World Cup: Messi’s cup runs over as valiant French fail from the spot

Argentina has won the World Cup, beating France on penalties, and Lionel Messi has joined Pele and Maradona as the third of the trinity of true champions.
Spare a thought for France’s Kylian Mbappe, who found himself on the losing side after scoring a hat trick.
It was a game of many heroes and supreme spectator satisfaction: six goals, extra time, France twice coming back from the dead – this was a World Cup final of the ages.
For sheer drama, twists and turns and gorgeous goals this was the stuff of football fantasy.
The game itself was a contest within a contest between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe; but the final result was a head-on clash between the two keepers.
This final will be talked about for as long as the game of football is being played, and it is hard to summarise the drama that unfolded.
There was talk of a virus in the French camp.
Well, if they weren’t sick before the game, they certainly were after a first half that was a total mismatch; it was a heavyweight boxer against a bantamweight.
Not one shot at goal by France until midway in the second half and Mbappe neutralised to the point where he was invisible.
When Giroud and Dembele were substituted in the 40th minute that told the story of French disappointment and impending disaster.
By that time the score was 2-0, both goals masterminded by Lionel Messi – who else?
He casually bagged the first one from the spot, hard and low to the left of Hugo Lloris.
This after the live wire Di Maria was brought down by a hopelessly out of sorts Dembele and there was only going to be one penalty taker and one outcome (1-0).
Ten minutes later and it was two. This time Messi’s trickery delivered the ball to a flying Mac Allister who drove forward and crossed the ball behind the last defender for Di Maria to drill it home emphatically (2-0).
Argentina, individually and collectively, were dominant.
France, to be ‘franc’, were nowhere.

The trend continued in the first half of the second stanza.
After Argentina had spurned three good chances, France had their first shot at goal in the 70th minute when Mbappe fired over the top.
Things changed when Otamendi pulled down Kolo Muani in the box in the 78th minute,
Mbappe blasted home (2-1) and less than two minutes later they had levelled matters after Messi lost the ball in midfield.
It ended up being swung wide to Mbappe, whose stinging first time volley beat
Martinez, who only managed a faint hand on it (2-2).
Two shots for France all game, and two goals the result; and it was now Mbappe’s speed versus tired Argentinian legs.
Messi stung Lloris’ hands but it ended 2-2 and into extra time, the first period of which was marked by an Argentinian team fortified with fresh legs coming back at France.
The score was unchanged after the first period but then it was inevitable that Messi would produce some magic – not that he knew much about the rebound that bumped off his body and over the line (3-2). Right place at the right time!
It looked done and dusted until the 108th minute when an Mbappe scorcher struck the hand of Montiel and it’s another pen, duly dispatched by Mbappe for his hat trick, doing what only Geoff Hurst has done before for England in 1966 (3-3).
Those few square centimetres of real estate on the 12 yard line would be the focus as the teams lined up for the shootout at the end of extra time, but only after Martinez had pulled off a wondrous save for Argentina.
The lottery began with Mbappe and Messi taking responsibility and both netting.
Coman’s shot was saved by Martinez, Dybala scored his for Argentina and then Tchuameni put his wide.
Parede and Kolo Muani both tucked their away and Montiel applied the coup de grace.
Argentina have won the 2022 World Cup at Qatar and Messi is named player of the tournament; Mbappe gets the golden boot for his 8 goals; keeper Emi Martinez earns the golden glove and Enzo Fernandez is young player of the tournament.
Can’t wait for 2026!