How it unfolded
In the 23rd minute, Lionel Messi converted a penalty won by Ángel Di María after being fouled by Ousmane Dembélé, and in the 36th minute Di María finished an Alexis Mac Allister assist to make it 2-0. France was so ineffective that manager Didier Deschamps substituted Olivier Giroud and Dembélé before half-time. In the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty won by a Nicolás Otamendi foul, and 97 seconds later he scored a left-footed volley off a one-two with Marcus Thuram to equalise. Three minutes into extra time, Messi poked in a rebound after Lautaro Martínez's shot was blocked, but ten minutes later Mbappé converted another penalty, won by a Gonzalo Montiel handball, to make it 3-3 — the first World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966. In the shootout, Emiliano Martínez saved from Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni put his kick wide of the post. Montiel, taking the decisive kick, scored to seal a 4-2 win for Argentina. In front of 88,966 fans, Messi finished the tournament with seven goals, three assists and a second Golden Ball.
Why it still matters
Widely regarded as the greatest World Cup final ever played, it also filled the last empty space on Messi's résumé. The result effectively settled the GOAT debate, and Argentina won for the first time since 1986 — 36 years earlier. At the same time, Mbappé's final hat-trick in a losing effort set the bar for the next generation.