Argentina 3
Messi 23 (pen), 108, Di Maria 36
France 3
Mbappe 80 (pen), 81, 118 (pen)
ARGENTINA WIN 4-2 ON PENALTIES
AS Gonzalo Montiel begins his run-up, Lionel Messi glances to the heavens and seems to ask something of the deities above.
“Vamos Diego, dáselo,” Messi appears to say — at least according to delirious Argentines who have since poured over the footage.
“Come on Diego, give it to him.”
When Montiel’s penalty hits the net and the moment finally comes, the Argentina players around Messi begin sprinting towards the goal and their supporters, only to realise he is not with them.
Messi has instead sunk to his knees, again looking to the skies, alone for the briefest of moments before he is mobbed by his team-mates.
It felt appropriate that at the second of his triumph, the moment he has longed for above al l others and dreamed of since childhood, was spent alone and perhaps with the memory of Diego Maradona, the last man to almost single-handedly inspire Argentina to a World Cup in the year before Messi was born.
This was Messi’s night, and as he was paraded around the Lusail Iconic Stadium, holding the trophy aloft on the shoulders of his friend Sergio Aguero — who had travelled to Qatar to room with him on the night before the final — it inevitably conjured memories of Maradona being borne around the Azteca in 1986.
With his crowning triumph, Messi elevated his legend and finally emulated his idol, managing to do what Maradona never could by scoring in a World Cup final — not once but twice. On a night of the most breathless and scintillating drama, Messi secured his legacy and guaranteed his footballing immortality.
This story is from the December 19, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 19, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
chelsea happy to sell the family silver now that Poch has gone
Gallagher and Chalobah set for summer exits as club bids to stay in line with financial rules
Bloomsbury hits record with help from Maas and air fryers
A SURGE in demand for air fryer cooking recipes helped London publisher Bloomsbury to another record year of sales.
£’77bn rights issue for greener Grid
NATIONAL Grid today launched a £7 billion rights issue to help fund a £60 billion programme of investment over the next five years in a major green energy push.
Wizz back in profit despite groundings
LOW-COST airline Wizz Air returned to profit after three straight years of losses, results revealed today, as it carried a record 62 million passengers in the year to 31 March.
Nationwide profits slip by 200m as Virgin investors back takeover
NATIONWIDE profits slipped by £200 million to £2 billion for the year to April it said today, one day after Virgin Money shareholders backed the £2.9 billion takeover by the society.
Why the maddest job advert of all time actually makes total sense in 2024
CAMDEN People's Theatre has come under fire for a job advert for a new artistic director and joint CEO, in which it says it is encouraging applications from a long tick box of under-represented groups, along with people who identify as \"working-class, benefit class, criminal class and/or underclass\".
Starmer has been crab-like and careful so far, but now faces a test of his agility
SIR Keir Starmer has many strengths, but earthy dynamism is not one of them.
My advice to the leaders is be bold and do avoid world-class own goals
WE WILL never know if Gareth Southgate's Euros announcement just squad the day before was the trigger that caused Rishi Sunak to make his surprise election announcement.
Voters north of the border key if Labour is to win a landslide
VOTERS in Scotland will have a key role in paving the way to Downing Street for Sir Keir Starmer - or helping Rishi Sunak block his path.
Put London at heart of your plans and we can lead Britain to growth, say business leaders
LONDON business leaders today called on the Government elected on July 4 to put the capital back at the heart of its economic strategy to help drive the country's growth.