The greatest footballer on the planet now has the world’s greatest prize. Lionel Messi and the World Cup — a match made in heaven. His quest for crowning glory on the global stage has stretched five tournaments, 16 years and it was in this, his last World Cup appearance and possibly his final Argentina game, that he could at long last declare mission accomplished.
As the past four weeks have progressed, the sense of Messi leading an Argentinian crusade towards World Cup glory has only built. The poetry was there. Not only was this Messi bowing out of the World Cup but it was also the first edition held since the passing of Diego Maradona. Call it destiny or fate but now seems a fitting time to proclaim Argentina as world champions for the first time since 1982.
Getting there wasn’t easy. This was a World Cup final for the ages, an all-time classic that will live long in the memory. Argentina were two goals ahead courtesy of a Messi penalty and a goal from Angel Di Maria, and looking certain of victory in regulation time against a France team that appeared unsure of themselves.
However, this epic spun on Kylian Mbappe’s quick-fire double coming inside 97 seconds towards the end of normal time. This may have been Messi’s swansong, but Mbappe had other ideas. It was then that the punches really started landing. Messi, naturally, put Argentina in front in extra-time, Mbappe equalised with a second penalty to complete a hat-trick, the first in a World Cup final since Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966, and win the Golden Boot.
And when it came down to penalties, it was Emiliano Martinez, the Argentina goalkeeper, who saved from Kingsley Coman and watched Aurelien Tchouameni miss. It was left for Gonzalo Montiel to convert the winning spot-kick and hand Argentina their third World Cup.
Messi sunk to his knees, the achievement seemingly taking his feet from beneath him, and he will now surely go down as the greatest of all time. He made history just by walking onto the Lusail pitch — becoming the leading appearance-maker in World Cups — and now has plugged the burning gap on his CV.
The reception Messi and his team-mates, along with the astute manager Lionel Scaloni, will receive back in their homeland will be seismic. Argentina have waited a long time for this. Last year’s Copa America win, Messi’s first trophy with the national team, signalled a shift, as did their 36-game unbeaten run. But this triumph elevates the squad to greats.
Another great in the making will come again. Despite Mbappe’s mesmeric efforts France couldn’t secure back-to-back World Cups. They were unusually subdued for the opening 70 minutes here, lacking intensity and failing to match Argentina’s intent. Didier Deschamps was able to welcome back Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano following illness and Raphael Varane was also fit to start. But they couldn’t cope with Argentina’s energy.
Story of the game
Around 35,000 Argentinians had made their way to Doha dreaming of something special, and it felt as if most were in Lusail Stadium cheering on their country. There was vim and vigour to Argentina’s play; a game to be won, a trophy to be claimed. The tempo was set by Di Maria, starting his first match of the knockout stages and running through his tricks.
Alexis Mac Allister had already sent a shot down Hugo Lloris’s throat and the France ‘keeper had also needed treatment following a dig in the ribs from his Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Cristian Romero when Di Maria skied an effort after Theo Hernandez had lost possession. The Juventus winger’s imprint was all over the two goals that soon followed.
In the 21st minute, Di Maria darted in from the left, leaving Ousmane Dembele for dead close to the byline, and the France midfielder tried to recover by placing a hand on his opponent's back. Down went Di Maria, the contact minimal but in the penalty area, and Szymon Marciniak, who’s the first Polish referee to take charge of a World Cup final and didn’t put a foot wrong, pointed to the spot with enthusiasm to match Argentina’s.
Messi placed the ball down on the spot, dabbed his forehead for sweat before waiting for Lloris to commit. He swept the ball into the opposite corner. Having already passed Lothar Matthaus’s record of 25 finals games, he now became the first player to score in the last-16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of a World Cup.
Argentina had the start they deserved and they soon had a goal in keeping with the freedom with which they were playing. It was a great team move. Messi played a ball around the corner down the right for Julian Alvarez, who released Mac Allister along the wing.
France were all over the place in the middle, allowing Mac Allister to swing a low pass across to Di Maria, who was coming in from the other flank. He took a touch, strode into the area and whistled a shot across Lloris and into the bottom corner. Dreamland wasn’t far away, or so it seemed.
A sign of France’s struggles came when Deschamps made a double change four minutes before the half-time break. Off went Olivier Giroud and Dembele, whose evening had only gone down hill since the penalty incident, and sent on the youthful Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani. This was not the France team we have become accustomed to, but they improved.
Still, firstly they had a job keeping up with this energised Argentina team. Rodrigo de Paul hooked a shot which Lloris claimed, Rabiot crucially got in ahead of Messi to prevent him from getting a clean shot away and Lloris was also out quick to deny Mac Allister. This looked to be one game too many for Deschamps’ men.
But there were signs of the tide turning, of their experience finally coming to the fore. The substitutes were making it happen with Coman now also on for the peripheral Antoine Griezmann. And when Kolo Muani got goal-side of Nicolas Otamendi on 80 minutes, the Argentina centre-back was compelled to bringing down the 24-year-old. Mbappe’s penalty was well placed, just beyond Martinez’s low dive.
An Argentine wobble is now as synonymous as the tango and within seconds of the restart France were back at it with a wonderful interchange between Coman and Mbappe. A flick through from Thuram saw the ball dropping for Mbappe and he smashed it home with a sensational finish. Pure instinctive genius.
Mbappe had come alive, France had too. One minute they looked down and out, next they were back in the final. Argentina couldn’t believe their eyes and soon their hearts were in mouths as France appealed for another penalty but the referee correctly spotted that Thuram had instigated the contact with Enzo Fernandez.
Messi leathered the ball in anger in the final knockings of stoppage time but Lloris was equal to it, pushing the ball over the crossbar with a great save given the state of play. Extra-time it was and anyone’s final to win.
It was Argentina’s turn to rally. Substitute Lautaro Martinez was twice denied by last-ditch Upamecano blocks but the best was yet to come. Messi slipped Martinez into the area and the substitute fired a shot at Lloris who parried but the rebound fell to Messi who bundled it over.
This final kept on giving, however. Montiel blocked Mbappe’s curling shot with his elbow and Mbappe had the opportunity to complete his hat-trick from the spot. He lashed it into the left-hand side of the net and another twist was taken in this immense finale. A glory moment fell for Kolo Muani with seconds left, but Martinez spread himself excellently to deny a late winner.
And so to penalties. Mbappe and Messi converted the openers, but France came unstuck when Coman and Tchouameni both missed allowing Paolo Dybala and Leandro Paredes to give Argentina control. Kolo Muani scored France’s fourth but that was not enough as Montiel converted to send Argentina to World Cup glory.
Player of the match: Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe became only the second player to score a World Cup final hat-trick after Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966. Mbappe's trio of goals gave France a chance of back-to-back World Cup triumphs. In the end, Deschamps' team couldn't manage it, but with Mbappe they will be on this stage again soon.