Argentina become world champions at the end of the final to end all finals

Despite a record-equalling hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, Argentina are the new world champions at the end of a tumultuous World Cup final.

First, they had the momentum. Then they threw it away. Then they regained it. And then they threw it away again. At the end of an extraordinary World Cup final – surely the best since it could first be broadcast live around the world, 56 years ago – Argentina stumbled their way to a World Cup win. They are imperfect but brilliant champions who didn’t seem to even understand the mental blocks that are supposed to afflict teams upon losing a lead in a high-pressure environment.

Lionel Messi got almost everything he wanted. Two goals and a champion’s medal. He couldn’t quite manage a clean sweep after Kylian Mbappe scored only the second hat-trick ever in a World Cup final, but he probably wouldn’t trade his winner’s medal for the match ball and a Golden Boot.

Football can move in mysterious ways and few will ever come as mysteriously as this match, which shape-shifted constantly from the mid-point of the second half on. Mbappe has a hat-trick, but no winner’s medal. Messi can now walk off into the international tournament sunset with the satisfaction of a full set, an itch that he was desperate to scratch finally taken care of.

There was no tickertape welcome as the teams took to the pitch, but in just about every other sense this was a home match for Argentina. Under most circumstances, La Marseillaise rips through whichever stadium it’s being blasted around, but on this occasion it came out as more of a whimper. In the tunnel before the match the television camera dwelled briefly upon Hugo Lloris, who seemed to be shaking slightly as the teams awaited their moment. Momentum was behind Argentina from before the whistle for kick-off even blew.

READ MORE: 16 Conclusions on the World Cup final: Messi magnificence, Mbappe majesty, Martinez mind games

Even for all of this, few would have expected such an insipid display from France throughout the first half. There’d been talk of a virus going through their camp over the last couple of days, but it had been broadly assumed that it had been limited to Kingsley Coman, Ibrahima Konate and Raphael Varane, the three players already confirmed to be playing apart from the others, and Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot, who both missed their semi-final win against Morocco with it.

And France played in such a surprisingly ragged manner for a team in such a…