At the fifth time of asking, Lionel Messi is a world champion. Long after he had conquered the game itself, the final trophy which pierced his bid for undisputed supremacy is now safe in his collection as Argentina beat France on penalties to win the 2022 World Cup.
A spectacular, Kylian Mbappe-inspired comeback had seen the 2018 champions fight back from two goals down and again in extra time with the final ebbing away from them.
It looked as if Messi was going to make his quest for history easy as Argentina dominated the first half when he scored the first from the spot and played a key role in Angel Di Maria’s second as a lethargic France were brushed aside inside 36 minutes. For all Ousmane Dembele’s redemptive journey back into Didier Deschamps’ attack, he was at fault for the opening goal, snapping at Di Maria’s heels – albeit with minimal contact – inside the area after the Argentine forward had moved freely past him.
With the coolest of left feet, Messi sent Hugo Lloris the wrong way for his fourth successful penalty of the tournament – becoming the first player in history to score in every round in the knockout stages of a World Cup.
It was the deftest of flicks onto Julian Alvarez with which Messi engineered the second, Alexis Mac Allister producing the vital run and pass across goal to Di Maria, the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker who might well be glad he no longer has to return to the French capital in the New Year.
With more than an hour left, the significance of the moment was not lost on Di Maria, who was in tears within moments of the ball hitting the net.
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Deschamps’ reaction was nearly as visceral, hauling off Olivier Giroud who was carrying a suspected knee injury, as well as Dembele and replacing them with semi-final hero Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram.
Kolo Muani wrestled back control – initially not enough to revitalise a neutralised Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. All week rumours have swirled at the ferocity of the bug that has been circulating in the French camp and at first it looked to have manifested in a lethargic, uninspired world title defence.
But then came Mbappe’s first concrete opening and it was from the penalty spot, converting after Kolo Muani had been wrestled down by Nicolas Otamendi.
Within two minutes, France were level and in a cruel twist, it was Messi who lost the ball in a tussle with Kingsley Coman, before Thuram’s touch into Mbappe set up the most composed of falling finishes. The comeback might have been complete when France appealed for another late spot-kick, to no avail, with Thuram booked for simulation.
With 90 seconds on the clock, Messi had one final strike in desperation, Lloris palming it over the bar with one hand. It was all France as extra time ticked away, but were it not for Dayot Upamecano’s vital blocks Argentina would have had two more chances to sneak the final away from them.
Yet Messi was not finished, staying alive to bundle past Jules Kounde on the line after Hugo Lloris had parried away Lautaro Martinez’s effort.
France, though, remained the definition of staying alive, with yet one more penalty awarded for a handball. Mbappe to the left this time, unflinching, and just the second man in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, 56 years after Geoff Hurst’s history-making treble.
Inevitably, Emiliano Martinez’s mind games defined the shootout, with both Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni unable to convert.
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