts with joy and happiness.” I think that Leo has deserved it for years, and this was his moment.”

The players were all smiles as they watched the multitudes hostling to get as close as possible to the bus. An estimated 4 million people were in the streets by Tuesday afternoon, according to local media citing police sources.

The President wrote on his social media account that he celebrated the way the people took to the streets to honor the squad.

Celebrating fans took over highways, avenues and the access routes into the capital as temperatures climbed to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

The song “Muchachos,” which was written by a fan and became a popular unofficial anthem for the Argentine team at the World Cup, filled the streets as fans joined in singing it over and over again.

Some fans also paid tribute to Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, the captain of the 1986 squad that won the World Cup and who died two years ago, with flags bearing his name and face. “This is for Diego, who’s seeing it from heaven,” fans chanted.

This is a party. Yael Torchinsky said he didn’t remember the last time Argentina was a champion. I want to live this as hard as possible because the people of Argentina need this happiness.

By mid-afternoon, fans started filling up Plaza de Mayo in front of Government House, amid rumors the players might go there for a reprise of the festivities for Argentina’s 1986 World Cup victory that were held there. Fernández’s administration had offered the palatial mansion, popularly known as the Casa Rosada, or Pink House, according to Security Minister Aníbal Fernández.

It took the bus an hour to travel the 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the airport to AFA headquarters, where the players were welcomed with fireworks, and then spent the night. In the morning, Messi posted a photo on social media showing him hugging the World Cup trophy next to him while he slept.

Argentine national soccer team stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, along with coach Lionel Scaloni, were forced to fly in a helicopter over the center of Buenos Aires after their bus got stuck in the massive crowds gathered to watch the parade celebrating the country’s World Cup victory, Argentine federal police said on Tuesday.

A bus carrying the entire team departed from the Argentine Football Association’s (AFA) headquarters and was set to head to the Obelisk, a historic monument in the capital.

However, the bus was not able to progress due to crowds gathered on the streets, Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association said on Tuesday.

They were escorted to the Obelisk by security agencies and won’t allow them to go to greet all of the people there.

On the return of Messi and Di Mara to their native city Rosario, Sante Fe, Argentina, according to InfoFunes

According to Argentine outlet InfoFunes, Messi and Ángel Di María flew back to their districts in their native city of Rosario, Sante Fe province, by helicopter after arriving by plane to Rosario’s local airport.