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Argentina made a tactical change in the starting XI to get Angel Di Maria in as a winger and it has already paid off for the South American side as the veteran drew a penalty in the 22nd minute. Lionel Messi stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, giving Argentina 1-0 lead in the 2022 World Cup final.
PENALTY FOR ARGENTINA pic.twitter.com/F8j2rhZHMq
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
MESSI PUTS ARGENTINA OUT IN FRONT pic.twitter.com/kZkUvRUXC9
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 18, 2022
Messi now takes the lead in the Golden Boot race with six goals across the World Cup, but none are bigger than this one. The legend was always a favorite to either get a goal or assist given his usage rate for Argentina, and he pays off on DraftKings Sportsbook’s anytime goalscorer prop which had him listed at +160.
Di Maria has been creating a lot of problems for France on the left side against Theo Hernandez and Ousmane Dembele. We’ll see if Argentina go back to that in key moments of this match.