Drama and happiness flew over the Lusail lawn for 120 minutes. The two teams touched the World Cup in Qatar, but finally the penalties gave glory to Argentina led by Leo Messi. The roller coaster of emotions ended in sadness for France and euphoria for Lionel Scaloni's pupils, especially for the captain of the albiceleste, the center of all eyes.
"It was made to be desired but it is the most beautiful thing there is. I wanted it very much. I knew that God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling that it was this, that it was happening, we suffered a lot but here it is, I wanted to be in Argentina to celebrate it and enjoy", said Messi, at last with the long-awaited world title, the title he needed to round off an incomparable record that places him next to Diego Armando Maradona in the Argentine imagination.
The captain of the albiceleste, MVP of the World Cup, author of seven goals, two in the final, was the center of all the spotlights after the final whistle. His teammates hugged him and the thousands of Argentine fans present in the stadium cheered him hoarsely. "We are not aware of what we did," acknowledged Messi, who gave the lap of honor surrounded by a large group of fans on the shoulders of Kun Agüero and with the cup in hand. A scene that he reminded of the one starring Pelusa after winning the World Cup in 1986.
"I wanted to close my career with this. I'm in the last years of my career and I can't ask for anything more, thank God he gave me all of them. It's something impressive," said 'the flea', who did not confirm his continuity in the national team: "All I want is to go to Argentina, enjoy being with the people in Rosario. Sunbathe with my wife and have a mate. Enjoy being world champion. There will be time to see how everything goes."
Messi was the great protagonist of Argentina and the other great hero was once again the goalkeeper 'Dibu' Martínez. "We had it under control. They tied us with two shit shots. Our destiny was to suffer. I did what I always dreamed of. I have no words," he explained after the final, with tears in his eyes, the goalkeeper. The game was controlled by the South American team, with a two-goal lead until minute 80, but two goals from Mbappé, the first from a penalty, took the game to extra time. Before the penalties, the goalkeeper still avoided the French triumph by deflecting in the last minutes of extra time a shot from Kolo Muani's point-blank range.
"I lived through the penalties calmly. That is a moment that I have to give to my teammates. I could have stopped the first one, but I threw myself badly. Then I did everything right," explained the goalkeeper about the shootout, where he got to play the first shot, transformed by Mbappé, then saved Coman's shot and finally saw Tchouaméni shoot directly wide.
"I came from a humble family. I went to England as a boy. I dedicate it to my family," concluded Martínez, excited like most of the Albiceleste players, including the young Enzo Fernández, best young player in the tournament, who with 21 years old he is already world champion. "There is nothing more beautiful than this, with all my family here. I will not forget it in my life", said the man from Benfica.
"It was a long four-year process. New people who did very well," said Leandro Paredes about Enzo Fernández and the rest of the newcomers to the national team. "It is difficult to explain what we feel. A dream come true. We are proud. It will be difficult to understand what we have achieved," said the midfielder, who entered extra time.
"We were born to suffer, we are going to suffer all our lives, but I am not going to forget this anymore. I think we are fair winners. To be champions we had to beat the last champion and we did it. This is a joy that I cannot explain" , indicated Rodrigo De Paul, another of the bastions of the selection, exhausted when he was substituted after signing 102 minutes of physical waste.
