Which nations have won the World Cup after losing opening game?

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :December 19, 2022 at 8:21 PM

Modified at :December 19, 2022 at 9:05 PM

Which nations have won the World Cup after losing opening game?

Lionel Messi finally laid his hands on the most prestigious trophy of football last night

Argentina prevailed on penalties following a surreal World Cup encounter which Argentina and France pursued until the bloody end. As neither team could be separated, the game was settled on penalties, with Argentina winning 4-2.

This game tugged on everyone's nerves, with Argentina leading 2-0 in the first half and then Mbappe's magic in the 80th and 81st minutes to bring the match into extra time.

Lionel Messi once again opened the path for Argentina as he put them in front in 108 minutes of extra-time, but the 23-year-old did not let Argentina's fans breathe easy as France were given a penalty in the 118th minute, with Mbappe converting from the spot to become only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.

Every moment Argentina sensed they had a glimmer of hope to win the World Cup, Mbappe stepped in to crush their belief, and the game eventually came down to penalties.

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Argentina hero Martinez, who made a crucial 1v1 stop in the 123rd minute to refute France the winner, showed his mental fortitude between the sticks and denied Kingsley Coman, while Aurelien Tchouameni glided his penalty wide as all Argentina players successfully converted their penalty and won the third World Cup since 1986.

Argentina became only the second country to win the World Cup despite losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in the opening match of World Cup 2022.

Spain were the first country to lose the opening game 1-0 to Switzerland and then go on to win the World Cup by defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final.

Do you believe Messi will win his eighth Ballon d'Or given that he has won every medal in his career?

Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.