In a dramatic contest, Argentina defeated France on penalties to lift the World Cup trophy. However, the victory was almost a repeat of the 2014 final, with substitute Nadalu Martinez missing three chances to score in extra time, a replica of Higuain eight years ago. Fortunately, Argentina took a leap forward in the tournament and emerged as the eventual winners.
The match went into extra time with Argentinean skipper Scaloni trying to rely on a full-strength Nadalu Martinez to batter the French defense. The Inter Milan striker had a great chance just three minutes into the game, but his shot was blocked by Lloris. He then deflected the ball away from the goal in a one-touch game, and in the final moments of extra time, his header was once again off target and he missed the chance to kill the game. This led to a penalty shootout with France, which they fortunately won.
Nadalu Martinez was originally a key target for Scaloni, starting in the first two group games. However, as he wasted too many chances on the attacking end, Shkalani eventually couldn't take it anymore and turned to Zulian Ivaris to replace him in the starting lineup.
Even when he came on as a substitute, Nadalu Martinez was unable to make a difference, and was nicknamed "Higuain 2.0" by netizens. But he was luckier than Higuain, Argentina finally won the championship, otherwise the future of the national team could have been dimmed early. It's no wonder that he was so emotional after the game that he cried, because he managed to avoid the fate of becoming a sinner.
