The most exciting final in history enthroned Messi and his Argentine convoy.
The world at the feet of Rosario after a hectic, emotional game, with curves for everyone.
A final for eternity in which the France of that thunder that is Mbappé succumbed in the roulette of penalties.
ARGArgentina
3
Emiliano Martínez, Otamendi, Tagliafico (Paulo Dybala, min. 120), Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina (Montiel, min. 90), Alexis Mac Allister (Pezzella, min. 115), De Paul (Paredes, min. 101), Enzo Jeremias Fernandez, Julián Álvarez (Lautaro Martínez, min. 102), Di María (Marcos Acuña, min. 63) and Messi
FRAFrance
3
Lloris, Dayotchanculle Upamecano, Theo Hernández (Camavinga, min. 70), Koundé (Axel Disasi, min. 120), Varane (Ibrahima Konate, min. 112), Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Griezmann (Kingsley Coman, min. 70) , Ousmane Dembélé (Randal Kolo Muani, min. 40), Rabiot (Youssouf Fofana, min. 95) and Giroud (Marcus Thuram, min. 40)
Goals
1-0 min.
22: Messi (p).
2-0 min.
35: Say Maria.
2-1 min.
79: Kylian Mbappe (l).
2-2 min.
80: Kylian Mbappe.
3-2 min.
107: Messi.
3-3 min.
117: Kylian Mbappe (l).
Referee
Szymon Marciniak
Yellow cards Enzo Jeremias Fernandez (min. 51), Rabiot (min. 54), Marcus Thuram (min. 86), Giroud (min. 94), Marcos Acuña (min. 97), Paredes (min. 113), Montiel ( min. 115) and Emiliano Martínez (min. 125)
Sublime in the last stretch Mbappé, author of three goals.
Apotheosis Messi, who sealed two.
After Brazil 2014, fate granted him a return match to glorify a unique footballer to infinity.
Because only one is the one who at 35 years old, after a career in which he demanded to be Messi every day, is reincarnated as that Leo who played for a bicycle encouraged by grandmother Celia.
King Pelé had thirty in his majestic 1970 World Cup. If Maradona was the hand of some god, Messi is his left foot, even though in the final he also scored with his right foot in extra time.
An exhausting fourth half, with the staff on the brink of collapse.
There was no respite.
A cosmic duel.
And that it was difficult for France to appear in Lusail.
He didn't for 80 minutes.
Until Mbappé lit the fuse, it seemed that the French team had given up in the warm-up.
From the outset, the ghost of him came to the final while Mbappé did not combust.
Waiting for the French genius, in Qatar there was only one soul: the Argentine.
There was only one nerve: the Argentine.
And there was only one football: the Argentine.
Not even Griezmann, always so munificent, gave any signs.
To the French misfortune, the presence of Koundé and Dembélé became very evident, from whom Di María pulled the chain over and over again.
There was no better shortcut to the summit than by the route of the two Barcelona fans.
Messi, to whom the field fits in his bowels, a watch with boots, guessed it immediately.
The overhead football of La Pulga guided the Albiceleste and Di María stretched it towards the top.
Enzo Fernández and De Paul tuned in fluently at Messi's round table in the midfield cabinet.
All of them, Argentines to the core, added up like green berets.
Except for Dibu Martínez, of course, to whom no French player had yet given a chat.
France, flatter than ever.
Not even crumbs from the solid selection of Deschamps.
Nothing to do with the explosive final outcome of him.
A swip from De Paul to Theo, at that time as inexperienced as any of his comrades, led to a high shot from Di María with his right foot, the orthopedic one.
El Fideo did not shrink, which made a mocking bow to a naive Dembélé.
The azulgrana's cables were cut and he stumbled against his Argentine torment inside the area.
Messi, eyes closed, in the center of the universe, in intimacy with Lloris, whom the rosarino's threat made him fall in the opposite direction to the pass to the net of the Albiceleste captain.
Rosario's sixth goal, the fourth penalty after having missed the second he had in Qatar.
He has bingo in all the qualifiers.
France, reduced to the role of voyeur, could not find anyone to roll up her sleeves.
Not a hint of a stampede from Mbappé, as if the throne of Russia 2018 had satisfied him, as if he did not feel indebted.
Nobody rose up.
So Argentina played solitaire.
And good, very good.
Canchera and with style.
As evidenced by the second goal.
A loss by Upamecano many blocks from Lloris was terminal for France.
Messi spun with Julián Álvarez, who sent Mac Allister off the ground with a shrewd pass into space.
The son of Colorado, who knew well what it was like to play with the other god, Diego's, gave Di María an appointment with the goal.
The one from Juventus subtly beat Lloris.
Rarely has a footballer been seen to break down in tears in the middle of the game and with more than an hour to go.
Reflection of the engine of Argentine emotions, in the stands and in the
Lusail
candy box.
At 2-0, Deschamps said enough is enough.
Five minutes from the break, Dembélé and Giroud to the dark room.
Thuram and Kolo Muani to see if there was a possible compromise.
Mbappé, or his shadow, moved like a battering ram.
Molina, his bailiff, had not been bothered.
With the upsets of the French coach, the remedy would still take time to arrive.
Not even when something else Griezmann was activated, just when, unexpectedly, his coach took him out of the game.
On the positive side, the one who did more than earn a retirement was Di María, with physical problems throughout the tournament.
Honored by the fans, with the sole worn out and his heart in his bones, he took over from Acuña.
Argentina handled the clash at its own pace.
And even with
olés
.
If it were not for the cravings of soccer, nothing presaged the final anguish.
Suddenly, Mbappé, the veiled Mbappé, turned the game upside down.
Otamendi ran over Kolo Muani inside the area and the Parisian star beat Martínez, who was two inches short of scratching the ball.
France, out of nowhere, one step away from a tie that not even the most faithful of the rooster team could smell.
And he reached it in the blink of an eye.
And in what way!
Eat took the ball from Messi on the edge of midfield.
Thuram and Mbappé flirted wonderfully with a wall and the moment came for the top scorer in the championship (eight toasts).
Mbappé hooked a phenomenal shot and all of Argentina, sounded.
Football, its moments.
France had two, enough to put their opponent in the slipstream in the final stretch.
The Gauls, alerted by Mbappé and agitated by Thuram and Kolo Muani, ended up overshadowing the albiceleste.
And they all shouted without luck when claiming a penalty from Enzo to Thuram junior.
A terrifying end to the game, with Mbappé unleashed, with Messi crestfallen at times, but still with enough rope to put Lloris into flight with the save of a left-footed shot.
The duel, emotional as few, already with the musketeer France that had not reviewed for 80 minutes.
The story went from Messi to Mbappé.
a hollywood
script
.
With a clash of hands between the two PSG affiliates, extra time began.
And what period!
Times all over the place, with the boys being squeezed like lemons.
Lautaro had it, and Kolo Muani.
And a save from Dibu.
People, neutral or not so fanatic, begged for it not to end.
Messi almost finished it off with a goal with his left foot protected.
For having he has even a right leg.
With it he beat Lloris after a rebound from the goalkeeper shot by Lautaro.
The ball entered with suspense.
Logical in such an intriguing encounter.
It was not very hot in Doha, but the stands were a tureen.
In games like this the fans play, of course.
He replied to Messi, who else, Mbappé.
His slash was blocked by Montiel with an elbow.
The French, jackal in the penalty.
And they played penalties.
To begin with, bingos for, who else, Mbappé and Messi,
Dibu was right against Coman and Tchouameni missed.
Lio, Celia's grandson, in heaven.
And the three-time Argentine champion on the Moon.
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