After leading Argentina to a thrilling victory over France in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium, Lionel Messi “finished football” and gave the nation its long-awaited prize haul. Messi and Di Maria’s goals in the first half to tie the game and force overtime were cancelled out by Kylian Mbappe’s spectacular late double in a span of just 97 seconds. Commenting on the same, Pele wrote a beautiful tweet.
In order to negate Messi’s second goal of the game, the 23-year-old scored an equaliser twice. Argentina eventually won the World Cup championship after defeating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout. Following the match, Pele, a legendary soccer player from Brazil, posted a million-dollar tribute to Messi on social media while also expressing sympathy for his “dear friend” Mbappe.
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Pele praised Argentina and acknowledged that Messi deserved to take home the prize. Along with that, he praised Mbappe for becoming the first player since 1966 to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final. Additionally, he reserved special appreciation for Morocco’s fantastical run to the semifinals.
“Today, football still tells its tale in a captivating way, just as it always has. Messi’s first World Cup victory was something his career trajectory merited. In the championship, my close friend Mbappé scored four goals. What a privilege it was to see this show for our sport’s future. I also had to commend Morocco for their outstanding campaign. It’s wonderful to see Africa prosper. Argentina, congratulations! Diego is undoubtedly smiling right now,” Pele wrote.
On Sunday, Mbappe had the goal of becoming the youngest World Cup champion since Pele. The 23-year-old was denied the honour for the second time in his career by Messi’s Argentina, but Mbappe finally tied Pele’s record for most goals scored in World Cups. With 12 goals each, they are currently tied for sixth place.
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When Messi and Mbappe return to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month to start their Ligue 1 campaigns, they will share a locker room while being opponents on the field on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium.
