🏆 Germany face France in U17 World Cup final after stunning Argentina | OneFootball

Despite a hat-trick from U17 World Cup Golden Boot leader Agustín Ruberto, including a 97th minute equaliser, Argentina were defeated by Germany on penalties following a 3-3 draw in a semi-final for the ages.

Both sides led during the 90 minutes at various points but the European side appeared to have won it until Ruberto struck at the death with his eighth goal of the tournament to send it to a shootout which Germany won 4-2.

Things started badly for Argentina as Borussia Dortmund’s Paris Brunner gave Germany a ninth minute lead before they were pegged back after good work down the right saw River Plate star Ruberto teed up to smash home from close range.

In first half injury-time, Ruberto completed the turnaround by spinning to leave his marker for dead in the area before emphatically blasting home to put himself clear in the Golden Boot race.

However the drama wasn’t done there and after the interval, it was Germany’s turn to pull off a comeback as Brunner levelled shortly before the hour mark with his second of the game by curling sumptuously into the far corner.

And they looked to have won it to book their place in the showpiece game through Max Moerstedt who pounced on a disastrous attempted clearance inside the area to loop his header into the corner, only for Ruberto to complete an incredible hat-trick seven minutes into added time to send the contest to spot-kicks.

For the shootout, Argentina boss Diego Placente made the bold decision to change his goalkeeper and it failed to pay off as German goalkeeper Konstantin Heide (who only started due to injury to their first choice keeper) saved twice to help his side to victory.

France scrape by Mali

France managed to claim the second spot in the final after edging past Mali in the semi-finals.

The African side opened the scoring just before half-time when Ibrahim Diarra bundled home an attempted save from goalkeeper Paul Antoine Robin Stanislas Argney.

But France hit a stroke of luck in the 55th minute when Souleymane Sanogo was sent off, and Mali went down to 10 men.

Yvann Ttiti then headed home the equaliser to the back post immediately after and Ismail Bouneb’s stunning curler of a free-kick eventually won it all.

France will now face Germany in the final, and Mali battle Argentina for third.