Now that the world cup is over, it is time to look back on all of the amazing moments we’ve had over the last month. From the surprise exits from Brazil, Spain and Portugal, to Morocco being the first country from Africa to make it to the semi finals, this tournament has been nothing less than entertaining. The United States even made it to the round of 16 before going out against Netherlands in a fantastic game played.

Before the final that took place on Sunday, December 18, there were endless amounts of amazing moments that took place. There were so many twists and turns that led the tournament to where it ended. Two out of the four teams in the semi finals were major underdogs, in Croatia and Morocco. They ended up facing off in the third place game, ending with Croatia winning 2-1. However, the biggest moments happened in the final. Both Argentina and France were huge favorites to win, so there was no doubt this final would be jam packed with action.

These teams really fought for their lives in this game. It all started in the twenty third minute of the match, when Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored a penalty kick, opening the goals of the match. This was closely followed by an open play goal from Angel Di Maria in the thirty-sixth minute to make the score 2-0 in favor of Argentina. The game was relatively quiet until the eightieth minute when French superstar Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in a matter of three minutes. This caused scenes of chaos in both the stadium and in fan’s homes around the world. The game then went into extra time, resulting in Messi getting his second goal of the game and Mbappe completing his hat trick. The game then went to penalties, which was beyond stressful at the stadium, and nerve wracking to watch for fans at home. However, Argentina ultimately came out victorious, winning 4-2 on penalties, making this one of the greatest finals in World Cup history.

This was the end of an era for so many loved players across the sport, however, fans globally are ultimately happy that Messi finally got his international victory, as it rounds out his legendary career. He ended up winning the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. This is his second time winning that award. He ended the tournament with seven goals and three assists. Kylian Mbappe also had an outstanding tournament, winning the Golden Boot award, for the most goals in the tournament, with a mind blowing eight goals. Finally, Argentina goalkeeper Emilliano Martinez won the Golden Glove award, for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament, especially after his outstanding performance in the final.

Overall, this was a tournament for the ages, amazing from start to finish. Outstanding job to all the teams that competed, especially to the teams that made it far. This was one of the best World Cups ever, especially that our generation has witnessed. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next four years, and I certainly am very excited to see the World Cup happen on North American soil!