It was a consecration, the spiritual overtones entirely appropriate. Lionel Messi not only emulated the deity of Argentinian football, Diego Maradona, by leading the nation to World Cup glory, he finally plugged the burning gap on his CV, winning the one trophy that has eluded him – at the fifth time of asking, surely the last time. In the process, he gilded his claim to being recognised as the greatest player of all time.
When it was over – after the most outlandish of Kylian Mbapp?-inspired France comebacks, the defending champions punching back from the brink not once but twice – when Gonzalo Montiel had dispatched the winning penalty, Messi sank to his knees in the centre circle, engulfed by his teammates.
It will go down as an all-time classic, perhaps the finest World Cup final of them all, one of the greatest games in history. In so many ways, it was Messi’s game, it was destined to be his game in the end and yet how France fought.
It looked over for them as Argentina led 2-0 thanks to a Messi penalty and a goal from ?ngel Di Mar?a. But Mbapp? hauled France back with two goals inside 97 seconds towards the end of normal time, the France craque coming alive in electric style.
And that, frankly, was the prompt for the punches to really start landing.
Messi made it 3-2 in extra-time, Mbapp? equalised with a second penalty to complete a hat-trick and in the Golden Boot. And when it came down to the acid test of nerve, it was Emiliano Mart?nez, the Argentina goalkeeper, who saved from Kingsley Coman and watched Aur?lien Tchouam?ni miss.
Argentina have a third world title. It was the wildest of rides.
It was the final that Qatar had wanted. Messi v Mbapp? – the prime superstars of the sport, with the footnote being that they are teammates at the Qatari-controlled Paris Saint-Germain. It was surely the final that millions of others wanted, too, and how it would deliver, even if it was Messi who appeared to be strolling towards victory for much of regulation time.
Messi located his passing rhythm at the very outset, every incision -drawing the breath, and it was Argentina who were straight into their stride, zero nerves, Di Mar?a in the mood on the left, running through his tricks.
It was Di Mar?a’s first start of the knockout rounds after injury and he was the architect of the breakthrough goal, making a move on Ousmane Demb?l? and exploding away from him into the left-hand side of the area. Di Mar?a knew what he wanted – some contact from the chasing Demb?l? – and that is what he got.
It was a moment of pure theatre when Messi addressed the penalty, the eyes of the world upon him. He held his run a little at the last, skipping slightly and waiting for Hugo Lloris to commit. He swept the ball into the corner where the goalkeeper was not.
The first half was all Argentina, a scintillating period for them, with Messi seemingly playing his own game. He fizzed or curled his passes, pottered into space, wowed with his changes of direction or perhaps a trick – a shake of the hips to freeze his marker. He even threw himself into challenges.
Di Mar?a had lifted high on 17 minutes after good work by Rodrigo de Paul and Messi and it said everything about France’s struggles that Deschamps made a double substitution in the 41st minute. He moved Mbapp? from the left into the centre and Olivier Giroud was the furious fall-guy. Demb?l? was also withdrawn. On came Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram, By then it was 2-0. Messi fired a flowing move with a first-time flick with the outside of his boot to Juli?n ?lvarez , who immediately got Alexis Mac Allister running. Di Maria took off, too, on the other side and Mac Allister’s low crossfield ball was made to measure. Di Mar?a was overcome after his emphatic finish.
It was the ultimate test of France’s world champion courage. They had been a grisly second best in all areas in the first-half, Mbapp? and their other star, Antonine Griezmann, peripheral up to that point. It would remain broadly that way until the closing stages of normal time. Deschamps’s team dug out footholds but, as they struggled to create chances, Argentina – with Di Mar?a outstanding until his withdrawal – continued to look the more dangerous.
And yet France would stir. How they would stir. Deschamps’s substitutions were acts of alchemy. He introduced Coman for Griezmann and went to 4-4-2, with Kolo Muani moved up alongside Mbapp?.
It was Kolo Muani who sparked the fightback, getting the better of Nicolas Otamendi in a one-on-one and drawing the foul. Mbapp?’s penalty was just too good for Emiliano Mart?nez. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, celebrated wildly in the stands.
Argentina had wobbled towards the end against Australia and the Netherlands in the last-16 and quarter-final matches respectively. They once again felt the pendulum swing hard the other way, their exuberance overtaken by nerves. France could feel it. And they punished them.
It was Messi, of all players, who was dispossessed by Coman. France worked the ball from left to right and, when Mbapp? finessed a give-and-go with Thuram, the finish was spectacular – a side-on volley that was too hot for Mart?nez.
The France substitutes streamed across the pitch towards Mbapp?, overwhelmed by euphoria, and they went close to a winner in regulation time, Mbapp? suddenly rampant. At the other end, though, they needed Lloris to tip over a Messi blast to force extra-time.
Argentina needed to shake their heads clear. They could be relieved that it was not all snatched away from them in that wild finish to the 90 minutes.
It was their turn to rally. Lautaro Mart?nez, on as a substitute, made a difference. Twice he was denied by last-ditch Dayot Upamecano interventions, the first block celebrated like a goal.
But when he unloaded for goal after a slick Argentina incision, Lloris could only parry and there, guided by destiny, was Messi, his shot clearly over the line before it was scrambled away.
Game over? No chance. Back came France, back came the irrepressible Mbapp?.
It was a blast from him that hit the arm of another substitute, Montiel. Penalty. Mbapp? was never going to miss. There would be even before the shootout, the final now back-and-forth, loaded with yet more thrills.
Kolo Muani, playing the game of his life, could not stretch to convert Mbapp?’s cross; then he would be denied one-on-one by Emiliano Mart?nez.
There was time at the other end for Lautaro Mart?nez to miss a free header and for Mbapp? to almost steal it with an outrageous dribble.
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