MOST ASTONISHING CLIMAX The duel between the two best teams at the finals and the game’s two finest players in Messi and Kylian Mbappe presented the most astonishing climax to the first World Cup in the Arab world.
Mbappe, the finals’ eight-goal top scorer, ended with a hat-trick despite finishing on the losing side as France lost the crown secured four years ago in Moscow.
Yet possibly the greatest World Cup Final of all time was never a contest. until the last 10 minutes of normal time.
ARGENTINA DOMINANCE Argentina, empowered to the night sky by the chanting, singing and drumming of their ecstatic fans, owned the game from the opening minutes and struck twice in a 13-minute spell midway through the first half to lead 2-0 and stand on the brink of a third triumph after 1978 and 1986.
Messi had struck the opening goal from a penalty and helped create the second for Angel Di Maria. It appeared the most one-sided final since France beat Brazil 3-0 in Paris in 1998.
FRANCE FIGHT BACK Then France, debilitated by injuries and influenza and going down without much of a fight, fought back from the dead with two Mbappe goals out of nowhere in the 80th and 81st minutes, the first a penalty.
Argentina regained the lead through Messi in extra time but Mbappe, with another penalty, condemned the final to a third shootout after success for Brazil in 1994 and Italy in 2006.
Mbappe blasted home the first kick but Kingsley Coman’s kick was saved by Emiliano Martinez and Aurelien Thouameni shot wide. Gonzalo Montiel beat Hugo Lloris with the kick which sent all Argentina into delerium.
The French had had a day less than Argentina to recover from a physically punishing semi-final against Morocco and, after a busy four weeks, and that appeared significant. Mbappe had barely had a kick – until the dramatic comeback.
The World Cup extravaganza had cost Qatar £200bn while FIFA has reaped £7bn. History will judge who emerged with the better deal but in the short term the benefits were all for the fans in general and the Argentinian majority in the capacity 88,966 crowd in particular.
SHARP START Argentina made the sharper start, assisted by sloppy French passing. Angel Di Maria skied the first decent chance over the bar and was then tripped by Dembele for the penalty which broke the deadlock. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak did not need VAR to help him decide to point to the spot and Messi duly shot Argentina ahead.
Argentina were eager to stretch their lead. Driven forward by the vigour of Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernandez in midfield, they were showing a far superior will to engage in combat.
France were playing as if in a trance, and fell further behind in the 36th minute. Nahuel Molina and Alexis Mac Allister broke up a French attack down the left, Messi found Julian Alvarez and he sent the perpetual motion Mac Allister clear. The midfielder’s cross was weighted perfectly for onrushing Di Maria to swipe first time across and beyond Lloris.
This was in only the 36th minute yet France looked down and out already. It was an admission of desperation that coach Didier Deschamps immediately replaced the ineffective Olivier Giroud and Dembele with Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani.
FRANCE GAIN MOMENTUM France, within 45 minutes of losing their grip on the World Cup, sought to raise their game after the interval but appeared down and out until the 79th minute. Then substitute Randal Kolo Muani was chased down by Nicolas Otamendi and Mbappe struck home from the penalty spot.
One more minute and France, incredibly, were level through Mbappe again. Substitute Kingsley Coman robbed Messi – of all people – in midfield and Marcus Thuram exchanged passes with Mbappe who volleyed fiercely past Martinez.
Now all the momentum was with France but in extra time Argentina pulled themselves back together. In the second half, Messi forced a diving save from Hugo Lloris then he put Argentina back into the lead in the 109th minute after the goalkeeper had saved bravely from substitute Lautaro Martinez.
Still, coach Didier Deschamps’s team did not know when they were beaten. Mbappe completed his hat-trick from another penalty after his drive had been blocked by the arm of Montiel.
All in vain, as it turned out.
THE AWARDS
Golden ball (best player): Leo Messi (Argentina)
Golden shoe (top scorer): Kylian Mbappe (France) 8 goals
Golden glove (best goalkeeper): Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
Young player: Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
Fair play: England
