The World Cup final delivered on every level as Argentina took the trophy in dramatic fashion, according to the author. There is a time and a place for it.
Football history can be purchased. The final of the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday was the culmination of a tournament that has been marred by allegations of corruption and off-field controversy.
It was perfect for the host country. The two adopted sons of Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, were at the centre of a thrilling 120 minutes that ebbed and flowed and ended with the former cementing his legacy as the greatest footballer in history.
The discussion about whether the World Cup should have been hosted here was clouded by this match. The stakes are usually so high in a World Cup final that it affects performance, yet even within that suffocating context, the talk about Messi andMbappe had reached such impossible levels that it felt inevitable the game would collapse under the weight of its own narrative.
It surpassed all expectations.
The Argentina fans flooded the streets after the World Cup win.
Lionel Scaloni said the match was crazy.
Argentina were brilliant and then stopped working. France were lifeless. Angel Di Maria was a great person. The 2-0 scoreline in favour of the Albiceleste became 2-2 in a flash as Les Bleus woke from their 70 minute slumber, stirring into life with two goals in 97 seconds, the second a wonderful snapshot of the devastation that Mbappe's rare mixture of technical prowess and athletic ability can
This was the past and the future in front of us. Messi, now 35 and in his final World Cup match, scored his seventh goal of these finals as a game played at a staggering intensity stretchedlessly remorse, absorbingly into extra time
Again Argentina has an advantage. France replied. With 118 minutes left on the clock, Mbappe equalized from the spot.
Messi looked like he was being left behind as time passed. When clean through in added time at the end of extra time, he could have won it, but the save of his life by the other team denied him. There was still time for Lautaro to add to his incredible catalogue of misses at the World Cup, but he missed the target.
Penalties made things go away. The contest was decided by the 12-yard shootout. The first person to score wasMbappe. It's definitely obvious. Next, Messi scored. It's definitely obvious.
The gap became too large when Aurelien Tchouameni dragged his effort wide. Montiel hit the winning spot kick, but everyone was focused on Messi.
The noise created by Argentina reached new heights. There is some level of emotional elation. It's relief. There is history.
The squad plays for the Argentina fans. "That's what I've seen from my players." Everyone is pulling the same way and this is for the country. The players broke their backs so they could do their job.
Suddenly, Messi took hold of a microphone and spoke to the crowd. It's fair.
The purpose of the tournament is to change the perception of the region through the use of sports. For several years in the build-up to the World Cup, this tiny Gulf State faced a lot of criticism for its treatment of migrant workers. The abolition of the kafala system, as well as being gay is still illegal, and the Supreme Committee has been less than transparent in conveying the true reality for migrant workers.
The place where Messi was crowned the undisputed king of his craft is now contributing to the global conversation. Lusail was a city that didn't exist in the past. It cost about $225 billion.
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The trophy presentation party included the president of football's world governing body. The pictures were perfect, just as Lusail Stadium is. The World Cup of records was said to have been by France's head coach.
The Golden Boot went to Kylian Mbappe, who scored three goals in the World Cup final. The Golden Ball was won by Messi. Messi defined a tournament in his own image after Diego Maradona did the same. That is the best thing that can happen for Qatar.
They didn't try.
The process of giving Messi the Jules Rimet trophy lingered on as the emir produced a shawl for him. The defining image of the tournament should have been about the winners, not the hosts, as a result of the fact that abisht was given to Messi.
There is a chance that there is a positive political or social legacy from these finals. The sporting legacy is in good shape.
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