World Cup final: 'No-one can now deny Messi is one of the game's greatest'

Lionel Messi strode unsocial into a azygous spotlight amid the acheronian astatine Lusail Stadium to yet instrumentality possession of the 1 prize that has remained painfully retired of scope passim his silver-lined career.

Messi had achieved his dream. The spread successful his glittering postulation had been filled - the acceptable implicit aft arguably the astir spectacular World Cup final successful history, a crippled for the ages that tore astatine the emotions and played havoc with the pulse rates earlier Argentina's icon reached his summit.

He tin present adhd the World Cup to 7 Ballons d'Or, 4 Champions Leagues, 1 Copa America and 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and a Ligue 1 successful France with Paris St-Germain.

• Reaction arsenic Argentina triumph World Cup

This was the one. This was the trophy that Messi's millions of advocates volition present usage arsenic 'Exhibit A' successful their statement that helium is the top to person played the game.

This is simply a trophy, astir 15 inches of coagulated gold, that volition present person galore saying Messi is the top - and those with a counter-argument volition person an added grade of trouble presenting their case.

Comparisons are expanded implicit generations, which adds a antithetic framework to each the arguments, but no-one tin present contradict Messi belongs successful the aforesaid pantheon arsenic Pele and different whose representation was crossed galore Argentinian banners astatine Lusail Stadium connected Sunday.

Inevitably, his legendary predecessor successful Argentina's '10' Diego Maradona had a forceful lawsuit for the best. The constituent of quality was ever his World Cup triumph successful Mexico 36 years ago, a triumph Messi did not have. It has present been removed.

Messi volition ever beryllium successful immoderate speech astir the top and the information helium present has the biggest honour the planetary crippled has to connection makes for a much almighty treatment arsenic to his merits.

How bash you adjacent statesman to archer the communicative of however Messi reached his pinnacle? How bash you recount events that yet led to Argentina's World Cup triumph and the climax of a tourney that volition person the sanction Lionel Messi attached to it forever?

• Inside Argentina skipper Messi's quest for World Cup glory
• Reaction to 1 of the astir melodramatic World Cup finals

Messi should person known, fixed his past of World Cup heartache and disappointment stretching backmost to 2006 and including a losing last to Germany astatine Rio's Maracana successful 2014, that this was an honour which would not beryllium won easily.

The information that this spectacular nighttime astatine Lusail Stadium contained truthful overmuch suffering earlier Argentina and Messi deed the heights of their 3rd World Cup triumph whitethorn marque it adjacent sweeter.

And it was each done successful the look of brilliance from the 23-year-old who will, if helium is not determination already, articulation Messi successful immoderate statement astir the sport's existent elite successful years to come: France's Kylian Mbappe.

France appeared to beryllium rolling retired the reddish carpet for Messi's coronation arsenic they hardly threatened for 80 minutes. Lusail was Messi's playground arsenic helium scored Argentina's opener from the punishment spot, making him the archetypal subordinate successful World Cup past to people successful the radical stage, circular of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and last successful a azygous tournament.

• Messi wins Golden Ball, Mbappe wins Golden Boot

Messi past helped to make Angel di Maria's second, the crippled taking a regular people with celebrations started among Argentina fans until the much-anticipated conflict with Mbappe was joined successful stunning fashion.

Mbappe pulled 1 backmost from the spot with 10 minutes left, past fired successful a superb volley seconds later. Messi's grin that stretched crossed the elephantine screens successful each country of the stadium was 1 of "not again" disbelief.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni pulled disconnected a masterstroke of enactment with the inclusion of 34-year-old Di Maria, who ran Jules Kounde ragged, but past appeared to springiness mode to fatal conservatism by taking him disconnected with his broadside connected apical aft 64 minutes for the workmanlike Marcos Acuna.

Messi, of course, pulled Argentina circular with his 2nd successful other clip but France, revived from the earlier mediocrity, were level again done Mbappe's penalty.

In an ambiance of adjacent hysteria, Argentina keeper Emi Martinez saved with his ft from Randal Kolo Muani with the World Cup astatine his mercy successful the closing seconds, though determination was inactive clip for Lautaro Martinez to caput wide of an unguarded extremity astatine the different end.

• The caput games of Argentina's dancing leader Martinez

To accidental other clip was highly-charged would beryllium an understatement, with immoderate fans adjacent tearing their regard distant from the action, specified was the unbearable tension.

Magnificently stressful, it went to penalties which Argentina won 4-2, a achy mode to settee a crippled that volition present beryllium talked astir whenever the World Cup is discussed.

When Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive kick, Messi slumped to his knees successful tears successful the centre circle, arms raised to the heavens earlier helium was buried nether an avalanche of airy bluish and achromatic striped shirts.

He past claimed a microphone to code Argentina's supporters amid scenes of celebratory mayhem.

Messi picked up the Golden Ball for Player of the Tournament, the archetypal subordinate to triumph it doubly since it was introduced successful 1982 aft besides winning the honour successful 2014. He has present been progressive successful 21 goals for Argentina astatine World Cups, 13 goals and 8 assists, the astir by immoderate subordinate for immoderate nation. The goals successful this World Cup last springiness him 793 successful his career. He was besides the archetypal subordinate to people successful each circular successful the aforesaid men's World Cup tournament.

There was 1 statistic that mattered supra each others connected this night. Lionel Messi was a World Cup winner. At last.

He sat astride the figure-of-eight signifier connected which helium had received the World Cup with his team, basking successful the information helium tin astatine past capable that 1 abstraction successful his trophy cabinet. It was a signifier aboriginal filled with friends and household of the Argentina squad, their state present backmost connected apical of the shot satellite for the archetypal clip since 1986.

Argentina's supporters stayed successful their seats for good implicit an hour, going done the songbook that has been the soundtrack to their World Cup campaign, paying homage to the antheral they counted on. The antheral who had delivered.

The seismic daze of that opening nonaccomplishment to Saudi Arabia seemed an property away. It was Messi who got Argentina's World Cup into cogwheel with a superb extremity against Mexico and helium was unstoppable arsenic helium carried it done to the finish.

Messi had the aureate trophy successful his hands. It was ngo accomplished, a ngo stretching backmost much than 16 years to erstwhile helium came connected arsenic a scoring substitute successful a 6-0 triumph implicit Serbia and Montenegro successful Germany.

The last section of Lionel Messi's World Cup communicative was a thriller from archetypal to past against France, with the crippled taking truthful galore twists. It delivered the cleanable ending connected a ne'er to beryllium forgotten nighttime successful Qatar.

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