Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, acknowledged that he was one of the many people who watched the dramatic World Cup final on Sunday, in which Argentina defeated France on penalties.
After a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Monday in Minsk, Putin told reporters, “As for the game, I watched it from the point when the score was already 2-2.
“I watched extra time. Then, of course, I couldn’t resist calling the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez to congratulate him.”
Argentina, according to Putin, is a true “football country” in every way, and the people there “love their players, especially the leaders,” he added. They merited this triumph, in my opinion.
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The Lusail Stadium in Qatar hosted a spectacular match that earned plaudits from the Russian president for both teams.
With a 2-0 advantage as the game entered its last 10 minutes, Argentina appeared to be in complete control. However, Kylian Mbappe and France responded with two goals in as many minutes.
In extra time, Argentine captain Lionel Messi gave his team the lead once more, but Mbappe tied the score once more to force a penalty shootout.
Argentina won the shootout 4-2 over the defending champs, proving that their day had finally come.
“Both teams played brilliantly, so I must say a big thank you to them,” added Putin.
“There was such drama, they fought until the very last second. They fought very worthily. But the strongest [team] won.”
Following victories in 1978 and 1986, Argentina’s triumph in Qatar marked their third overall World Cup victory.
A long-awaited victory by Argentina under Captain Messi, who finally followed in the footsteps of the late Diego Maradona, caused euphoric scenes among the massive Argentinean contingent in Qatar and millions more back in South America.
When France overcame Croatia to win the World Cup for the second time in their history, Putin was there at the 2018 Moscow World Cup final.
