David

Argentina were crowned World Cup Qatar 2022 winners after edging past France in a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win after the contest ended 3-3 after extra time. Leo hit a brace and landed the Man of the Match award. This triumph represents the Albiceleste’s third world crown following their successes in 1978 and 1986.

Leo ends the tournament as the only player in World Cup history to have found the net in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a single World Cup tournament.

Leo and Argentina will do battle with France on Sunday in the World Cup final at the Lusail Stadium in a showdown in which both teams go in search of a third world crown. The Albiceleste, who are contesting their sixth final, have got the better of the French in six of the sides' 12 meetings, recording three defeats and draws apiece in the remaining encounters.

Leo heads into the showpiece with five goals and three assists in his six outings on Arab soil, where he has claimed several records, including the record World Cup appearance-maker (25) and Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer in the competition (11). As for his record against the French, Leo has a goal and two assists to his name in his two career appearances against France.

Leo's goal and assist against Croatia in the World Cup semi-final guided Argentina through the final and it also saw him set some new records.

His strike in the final-four encounter made him the national team’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer on 11 goals, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta’s tally of ten. Meanwhile, Leo also drew level with Lothar Matthäus as the tournament’s leading appearance-maker (25), while he now lies alongside Maradona and Pelé at the top of the World Cup assist charts (eight).

Argentina have booked their place in the World Cup final after running out 3-0 winners over Croatia in a game in which Leo scored once and provided an assist.

Leo now has five goals and three assists to his name so far in the tournament. Argentina will tomorrow find out who they will meet in the showpiece when the second semi-final, between Morocco and France, is played.

Argentina go in search of a place in the World Cup final when they take on Croatia at the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday. The Albiceleste have reached this stage of the tournament on four occasions and have always prevailed (against the USA, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands). The Argentines have faced the Croats five times (W2, L2, D1).

Leo comes into the final-four clash with four goals and two assists in his five outings on Qatari soil. Incidentally, his first goal for the national team came against Croatia in March 2006.

According to Opta, the assists that Leo provided in the quarter-final contest against the Netherlands mean that he is now the leading assist-provider in World Cup knockout ties. Leo, with five assists to his name, surpassed Pelé, who led the ranking with four, while he now sits level with Diego Maradona on eight World Cup assists.