Gonzalo Montiel took off his shirt to cover his eyes. He had fallen into tears the instant his penalty rippled the bottom left corner of the net, winning the World Cup for Argentina not 15 minutes after his handball had threatened to throw it all away.
Most of his teammates were crying, too. So was a soccer-mad country an ocean away.
Argentina are atop the world again, champions for the first time since 1986, defeating title-holding France, 4-2 in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 3-3 tie through 120 minutes, in a coronation that became an all-time classic. And just like that 1986 victory in Mexico that was the pinnacle for Diego Maradona, this tournament will go down in history for an all-time player stating his case to be the best ever.
“I knew,” said Lionel Messi, “that God was going to give it to me.”
Whatever your theory on destiny, this was a game worthy of the heavens — one that seemed to tilt, turn and gasp along with everyone watching as it shaped up into a complete madness of a finish.
“These players play for their country, for Argentina fans,” coach Lionel Scaloni said. “That’s what I’ve been saying about them. There are no rivalries in the team, they play for each other, everyone pushing in the right direction. They have so much pride to play for their country — the players broke their backs.”
For nearly 80 minutes, Argentina were firmly in control, and La Albiceleste seemed to have one hand on the trophy when France coach Didier Deschamps threw on two attacking substitutions — Eduardo Camavinga and Kingsley Coman — in the 71st minute in a desperate bid to inject energy into his side, which was down 2-0 thanks to goals from Messi and Angel Di María.
Coman quickly helped open the game up, and in the 79th minute, Randal Kolo Muani forced Nicolás Otamendi into a massive error, tackling Muani in the box and giving away a penalty, which Kylian Mbappé thumped in to cut the lead in half.
That was Mbappé’s first contribution in a game where he had been held quiet to that point, and he quickly gave a reminder of why he is considered the heir to Messi’s throne. Just a minute later, Coman played in Mbappé, who volleyed it into the net after it was sent back across by Marcus Thuram. Argentina were suddenly stunned and on their heels, Messi’s moment in danger of evaporating.
It was Messi, though, who delivered an extra-time goal that seemed to put the trophy back into Argentina’s hands. The ball came off Hugo Lloris, who had saved Lautaro Martínez’s initial shot, and Messi, on his right leg, whacked it just over the line for a 3-2 lead.
Mbappé and France, though, had one gasp left. Montiel’s handball in the box gave the 23-year-old superstar another penalty kick with two minutes left in extra time. There was no question he would finish the hat trick, and in short order, he did — sealing the Golden Boot for the most goals in the tournament. France nearly won it two minutes into stoppage time, forcing Argentina keeper Emiliano Martínez into a desperation kick save on Muani, but Martínez’s foot found the ball, and sent the game into penalties.
That was where France finally succumbed, with Martínez getting a hand to Kingsley Coman’s attempt and Aurélien Tchouaméni missing wide left. Argentina were a flawless four-for-four, and it was only right that Montiel provided the winner.
“There are a lot of emotions, but it’s cruel in the end,” Deschamps said. “We are close to something we could have touched, but it is not the case.”
It is Messi, though, whose name is written into history, with a first World Cup title. in what he had previously said would be his last game with the national team — a plan he walked back after the final.
For 16 years with Argentina’s national team, Messi had fallen short again and again and again. He was reduced to living in the shadow of Maradona, even as Maradona himself only got Messi as far as the quarterfinals in South Africa 2010 as Argentina’s coach. Messi suffered what looked like personal traumas at the Maracanã in the 2014 final, and in the 2016 Copa America final against Chile, briefly retiring from the national team after the latter.
This, though, makes up for all of that and more.
Messi is now the first player ever to score at every stage of the World Cup, and owns the record for most minutes played in the competition ever. He finally lifted the trophy on Sunday, reaching immortality.
On that journey, he took Argentina with him.
