NEW YORK: Lionel Messi became the first footballer in history to start three FIFA World Cup finals as a key player.
Argentinian captain played his 3rd world cup final in New York against Spain on Sunday.
He had also won the FIFA World Cup 2022 and remained runner-up by losing against Germany in the 2014 WC final.
The Argentinian star played all three finals as a starting player rather than a substitute. He is the only player in history to achieve that milestone.
Similarly, Kylian Mbappe won his 2nd golden boot by scoring 2 goals in the third-place match against England, scoring 10 goals in the whole tournament.
Mbappe and Messi were equal after the semi-finals with 8 goals each, but Mbappe scored 2 more goals against England in the 3rd place match, and Messi could not score any goals in the final game.
The French Captain won his 1st golden boot in the FIFA World Cup 2022 by scoring 8 goals in total, with a hat trick in the final game.
Additionally, the FIFA World Cup came to an end with Spain beating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
Spain won its 2nd WC after 16 years by scoring in the 106th minute. Spanish striker Ferran Torres scored the winning goal on the assist of Nico Williams. Both were substitutes at the start of the game.
Spanish Captain and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri lifted the trophy. Spain won its 1st WC in 2010 by winning against the Netherlands under the captaincy of Iker Casillas.
