World Cup final: 'Breathless, staggering and magnificent' - how unimaginable showpiece unfolded

"We'll ne'er spot thing similar this again."

It had everything - superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe going head-to-head, melodramatic comeback goals and a nerve-wracking punishment shootout decider.

Social media was sent into meltdown, sports stars astir the satellite were transfixed and those successful Lusail Stadium were treated to a mouth-watering showpiece.

"I couldn't ideate that happening - wherever you spot 2 large teams going toed to toed and no-one takes a backmost step," said Ferdinand connected BBC One.

"The 2 superstars connected either squad slugging it out, extremity for goal...magnificent."

Ex-England striker Alan Shearer added: "We're breathless, it was conscionable an unbelievable final. I've ne'er seen thing similar it and I don't deliberation I'll ever spot thing similar it again. It was staggering."

• Messi wins Golden Ball arsenic Mbappe takes Golden Boot
• Martinez's punishment shootout caput games
• 'This is Messi reborn' - wrong a defiant quest for glory
• Relive Argentina's singular World Cup win

How a fabulous last unfolded

• 23 mins - Argentina 1-0 France - Messi scores a penalty
• 36 mins - Argentina 2-0 France - Angel di Maria doubles Argentina's lead
• 80 mins - Argentina 2-1 France - Mbappe responds with a penalty
• 81 mins - Argentina 2-2 France - Mbappe equalises with stunning volley
• 108 mins - Argentina 3-2 France - Messi restores Argentina's pb successful extra-time
• 118 mins - Argentina 3-3 France - Mbappe nets his hat-trick to set-up shootout decider

Much of the absorption was connected Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe earlier kick-off arsenic some were level successful the contention for the Golden Boot and seen arsenic the superstars to pb their teams to glory.

But Mbappe hardly had a sniff successful the archetypal fractional arsenic Argentina took conscionable 4 minutes to person their archetypal changeable connected people done Alexis Mac Allister and went connected to dismantle the defending champions.

Messi's archetypal publication came successful the 23rd infinitesimal erstwhile helium scored from the punishment spot to enactment Argentina up and Angel Di Maria doubled the vantage 13 minutes later.

France were successful disarray, Mbappe had not been successful the absorption container and had the fewest touches of immoderate subordinate aft fractional an hour.

Having had enough, manager Didier Deschamps made a treble substitution aft 41 minutes, hooking Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele, replacing them with Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram.

At half-time, with nary shots connected people from France and Argentina cruising astatine 2-0, reporters astir the globe were finalising their lucifer reports - it was surely crippled over.

But the play had not adjacent begun.

France were inactive not astatine their champion erstwhile they yet tested Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for the archetypal clip aft 67 minutes, but the crippled changed successful a pulsating 97-second play that followed...

Muani went down nether a situation from Nicolas Otamendi successful the container and Mbappe stepped up to occurrence a punishment past Martinez.

Game on.

Argentina had hardly got their enactment backmost and French supporters were inactive celebrating erstwhile Mbappe past volleyed successful a stunning 2nd to marque it 2-2. Extra-time, present we go.

But this was Messi's nighttime - and helium thought helium had the last accidental erstwhile helium poked it implicit the line, sparking chaotic celebrations, successful the 108th infinitesimal of extra-time.

Though Mbappe was not done. His hat-trick extremity arrived successful the 118th infinitesimal - helium became conscionable the 2nd subordinate successful World Cup history, aft England's Geoff Hurst, to nett 3 goals successful the last - and a punishment shootout followed.

Argentina, who had mislaid their pb doubly during the match, yet got their hands connected the trophy for the archetypal clip since 1986 erstwhile Martinez saved Kingsley Coman's spot-kick and Aurelien Tchouameni sent his effort wide.

Which was the champion World Cup final? Vote below

How societal media reacted to 2022 showpiece

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

Get your regular dose of Fifa World Cup reaction, statement & investigation with World Cup Daily connected BBC Sounds