ON Sunday, December 18, under the glittering lights of the Lusail Stadium, the world watched one of this century’s best footballers, Lionel Messi, win his maiden World Cup title with Argentina.
To date, the esteemed crown was the only one that eluded the Argentine maestro.
In his debut tournament in 2006, he was ushered in with a standing ovation in acknowledgement of his brimming talents. Messi played a bit-part role, starting only one game in the group stage before Argentina was knocked out.
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Maradona's reaction to Messi coming on as a substitute in 2006 to make his World Cup debut is amazing.pic.twitter.com/xqDklr7WQv
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) December 17, 2022
He kicked off the 2010 tournament against Nigeria — in a matchup that would become a trademark fixture for the transatlantic countries. It was the first time he donned the No. 10 jersey, once won by legend Diego Maradona. Nonetheless, Argentina still fell to Germany in the quarter-finals.
The same European side again stopped Messi four years later. He bagged a brace (two goals) against Nigeria, was on the mark in all the group-stage matches and was crowned the best player at the tournament. However, Germany grabbed the honours in the extra time of the final.
In 2018, Kylian Mbappe’s France stopped the Argentine’s progress in the round of 16, creating an even grander backdrop and narrative for the game on Sunday. Messi, the ageing giant of 20th-century football, would have a second shot at fate against Mbappe and France, who obstructed his ascent to glory four years ago.

As expected, this clash of fate stirred up one of the most heart-wrenching matches in modern football history.
What happened?
Argentina was first to the sword. They started the game majestically and prevented France from mustering a shot in the first hour.
Messi gave Argentina the lead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute after Ousmane Dembele brought down Angel di Maria in the penalty box. He dispatched it and became the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of a single tournament.
A few moments later, the Argentine laid off the ball for Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister, who set up Di Maria for the game’s second goal.
France’s head coach Didier Deschamps resorted to a double substitution on the cusp of half-time to salvage the situation. Meanwhile, Argentina headed into the second half with a seemingly comfortable lead; the supporters envisioned the trophy lift, and the highly anticipated final seemed like a one-sided affair.
Or so we thought.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani found himself at the end of an Otamendi challenge and won a penalty for Les Bleus. Mbappé strode to the spot and slotted the ball just past the outstretched reach of Emiliano Martinez. The crowd went wild, and fans from every corner of the globe held their breath. The game was on.
France used the momentum to keep the pressure on. Within minutes of scoring the first, Mbappé, again, played a quick combination at the edge of the penalty area, then contorted his frame to strike a freakish first-time volley into the net. France seemed to have unleashed the demons of the past. In 2018, Mbappé’s quick-fire second-half brace helped France seal the victory against Argentina.

The game went into extra time.
Messi led Argentina’s charge and almost caught out Hugo Lloris with a belter from outside the box. The French goalkeeper was up to the task. However, at the second time of asking, he could not prevent Messi from tapping the ball past the goal line.
With ten minutes left on the clock, the Argentina players anxiously celebrated what seemed to be a winner while France paused and looked at the screen in agony. Was it too late?
Mbappe conjured another penalty after his shot struck Gonzalo Montiel’s arm. The man from Paris kept his cool and smashed his third goal of the game, becoming the first player to do so since Geoff Hurst in 1966.
The reality matched expectations; the two stars of the day put all their tools on display, but the game would be decided in a penalty shootout. The Paris Saint-Germain teammates stepped up first and dispatched their sides’ respective penalties. They had done their part.
However, history sided with the 36-year-old Messi, his compatriots, at both ends of the penalty spot, delivered to bring the cup home.
Lionel Messi was a World Cup champion.
What does this mean?
Amongst other things, the win embellished the 36-year-old’s greatness. Over the past two decades, his extraordinary feats won the hearts of many supporters worldwide, yet this title inscribed his legacy onto their memories. The world will never forget, and generations will echo his allure.
A fitting list for Lionel Messi to end his World Cup career at the top of.
— VisualGame (@avisualgame) December 19, 2022
At last, the man from Rosario, Argentina, brought football’s grandest trophy home, ending a 36-year wait.
Joel currently monitors and writes stories affecting the local political and sports atmosphere. In his spare time, he strives to accentuate data privacy legislation on the continent.
Additionally, Joel regularly curates tactical analyses on football–check his Twitter page (@crunchpick) for more.