Pelé sends emotional message to Messi and Mbappé after World Cup final

Brazilian football legend Pelé has sent a message and congratulated Lionel Messi and Argentina for winning the World Cup and Kylian Mbappé for his goal-scoring exploits in Sunday’s final Argentina beat defending champion France 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. He posted his message on Instagram after Argentina beat defending champion France 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
“Today, Football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way,” Pelé wrote in his post. “Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved. My dear friend, Mbappé, scored four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.”
elé also took time to mention Morocco for its history-making run as the first African team to reach the semifinals at the tournament. “And I couldn’t fail to congratulate Morocco for the incredible campaign,” Pelé wrote. “It’s great to see Africa shine.” Pelé ended his message by again lauding Argentina and mentioning the man most often associated with him as the greatest player the game has ever seen — Diego Maradona.
Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, died in 2020.
“Congratulations Argentina!” Pelé wrote. “Certainly Diego is smiling now.”