It was highly improbable that the play on the pitch in Sunday’s 2022 FIFA World Cup final between 2018 champion France and Argentina could equal the pre-match hype ascribed to the global event.
In hindsight, the expansive buildup was understated. Argentina, led by one of soccer’s all-time greats, 35-year-old Lionel Messi, and France, powered by arguably the preeminent player on the planet today, Kylian Mbappe, authored one of the epic finals in sports history. Argentina defeated France at Lusail Stadium in Qatar 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the sides ended extra time tied at 3-3.
The victory gave the South American country its third World Cup title and first since 1986. They denied France, the 2018 champion, the accolade of being the first team to win back-to-back trophies since Brazil in 1958 and 1960. Argentina raced out to a 2-0 advantage before Mbappe scored two goals to draw France even. He finished with three while Messi was spectacular in his own right, putting two in the net in what was a dramatic battle between superstars who represent the present and future.
The symmetry and irony of Messi and Mbappe, currently teammates for two seasons on Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, the top French collective, was perhaps unmatched in modern sports given the historic implications of the match. Their intersection is comparable to a hypothetical NBA Finals Game 7 in which Micheal Jordan and LeBron James would meet in their primes, or Tom Brady and Joe Montana colliding on opposing teams in the Super Bowl.
With the win, a case can be made for Messi being the best soccer player ever as the only line that needed to be inserted onto his sparkling resume coming into the tournament was World Cup champion. It is now in boldface lettering along with the honor of being awarded the Golden Ball, presented to the World Cup’s outstanding player. Sunday was Messi’s record 26th World Cup appearance in five tournaments.
Mbappe could have justifiably been the recipient of the Golden Ball. Instead he earned the Golden Boot, bestowed upon the World Cup’s top goal scorer. The phenom had eight and is already tied with the legendary Pele of Brazil for sixth on the all-time list.
The excitement and interests in the World Cup was reflected in the ratings generated by Fox, which broadcast the tournament. The final was the most widely viewed men’s World Cup telecast in the network’s history, drawing an audience of 16.8 million and surpassing the previous mark of 15.5 million that watched the USA take on England on Nov. 25 in this year’s group stage.