Argentina's win over France in the 2022 World Cup Final averaged 25.78 million viewers in the United States, which is a record for a men's match.

Fox Sports drew 16.78 million viewers while Telemundo had nine million viewers.

One third of Telemundo's nine million viewers watched via streaming. 

Argentina received $42 million in prize money for winning the 2022 World Cup, receiving $4 million than France did as champions in 2018.

France receives $30 million as the runners up.

The eight teams that were eliminated in the round of 16, including the United States, will receive $9 million.

The prize pot total was set at $440 million for the tournament.

When Argentina won the World Cup in 1986, they received $2.8 million.

Lionel Messi said he plans to continue playing for Argentina after winning the World Cup.

Messi, 35, broke the record for most World Cup appearances on Sunday.

"I won the Copa America and the World Cup in a short time," Messi said. "I love what I do, being in the national team, and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.

"I am going to take the Cup to Argentina to enjoy it with you," he added.

Argentina defeated France 4-2 in penalties to win the 2022 World Cup. 

In the first half, Argentina took control of the match with a Lionel Messi penalty kick won by Angel di Maria, and a second goal soon after scored by Di Maria and assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.

The match pivoted in an instant when France won a penalty when Nicolas Otamendi fouled Randal Kolo Muani in the box. The penalty was converted calmly by Kylian Mbappe. 

Mbappe scored again one minute later after Kingsley Coman stole the ball from Messi in the midfield to create a counter for France.

France enjoyed the better of the run of play until the match went into extra time.

Messi scored another go-ahead goal for Argentina in the 109th minute, looking like they had the match won yet again. But France equalized after a penalty kick was awarded from a Gonzalo Montiel hand ball.

In penalty kicks, Argentina made their first four with France missing twice to give Messi his elusive World Cup.

Messi won the Golden Ball while Mbappe's hat-trick sealed the Golden Boot.

Grant Wahl died last week while covering a World Cup match due to an undetected aortic aneurysm. 

"Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium," she wrote on her husband's Substack newsletter; hemopericardium refers to blood in the sac that surrounds the heart.

"The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death."

Wahl had complained during the World Cup about feeling ill.

"My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you," Wahl wrote on Dec. 5. "What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort."

Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.

Wahl worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, known primarily for his coverage of soccer and college basketball.

Lionel Messi said he felt "disrespected" by Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal before their match in the quarterfinals.

When Argentina went up 2-0, Messi directed a celebration toward the Dutch coaching staff and confronted Van Gaal after the match.

"I feel disrespected by Van Gaal after his pregame comments and some Dutch players spoke too much during the game," Messi told reporters.

Van Gaal had suggested ahead of the quarterfinal that Messi did little to help his team when they don't have the ball.

"Van Gaal sells that he plays good football and then he puts forwards in the box and starts throwing long balls," Messi added of Van Gaal's tactics. "We deserved to go through and that's what happened."

Neymar is unsure if he'll play for Brazil again following their World Cup exit in the quarterfinals to Croatia.

"Honestly, I do not know. I think talking now is bad because of the heat of the moment. Maybe I'm not thinking straight," Neymar told reporters in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

"To say that this is the end would be rushing myself, but I don't guarantee anything either. Let's see what happens going forward.

"I want to take this time to think about it, think about what I want for myself. I will not close the door to playing with Brazil, nor do I say 100% that I'll come back."

Neymar, 30, has 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil. 

Raheem Sterling has decided to return to the World Cup after flying to the England to tend to his family dealing with a robbery at his Surrey home.

Sterling was understood to have been left “shaken” and fearful for the safety of his fiancee and three children.

England have not put pressure on Sterling into making a decision to return.

Sterling had lost his place in England’s starting lineup before flying home, but he is one of the most experienced players in the squad and played a vital role in England reaching the final of Euro 2020.

Portugal has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for their Round of 16 match against Switzerland. 

Manager Fernando Santos previously said he "really didn't like" Ronaldo's reaction to being substituted against South Korea.

Oliver Bierhoff has stepped down as managing director of Germany's national teams and academy.

The German federation said on Monday that Bierhoff agreed to prematurely end his contract. It was due to run through the 2024 European Championship.

"Bierhoff has done a great job," federation president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement. "Even if the last tournaments fell short of the sporting goals, he stands for great moments. His work will always be associated with the World Cup success in Brazil."