Two Years Since Argentina's Title Win in Qatar

Argentina's national team arrived in Qatar with an impressive unbeaten streak of 36 matches, fresh from victories in the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 Finalissima. The squad, buoyed by their form, harbored hopes of breaking a 36-year drought without a World Cup triumph.

However, the tournament's opening did not go as planned, suffering a shocking 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia—one of the biggest surprises in football history.

Early in the tournament, Argentina found themselves calculating results, reminiscent of their struggles in the 2018 World Cup, praying for the right outcomes to secure a top position in their group. Argentine News Agency reflects on this historic sporting moment.

In their second match, tensions ran high against a Mexico side that defended deeply, denying the Argentinians the spaces they needed. Reeling from their earlier setback against Saudi Arabia, the team appeared far from the collective level shown in the months prior.

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All eyes turned to Lionel Messi, and at 64 minutes, he broke the deadlock with a low shot that was unsaveable for Mexico’s goalkeeper Guillermo 'Memo' Ochoa. This was one of the loudest cheers for the 'Pulga'. Enzo Fernández sealed the deal with a stunning goal in the dying minutes of the match.

In the Round of 16, Argentina faced Australia, who reached this stage for the first time in 16 years. The match seemed to be well in hand following goals from Messi in the first half and Julián Álvarez in the second. However, an own goal from Lisandro Martínez complicated matters, and the Argentinians squandered several chances for a third goal. Australia threatened with a last-minute opportunity, but Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez made his first significant save.

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The quarter-final against the Netherlands will be remembered for decades, marked by immense tension, clashes between players, Messi's celebration reminiscent of Riquelme, and his iconic shout, 'What are you looking at, fool?'

Argentina faced their first real test against a strong side led by Louis Van Gaal, with whom South American players have often clashed. In the lead-up, Van Gaal made bold statements about Messi.

The 'Scaloneta' took the lead with a goal from Nahuel Molina after a brilliant assist from Messi, who later extended the margin from the penalty spot. But it was Wout Weghorst, the unexpected villain, who equalized with a quick double, pushing the match to extra time.

That historic encounter was finally decided on penalties, with Martínez emerging as the hero by saving the first two Dutch attempts, securing Argentina's place in the semi-finals.

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In the semi-finals, Argentina faced Croatia, who had upset Brazil in the previous round. The Europeans dominated early, but the tide turned after the half-hour mark. Messi opened the scoring from the spot, and Julián Álvarez added another after an impressive 50-meter run. The scoring was capped off by Álvarez again, who simply pushed the ball into the net following a dazzling display from Messi that left Josko Gvardiol, the tournament's standout defender, in his wake.

Thus, Argentina avenged their previous World Cup loss to Croatia in the group stage four years earlier.

On December 18, 2022, the Lusail Iconic Stadium hosted what many consider the greatest final in World Cup history. Argentina played 77 flawless minutes, dominating France and taking a 2-0 lead with a Messi penalty and a beautiful team goal finished by Ángel Di María.

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That’s when the tension crept in. Kylian Mbappé pulled one back from the penalty spot after a seemingly innocuous foul by Nicolás Otamendi on Randal Kolo Muani. The French star equalized just two minutes later with a powerful volley that Martínez couldn't stop.

After a psychological shake-up from those goals, Argentina regained their lead at the 108-minute mark through Messi, but the match had to be settled via penalties as Mbappé scored another from the spot after a handball by Gonzalo Montiel in the 117th minute.

Before the penalties commenced, Argentina endured a nerve-wracking few minutes where they could have lost: a near-goal from a corner, an incredible save by Martínez during a one-on-one with Kolo Muani, and a crucial clearance from Paulo Dybala just in time to deny a dazzling individual run from Mbappé.

With Argentine hearts racing, 'Dibu' once again became a giant during the penalties, complete with celebration antics, leading Argentina to a 4-2 victory and their third World Cup title.

This is how, exactly two years ago today, Lionel Messi's Argentina won the greatest final in history.