Argentina are the world champions after perhaps the greatest World Cup final of all time. Hold that thought because for the first 70 minutes the game looked to be one sided as Argentina gave out their best performance of the tournament and France looked strangely subdued. By this time Argentina were winning 2-0 and cruising to victory. Lionel Messi had scored a penalty and the second goal was a brilliant team effort finished off by Angel Di Maria who had rolled back the years to give a quite brilliant emotional performance. But it wasn't over.
In the space of 90 seconds Kylian Mbappe perhaps the best player on the planet converted a penalty for the French and then scored a magnificent goal and suddenly the gold trophy didn't feel like it was Argentina's anymore. Suddenly this team were back in the shadow of their eternal hero Diego Maradona and the window of opportunity seemed to be closing on them. This game had gone from a certain Argentina victory to in the balance and we headed into extra time. Even then either side could have won the game in a frantic finish, because the next 30 minutes were full of chances for both sides. The game would yet again swing in both teams favour, and the final was taking on a different sense of being, yes this may well just be the greatest final and history was made. On the ropes but not out Argentina fought again and Messi scored again, the ball just going over the line. It wasn't a great goal by any means but it was one of Messi's most important. That should have been in it but France came back and were awarded with another penalty and Mbappe took it and scored. All of a sudden he had scored a hat trick in the final, a record once devoted to England legend Sir Geoff Hurst a record that had stood for 56 years, now he was at last sharing it. Both sides went for the kill and France almost did it but Martinez in goal became a hero, his left leg being the difference of total despair or keeping his side in the game for penalties. And then it was the shoot out. Here is where Martinez shone and France were finally psychology beaten. Argentina were champions and they did it the hard way.
The final was born out of a child's fantasy. The talk beforehand was all about Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe but we have seen in past finals that the great players don't always show up. So for Mbappe to score a hat trick and Messi to get two it just seemed unreal, the two great players delivered on the grandest scale. Of course let's not forget that Mbappe was invisible up until his goal but that is the genius of this player who can burst onto the scene and change everything in seconds. Incredibly this was his 2nd World Cup final at just 23 and of course he's already won the World Cup but that couldn't hide his emotions at the end and how desperately sad he looked. However he did end up with 8 goals the most since Ronaldo in 2002. With a total of 12 goals already in the finals he will surely break the all time goalscoring record for this competition.
The final word on this World Cup though has to be about Messi. We all knew he was one of the greatest players to have played the game but at 35 it looked like he would end his career without winning a World Cup the one trophy that was missing on his CV and finally it has been rectified. The image of a beaming Messi with the gold trophy is one that many of his fans have imagined and dreamt about and maybe just maybe after all he has given the footballing Gods looked down on him. In the euphoria of the Lusail Stadium one person was missing though and that was Maradona who absolutely would have been present but his presence was felt. Congratulations to Argentina who after winning no trophies in almost 30 years are now holders of the Copa America and World Cup.
The football calendar waits for no one especially in the modern age and domestic football for most leagues resumes in a weeks time. Indeed only 8 days would have elapsed from the final of the World Cup to the next batch of Premier League games the shortest time ever. The goalscoring exploits of Manchester City's Erling Haaland seems a world away but once again he will become the focus point over the Christmas period as the champions try to chip away the 5 point advantage that Arsenal currently has. The Gunners are aiming to win the league title for the first time in 19 years but will the World Cup derail their great run? Is this a unique season that will feel like two separate ones? Will there be player burn out? Or will we see perhaps some teams who didn't have many players at the World Cup shine in the second half of the season? What is very sure is that we will see an exciting second half to the season in the Premier League that will have many twists and turns.
To win the Premier League: Manchester City 1.44, Arsenal 3.25, Newcastle 34.00, Liverpool 34.00, Tottenham 67.00
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