It was a consecration, the spiritual overtones entirely appropriate. Lionel Messi not only emulated the deity of Argentinian football, Diego Maradona, by leading the nation to World Cup glory, he finally plugged the burning gap on his CV, winning the one trophy that has eluded him – at the fifth time of asking, surely the last time. In the process, he gilded his claim to being recognised as the greatest player of all time.
When it was over – after the most outlandish of Kylian Mbappé‑inspired France comebacks, the defending champions punching back from the brink not once but twice – when Gonzalo Montiel had dispatched the winning penalty, Messi sank to his knees in the centre circle, engulfed by his teammates.
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