ROBERT HARDMAN: A World Cup final that will stand the test of time

Ten out of ten – to the power of ten.

What is hailed as one of the greatest football games in history, let alone modern times, ended up being a battle between two sporting prodigies with the same shirt number.

By a razor-thin and ferocious margin, Argentina and their lucky charm Lionel Messi beat defending champions France and their equally dominating Kylian Mbappe to clinch today’s World Cup final. A game that ended 2-2 after regulation time and 3-3 after extra time had to be decided on penalties.

Although it was the fifth game at this World Cup to be decided in this ghastly fashion, none came even close to that glorious, dramatic symmetry.

With the victory, 35-year-old Messi finally clinches the world title in his incredible career

The cumulative brilliance of both sides was memorably reflected in their identical answers at the very end. We didn’t see the winners rushing off to their fans and the losers lying face down in the grass. Rather, both sides collapsed into trembling, tearful heaps.

The Argentines might have just won the biggest prize in world sport, but in that tiny moment the triumphalism was gone.

It took both sides a few moments to process the magnitude of what had just happened.

Cheers and agony would soon enough take over, culminating in the obligatory fireworks and trophy-kissing ceremonies.

But could it really be that a man who had just scored a hat-trick – the first hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966 – would end up with a losers’ medal?

Was it really the case that the man who had just won the holy Golden Boot as the top World Cup goalscorer was also runner-up?

That man was Mbappe, France’s boy wonder and the only comparable counterweight to the undisputed player of our time, the equally fascinating Messi.

French President Emmanuel Macron with Kylian Mbappe at the World Cup final

Had it not been for Mbappe, this match would have ended in an elegant but relatively uncomplicated duel in Argentina’s favour. Buenos Aires would have erupted a full hour earlier and the world would have gone back to what it was doing.

Because the South Americans were just wild in the first 80 minutes of this game. France lasted 23 minutes until they missed a penalty and Messi rose to a well-deserved 1-0 lead. Just 13 minutes later, Messi was part of an excellent attacking move, carefully passing the ball to Alexis Mac Allister – the closest thing British fans could call a dog in this particular clash (he plays for Brighton and his family is originally from Fife but preferred). so long after Argentina that football hadn’t even been invented at that point).

Probably now the toast of Sussex (and Fife too), Mac Allister delivered a perfect cross to the standout Angel di Maria, who pushed the thing home. Whereupon Argentina happily rolled out to half time and down the other side.

Upstairs in the royal box, French President Emmanuel Macron cut a sad figure alongside the Qatari kings. His Argentine counterpart, Alberto Fernandez, had deliberately stayed home for fear of jinxing the result. Of course, there was never the slightest chance that M. Macron could muster similar powers of self-control.

Jared Kushner (left) and Elon Musk (right) in the stands during the France vs Argentina match

He understandably jumped out of his seat when France landed a penalty ten minutes from time. It could only be Mbappe.

Amazingly, it was Mbappe who put the ball back into the net a minute later. Argentina looked completely devastated while their blue and white legions looked heartbroken in the stands. President Macron, now without a jacket, danced.

It’s on to extra time, where most teams tend to be too tired and discouraged to do much. Not this couple.

Crowds of Argentina fans show their support ahead of the FIFA World Cup final

France fans react as they watch a live broadcast of the game on a big screen

Who would finally break the deadlock in the final stretch of extra time? The unstoppable Messi. And with just two minutes to go as France conceded another penalty, who would shoulder the Herculean pressure of taking their last chance to salvage the game? It could only be Mbappe. The two No. 10s were then each the first to take penalties in the final showdown. Both Messi and Mbappe delivered again.

This time, however, there was no French comeback after two botched attempts, leaving Argentina to lift the trophy.

At this point, the experts were unanimous in their judgments. “Oh my god – a finale for the ages,” explained the BBC’s Gary Lineker.

Alan Shearer added: “We’re out of breath up here. It was just an incredible finale. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I’ll ever see anything like it again.” Argentina guest expert, former finalist Pablo Zabaleta, was too emotional to speak.

French President Emmanuel Macron at the top of the royal box alongside the Qatari royals

Down on the pitch, no amount of manly hugs and condolences from the unstoppable M. Macron could assuage the night’s irretrievable horror for the poor French. The Argentinians, who were gallant to the end, applauded them on their way to their runners-up medals.

They then brought the house down as they stepped forward, although there was an odd moment when Messi was the last of everyone to emerge, only to be robed by the Emir of Qatar. A great honor, no doubt, but it meant the greatest player in the world looked more like a boxer in his dressing gown than a football legend at the greatest moment of his career.

All the same. Off-field scandals and cultural clashes will long linger in memories of the World Cup in Qatar. However, when it comes to the action on the field, it will surely forever be regarded as the most beautiful game at its best.