Argentina defeated France in penalty kicks to win the World Cup title, marking the first time in a long time that the South American nation won the title. The last time Argentina won the World Cup was 1986, when it defeated Germany to win its second title in three tournaments.
That team was led by Diego Maradona, who is arguably the greatest player in Argentine history. However, Lionel Messi may have unseat Maradona with a win over France, as scored two goals while also burying his penalty kick try.
Argentina has come close to winning twice since its 1986 victory, making the World Cup final in both 1990 and 2014. In both instances, it was Germany that kept Argentina from collecting another championship.
A win for Argentina means it now has three total titles, the fourth-best total in the men’s World Cup, and only two behind Brazil’s five for the most all time.
