France captain Hugo Lloris has expressed his disappointment losing the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina on Sunday.
Lloris described the loss as painful and wished it was his country that came out victorious.
France star Kylian Mbappe scored a hat trick, won the Golden Boot and yet still finished on the losing side as Lionel Messi helped Argentina win on penalties.
France captain Lloris said: “There were a lot of great players on the pitch. Messi and Mbappe are very special and were top tonight, top, top players for the team.
“It’s hard when you lose and you cannot find the right words because it’s too painful. But we gave it our best shot from the start to the end of this tournament and we should be proud of that.
“We had two big chances even at 119 minutes before extra time and then it’s even more painful to lose.”
This was only the second World Cup final to see both sides score a penalty after the 1974 clash between Germany and Netherlands. It was also the first ever showpiece to see both sides score at least three goals.
Argentina have won the World Cup for a third time, 36 years since their last triumph in 1986. Only Italy (44 years from 1938 to 1982) have ever had a longer gap between winning two World Cups.
Each of the last three reigning champions to reach the World Cup final failed to win that final, with France joining Argentina in 1990 and Brazil in 1998 in doing so.
Argentina have won more penalty shoot-outs than any nation in World Cup history, with this their sixth such triumph. They are the third nation to win a World Cup final shoot-out after Brazil in 1994 and Italy in 2006.
FIFA World Cup awards:
Enzo Fernandez ?? – Young Player of the Tournament ?️Emiliano Martinez – Golden Glove ?
Kylian Mbappe – Golden Boot ?
Lionel Messi – Golden Ball ?
MESSI JOINS WORLD CUP WINNING CAPTAINS
•Lionel Messi (Qatar 2022)
•Hugo Lloris (Russia 2018)
•Phillip Lahm (Brazil 2014)
•Iker Casillas (South Africa 2010)
•Fabio Cannavaro (Germany 2006)
•Cafu (Korea/Japan 2002)
•Didier Deschamps (France ’98)
•Carlos Dunga (USA ’94)
•Lothar Mattheaus (Italia ’90)
•Diego Maradona (Mexico ’86)
•Dino Zoff (Spain ’82)
•Daniel Passarella (Argentina ’78)
•Franz Beckenbauer (Germany :74)
•Carlos Alberto Torres (Mexico ’70)
•Bobby Moore (England ’66)
•Mauro Ramos (Chile ”62)
•Hilderaldo Bellini (Sweden ’58)
•Fritz Walter (Switzerland ’54)
•Obdulio Varela (Brazil ’50)
•Giuseppe Meazza (France 1938)
•Gianpiero Combi (Italy 1934)
•Jose Nasazzi (Uruguay 1930)
