World Cup Awards: Messi Wins Best Player, Mbappe Takes Home Golden Boot
The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup drew to a close on Sunday with one of the best final games ever at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
In the end, it was Argentina who got the better of France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after an enthralling game ended 3-3 after extra time.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi now has the one trophy that had previously eluded his illustrious career, cementing his position as the greatest footballer the world has ever seen.
A number of awards were given out at the end of the rournament, with the biggest of them all given to Argentina's iconic number 10.
Best Player: Lionel Messi
It just had to be him on the grandest stage of all. Messi's name will forever be engraved on the Qatar 2022 World Cup just as predecessor Diego Maradona headlined Argentina's triumph in 1986.
The Paris Saint Germain superstar finished with seven goals and three assists, winning five man-of-the-match awards and becoming the first player to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, semi-finals and final at the same World Cup tournament.
Top Scorer: Kylian Mbappe
What A Player! For so long in Sunday's final, Mbappe looked anonymous but then burst into life with two goals in a trice to pull France level from two goals down.
The 23-year-old added one more in second half extra time to become just the second player after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a World Cup final hattrick.
Mbappe finished with eight goals in Qatar and the silver ball for second best player of the tournament.
Best Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
Argentina's safest pair of hands saved from Kingsley Coman in the penalty shootout but his most important save came in the dying embers of second half extra time when he blocked a certain winner from Randal Kolo Muani.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper kept three clean sheets in seven games in Qatar.
Best Young Player: Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez won best young player after a string of impressive performances in midfield for Argentina.
The 21-year-old Benfica man scored a beauty against Mexico in the group stages and featured in all seven of Argentina's games in Qatar.
