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 title 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 them all.
Argentina had to win this final three times, France refusing to accept it was Messi’s destiny to get his hands on the iconic gold trophy, that it was somehow preordained. It will go down as surely the finest World Cup final of all-time, the most pulsating, one of the greatest games in history because of how Kylian Mbappé hauled France up off the canvas towards the end of normal time.
It had been billed as Messi vs Mbappe, the Argentinian hero opening the scoring from the penalty spot and having a hand in Ángel Di María’s goal for 2-0. But then came Mbappé, shattering the notion that Argentina would close out the win with the minimum of fuss. This Argentina team do not really operate like that. They love to trade in late drama. Think of their wins over Australia and the Netherlands in the knockout rounds.
A part of the story was France’s champion courage, the 2018 winners being revived by a clutch of Didier Deschamps substitutions. That and Mbappé, who was unplayable from the 80th minute. He scored twice in 97 seconds to force extra-time; the first a penalty, the second a sublime side-on volley and there was a point towards the end of regulation time when he appeared hell-bent on making sure that the additional period would not be needed.
Back came Argentina in extra-time, Messi scoring his second for 3-2. But back came France, Mbappé equalising with a second penalty on 118 minutes for his hat-trick and the Golden Boot. He finished the tournament with eight – one more than Messi. He joined Sir Geoff Hurst as a hat-trick scorer in the men’s final.
At this point, it is worth delving into the mayhem that gripped at the very end of extra-time.
Neither team were ready to accept that a penalty shootout was inevitable. Not a bit of it. Randal Kolo Muani, on as a substitute for the game of his life, could not stretch to head home an Mbappé cross and will have nightmares about the one-on-one that he failed to convert, the Argentina goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, coming out on top.
At the other end, the Argentina substitute Lautaro Martínez blew a gilt-edged header and then Mbappé beat two men on yet another explosive burst but not a third. Never has so much been crammed into an extra-time finale.
The winning moment: Argentina celebrate Gonzalo Montiel’s winning spot-kick.
So to penalties and, after Mbappé and Messi had scored, it was over to Emiliano Martínez and some of his dark arts to make the difference. After he had saved from the substitute Kingsley Coman, Martínez threw the ball away before the next France kick, forcing the 22-year-old Aurélien Tchouaméni to go and fetch it, further heightening his anxiety. Tchouaméni dragged his kick past the post.
Martínez had to be physically restrained by the referee, Szymon Marciniak, from confronting France’s next taker, Kolo Muani. Martínez was booked; Kolo Muani lashed home. But the scene was set for the substitute Gonzalo Montiel to win it – to crown Messi and Argentina.
When Montiel scored, Messi sank to his knees in the centre circle, engulfed by teammates. Argentina’s third World Cup will go down as Messi’s World Cup, just as the second in 1986 had belonged to Maradona. Both men came to transcend their teams and the tournaments, with Messi collecting the Golden Ball here as the competition’s star player. It has long felt as if he has had a celestial scriptwriter at work, guiding him to his destiny. The image of him and the trophy was what so many fans – and not just those from Argentina – had craved.
The start of the game came to feel like an awfully long time ago. It was when Messi located his passing rhythms straight away and Di María dazzled. Di María won the opening penalty, exploding away from Ousmane Dembélé before being caught and Messi did the rest.
The first half was all Argentina, a scintillating period for them, Messi seemingly playing his own game. He fizzed or curled his passes, wowed with his changes of direction. He even threw himself into challenges.
Di María had lifted high early on and it said everything about France’s struggles that Deschamps made a double substitution in the 41st minute. He moved Mbappé from the left into the centre and Olivier Giroud was the furious fall guy. Dembélé was also withdrawn. On came Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram. By then it was 2-0. Messi fired a flowing move with a flick to Julián Álvarez, who immediately got Alexis Mac Allister running. Di María took off, too, on the other side and Mac Allister’s low crossfield ball was made to measure. Di María was overcome after his emphatic finish.
France had been a grisly second best in the first half of normal time and, although they dug out footholds in the second half, they struggled to create. Argentina – with Di María outstanding until his withdrawal – continued to look the more dangerous.
Then everything changed. Deschamps’ substitutions were acts of alchemy. He introduced Coman for the disappointing Antoine Griezmann and went to 4-4-2, Kolo Muani moving up alongside Mbappe.
The France substitutes streamed across the pitch towards Mbappé and France went close to a winner in regulation time, Mbappé now rampant. At the other end, though, they needed Hugo Lloris to tip over a Messi blast to force extra-time.
Argentina shook their heads clear in extra-time. Lautaro Martínez made a difference. Twice he was denied by last-ditch Dayot Upamecano interventions and, when he unloaded for goal and Lloris could only parry, there was Messi to get the ball over the line.
There would be further twists, including Mbappé’s second penalty for a Montiel handball before Messi and Argentina could celebrate.
Emiliano Martínez saves from Kingsley Coman in the shootout
Messi is wandering around in disbelief. A huge stoned smile across his face. High on life. No wonder. He’s at the top of the world. But spare a thought for poor Kylian Mbappe, who has just scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, only to find himself on the losing side. He looks bereft. When the pain subsides … and it will take a while … he’ll look with satisfaction upon his stellar contribution to the greatest World Cup final of all time. Because it was, wasn’t it? What a story! What performances by Messi and Mbappe! What a final.
Mbappe sits on the bench with his number 10 shirt pulled up over his head. A few tears no doubt. Who could blame him? A hat-trick in the final! Finally, someone makes it onto the list alongside Sir Geoff Hurst. But unlike England’s 1966 hero, there’s no joy for him today. At least he’s already got a winner’s medal in his cabinet, not that he’ll be thinking about that right now. A lot of pensive French stars staring into the middle distance right now.
Argentina pile on each other in a mixture of glee and, well, tearful glee. Argentina held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out – with a little help from Emi Martinez’s mind games – and they’ve won their third World Cup! Lionel Messi has his winners medal at last, and the weight of the world is visibly lifted off his shoulders! He smiles, sparkling like a young boy, just a happy lad. What a performance!
… and the final standings in the race for the Golden Boot.
8: Kylian Mbappe (France)
7: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
4: Julian Alvarez (Argentina), Olivier Giroud (France)
That’s the biggest haul since Ronaldo also scored eight in 2002. You have to go back 52 years for a better personal goalscoring performance at a World Cup, Gerd Muller scoring ten at Mexico 1970. Poor Mbappe, head dropped, is heartbroken right now. France’s president Emmanuel Macron gives him an avuncular hug, gathering him back up to full height. He’ll look back on this tournament with pride … given time. A lovely tweet waiting for him when he gets back in the changing room, too.
Messi is doing the family thing right now, a world of delight. Di Maria, who has pretty much been in tears on and off ever since scoring that sensational first-half goal, gets a hug from his loved ones too. An awful lot of pogoing going on.
