Those of us unfortunates who could not to witness the World Cup live in Qatar were rewarded by a spectacular final on our screens. France’s Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have confirmed their status in the pantheon of football. Like Achilles and Ajax, Perseus and Hercules, Messi and Mbappe have been anointed.
Messi follows the late Diego Maradona as one of the greatest footballers ever. Argentina won the World Cup in amazing style; beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw that featured a hat-trick for Mbappe as the cup holders recovered from 2-0 down after 80 minutes.
Messi then put Argentina ahead again, but Mbappe levelled with another penalty, becoming the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after Geoff Hurst for England 1966.
Mbappe took the game to a shoot-out where Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman’s penalty and Aurelien Tchouameni fired wide to give Gonzalo Montiel the chance to win it, which he happily took.
The baton of football greatness will transfer to France’s Mbappe who wrestled back Argentina’s lead in the 80th minute.
Nick Hatzoglou the head of Football Victoria’s Inclusion and Diversity told Neos Kosmos that Messi “joined Diego [Maradona] as one of the all-time greats.”
“Argentina was tested because France kept coming back when the game should have been over, and I think that vindicated Argentina winning, and Messi joining Diego [Maradona].”
“Mbappe is amazing and as a consolation Messi handed over the reins as one of the game’s great players. It was a beautiful game,” Hatzoglou told Neos Kosmos.
The game was full of drama and altering fortunes, it was one of the all-time great finals to cap the tournament.
Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez, an Argentinean Australian barrister was emotional when he spoke to Neos Kosmos.
“This victory was for the pueblo [village] back home and for us the Argentinean diaspora, of which Messi is a part of it makes us one heart.”
“Others will not understand how important it is. This victory lifts the country at a time when it was most needed,” Pintos-Lopez said reflecting on Argentina’s current economic woes.
Bill Papastergiadis the chairman of South Melbourne FC, and president of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Victoria, said it was “an inspiring game”
“It was riveting. Messi is now confirmed as one of the greatest after Maradona and it looks like Mbappe will be hailed as the new king of football.
“That is the sort of game that should inspire all Greek Australian young people, and all Australians of all cultures to reach for the stars when playing football.”
Carlo Carli the chairman of the Federated Ethnic Communities Council of Australia, (FECCA) and president of the Brunswick Zebras FC said it was “an exhilarating football final, a contest between Messi and Mbappe and a celebration of the world game.”
This no doubt will go down as one of the greatest World Cup finals ever.