NBA players praise Argentina’s Lionel Messi (right) and France’s Kylian Mbappe after a thrilling World Cup match on Sunday.
Superstar footballer Lionel Messi led Argentina to its third world title, defeating France in a thrilling 2022 World Cup Final on Sunday. The classic match ended in a penalty shootout, with Gonzalo Montiel scoring the clinching penalty kick to secure the win for Argentina after a 3-3 draw.
Messi scored two goals and then another in the shootout as Argentina claimed its first title since 1986 despite Kylian Mbappe of France scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.
Present and former NBA stars were in awe of Messi and Mbappe’s performances in the World Cup Final, praising the footballers during and after the final match on social media.
WOW!!!!!!!! MBAPPE 🔥🔥🔥🔥
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 18, 2022
WOW!! 🐐 MESSI ! pic.twitter.com/f88UbNXQmP
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 18, 2022
14.45hs. Argentina Campeón Mundial! Qué emoción!!
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) December 18, 2022
Fier de vous @equipedefrance 💪🏽🇫🇷❤️.
Vous avez rien laché.— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) December 18, 2022
Fier d’être français 🇫🇷
Merci @equipedefrance— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) December 18, 2022
Don’t get it twisted.. I KNOW @KMbappe IS LIKE THAT!
The next 🐐!— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 18, 2022
Messi 🙌🏾
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) December 18, 2022
G.O.A.T. https://t.co/Rd6EQYK01K
— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) December 18, 2022
Messi and Argentina!!! 🔥🔥🔥
p.s it was the last game Kuz 😂 https://t.co/39EJ2Bktns— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) December 18, 2022
Messi 🐐
— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) December 18, 2022
Messi🐐
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) December 18, 2022
Gotta get buddy the new one😂😂😂 https://t.co/vJI3olSLOA
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) December 18, 2022
Messi is 🐐🐐🐐
— Montrezl Harrell (@MONSTATREZZ) December 18, 2022
It’s only right that the #WorldCupFinal ends in PK’s! This is going to be an epic ending.
— DeAndre Jordan 🐺 (@DeAndre) December 18, 2022
This World Cup solidified Messi as the greatest ever
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) December 18, 2022
This game … 🇫🇷 Kylian!!!
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) December 18, 2022
MESSI 🫡🐐👏🏾👏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 18, 2022
FOOTBALL ⚽️ !
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) December 18, 2022
"Messi's the GOAT."🐐 pic.twitter.com/3Oef8qruKT
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 18, 2022
Joe Mazzulla just finished watching the #WorldCup final and said, "For a game to go down like that and to watch two superstars … I thought it was just cool to see the passion and the execution. It was fun."
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 18, 2022
