Everyone says Lionel Messi completed football when he won the World Cup, and that’s not far from the truth. The Argentine had always lived in the shadows of his predecessor, Diego Maradona, as far as the most important individual football prize was concerned. However, he stepped out of that shadow the moment the final whistle went off in the final against France at the last World Cup.
This may not have been possible had Randal Kolo-Muani converted the late chance he got, which could have turned the tide of the match in favor of France. Reflecting on the game, Randal Kolo-Muani has claimed that moment will forever stay in his life, as that miss handed Lionel Messi the golden opportunity to be immortalized.
Kolo-Muani looked back on his chance to shatter Messi’s World Cup dream
Lionel Messi may not have been enjoying the great year he’s having in terms of individual awards had Randal Kolo-Muani converted his last-minute chance to win the World Cup final for France at the last World Cup. With the game tied at 3-3 and a few seconds to go, Randal Kolo-Muani was through on goal, and his shot was saved by Emiliano Martinez, which forced the match into penalties, which Argentina eventually won.
Looking back on the event, PSG’s new boy claims he still thinks about the game, and it may stick with him for the rest of his life.
“I still watch it; I know it off by heart,” the former Frankfurt striker told beIN Sports. “In my head, I said to myself, ‘Randal, you have to shoot now.’ I tried to shoot towards the near post, but the goalkeeper made a very good save. But there were other options. I could have lobbed him or found Kylian Mbappe. However, at that moment, I didn’t see him. It’s only when you watch back that you discover these other options. It’s too late. It still sticks in my throat and it’ll be there for life,” the PSG new boy added.
One year since Messi conquered his final peak
Lionel Messi conquered football last year when he lifted the World Cup after beating France in the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Barcelona legend had spent his entire career chasing international glory, and after a few triumphs in the Copa America, the FIFA World Cup became the goal.
Lionel Messi and Argentina began their World Cup campaign with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia before going on an unbeaten run to make the final against France.
The final between Argentina and France will go down as one of the most entertaining World Cup final games in the tournament’s history, as both sides played out a 3-3 draw after extra time before Lionel Messi’s Argentina beat France in the penalty shootout.
The World Cup triumph has brought Lionel Messi some good tidings, with the former PSG playmaker claiming his eighth Ballon d’Or award before being recently named TIME’s Athlete of the Year for 2023, the first time ever for a soccer player.
Will Lionel Messi be playing in the next World Cup? Tell us what you think in the comments.
