The score was tied 3–3. Now the match came down to a penalty kick shootout. Gonzalo Montiel of Argentina faced France's goalkeeper. The kick went left. The goalie missed the block. SCORE! Argentina had won the 2022 World Cup! The fans went crazy!

Argentina had beaten France. Lionel Messi had played like the legend he is. So had France's superstar, Kylian Mbappé. It was an electric finish to a thrilling tournament. Many fans are calling it the most exciting final ever.

A Cup Full of Firsts

The 2022 World Cup made history in many ways. It was the first hosted by an Arab country. It was the first held in the Middle East. It was also the first men's World Cup with women referees.

There were many surprises, too. Belgium and Germany have always been top teams. This time, they were knocked out early. Brazil was one of the favorites to win it all. But the team lost to Croatia. Argentina lost its very first match. But the team wasn't done.

Morocco proved to be one of the biggest surprises. The team played strong defense to beat Spain and Portugal. Morocco made it to the semifinals. That means it was one of four teams left. It was the first team from Africa to do that. But its amazing run ended against France, 2–1.France had won the World Cup in 2018. Now it faced Argentina.