The victory united Argentines with joy in a country stuck in economic doldrums for years, with one of the world’s highest inflation rates, and where almost four in 10 live in poverty.
It was the country’s third World Cup title and first since 1986.
„I’m very happy, we really deserved this. The team suffered quite a bit, but it recovered as time went on,“ said Josefina Villalba, a 55-year-old nanny who joined hundreds of fans at one of the many public plazas where giant screens were set up to watch the long-awaited match.
Millions of Argentines cried, yelled and hugged as they followed the game, which was a roller coaster of emotions.
Throughout the match, many watching in a public square in Buenos Aires chanted the name of captain Lionel Messi, often considered the world’s greatest soccer player who had long talked about how he yearned for a World Cup victory.
„I feel an immense happiness in my heart because this is the first World Cup I truly enjoy,“ Hector Quinteros, a 34-year-old security guard, said as his eyes welled up with tears. „This always happens. They always make us suffer.“
After 36 long years, Argentina finally won a World Cup title, erasing years of doubts and questions about whether a country known for having some of the world’s greatest soccer players could really perform on an international stage. The country won its first title in 1978, but lost finals in 1930, 1990 and 2014.
At the end of the first half, many were gearing up to celebrate as Argentina led 2-0 and clearly dominated the match.
But that early happiness turned to anxiety as France caught up, ultimately leaving the score at 3-3 before Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties.
For many, the agonizing feelings of the match made the victory all the sweeter.
„When you suffer over something so much, the satisfaction is greater,“ Fabio Villani, a 45-year-old video editor said, noting he still couldn’t quite believe Argentina had won a World Cup title.
It also felt par for the course for Argentina, a country known for its seemingly endless economic crises.
