At the end of an anthology final, Argentina became world champions by dominating France (3-3, 4 tab to 2).
Special envoy to Doha
How beautiful is football when it offers you a legendary match, with an amazing scenario and exceptional actors like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. For a moment forever in our memories. Sunday evening in Lusail, for the first time world cup contested in an Arab country, the whole world witnessed a Homeric fight between an Argentina earning its third star after the 1978 and 1986 titles, with a giant Messi as the only trophy missing from its prize list, and a French team catastrophic than admirable courage, carried by an Mbappé author of a legendary hat-trick.
Players, coaches, followers and spectators, everyone will have experienced all the emotions… Sometimes the joy, the anger, the fear of knowing redemption for the new world champions and the ultimate disappointment of the vanquished, aware that they are very have come very close to a historical double. But that sport is fantastic if it produces such a spectacle. Big. Unforgettable. And memories that are forever etched in everyone’s memory.
The French lived a nightmare…
How do you imagine such a scenario in the World Cup final? Whether in Doha, Paris or Buenos Aires, all the devised plans have gotten out of hand. We love football and sports for these reasons. Between inaccuracies, technical errors, lost duels and the feeling that the Albiceleste wanted three times more than the defending champions, the difference was colossal during a one-sided first act and the Blues next to their final. However, they were warned of the din of the 50,000 overenthusiastic supporters, of a formation acquired in the case of Lionel Messi and of an aggressiveness at all times, but no one recognized this team of France, fearful, shy and, above all, kneaded by all sides for 65 minutes of play.
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With an ultra-generous penalty after a foul we are still looking for from Dembélé on Di Maria (1-0, 22e), converted by Messi or a five-pass goal closed by Di Maria (2-0, 36e), the French had their heads under water. Deschamps, angry with his bench, sent Giroud and Dembélé back to the shower from 39the minute to bring in Thuram and Kolo Muani. On the other side the Argentines sang, the third star was already about to be embroidered on the jerseys in Buenos Aires and Di Maria came out (64e) all smile to sit on a bench in a trance. Before the meeting moves to another dimension…
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Then the magic of sports worked
You may have watched hundreds of football games, imagined countless scenarios, but every time this sport brings you to (dis)reason and sweeps away your certainties. Who would have expected that, after the departure of Griezmann (71e), master of playing defending champions since the start of the World Cup, such as return ? For a finale that transitioned into the unreal and the unimaginable. Nobody. No one had ever thought of witnessing such a scenario in Doha on Sunday.
In three minutes, the French team emerged from its grave for a timeless moment. Suspended. To have you punched in the face for ten years. Launched deep, Kolo Muani took a penalty that Mbappé calmly turned around (2-1, 78e). Before the top scorer of The Blues let his talent speak by being at the end of a second goal from nowhere (2-2, 81e), with the contribution of two of the newcomers Coman and Thuram, and who blew up the French bank, while extinguishing the Argentine fury. Incredible. Wonderful. But above all, two goals that are synonymous with a relaunched and totally crazy final when three minutes earlier all Argentina was still dancing… Because of its dramaturgy, sport is unique and decidedly magical. Nothing else comes close to him in terms of emotions. The proof is, if necessary, with this last parade of Lloris for Messi just before extra time (90 + 6) while the Argentines were in agony…
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Fantastic Mbappé and Messi in a legendary final
But this final could not stop there, forced to deliver its result between two breathless nations and exhausted gladiators after such a fight. What could be better for the most beautiful planetary event than a final number of the two greatest players of this World Cup? To make this match a little more rock in a total frenzy. After a sublime Argentinian combination, Lionel Messi won (3-2, 109e) thought to give the Blues the final blow… before his friend from PSG provoked a penalty and converted it into an exceptional hat-trick (3-3, 118e). And we spare you the chances of Kolo Muani (120e121e) about to deliver the final blow… In the end a truly legendary match, which we will remember all our lives, lucky as we are to have been there. But it takes a winner and the gods of football have chosen Argentina, solid and more effective in the terrible penalty shootout (4-2), with the failures of Coman and Tchouameni. Moment chosen by all Argentine people to explode with joy and communicate in tears with their legend Leo Messi. Like Kylian Mbappé, inconsolable. Thanks gentlemen. Forever in legend.
