10 things you need to know today: December 19, 2022

Argentina wins the World Cup led by superstar Lionel Messi, Putin visits Belarus to meet with his top ally in Russia's war in Ukraine, and more

Argentina celebrates after winning the World Cup.
(Image credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

1. Argentina beats France to win the World Cup

Argentina, led by global soccer superstar Lionel Messi, beat defending champion France in the World Cup final on Sunday. The two powerhouses ended play tied 3-3, but Argentina won 4-2 in a shootout to take its first world championship since 1986. Messi, winning his first World Cup in what is likely his final appearance in the tournament, scored Argentina's first goal in the 23rd minute on a penalty kick, making him the only man to score in all four World Cup knockout rounds. With Argentina up 2-0 late in the second half, France's superstar, Kylian Mbappé, scored twice to force extra time. Messi scored again to give Argentina the lead, but Mbappé scored another goal to tie the game and force the shootout.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.