Messi the Dios of happiness

How should one remember December 18? It may as well be known as the GOAT day. The coronation of the King, who completed football. The story, with a fairytale ending for one of the greatest to play the game and what had come to pass before and the joy thereafter, makes it one of sport's greatest. For France, it was 120 minutes in the Lionel Messi territory and some more. For Argentina, they had to do it under the spirited gaze of Kylian Mbappe, always on the hunt. That only made Messi's coronation that much sweeter in the end.

The match? It was anything beyond expectation.

Surreal. Unbelievable. Those are the words one is looking for. In what was probably one of the best tournaments in the competition's fabled story, delivering earth-shattering competition throughout this edition, the greatest show on earth reserved its very best spectacle for the final. The battle, the raw skill, and stories, lots of them. Until the time that Angel Di Maria left the pitch in the 64th minute, he was the player of the final. Overloading the left flank, to the surprise of all tactical minds, the Argentine delivered when it mattered most, giving Argentina one hand on the trophy.

Then France brought in an injection of pace and youth, subbing heroes like Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann to shift the tide. Yet, for 75 mins, Argentina dominated in a way they did not this tournament.

Suddenly, it all changed. Mbappe struck when it mattered and then did it again. It ended 2-2 at full time, Argentina barely standing, Mbappe now dominating and ready for more. The challenger? He was like no other Messi or perhaps anyone faced in a final before.

Mbappe has it all. The touch, grit and skill. At 23, he is the archetype of physical gift full of guile. Suddenly, Argentina could not hold him back or the forceful France, with the game becoming increasingly physical. At 35, Messi is running on creativity and extraordinary awareness, carrying the burdens of age but more acutely, great expectations.

Mbappe's name reverberated through the game like his teenage mutant nickname. Turning defenders, leaving them slipping and sliding. Thus, like Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog, the super duo of PSG, remarkably at the opposite end of their agencies, spiraled down the dungeons of Moria, through to the bitter end.

How did it end before the very end?

In complete anarchy. "Like a kids' kickabout when it's going dark and it's next goal wins. Totally broken, wide open," Guardian reporter Sid Lowe wrote on Twitter. Messi, who Opta stats later revealed had faced 45 more instances of high pressure than the second-best in the tournament, found life with another goal. It appeared he would not be denied. But then Mbappe cameback with another penalty. Then two chances in the final minute at each end. Abysmal. Of expectations and pressure.

Even at 35, Messi had lost something in those jinking runs. Four finals lost with Argentina before he had retired once before coming back. His present coach Lionel Scaloni had tweeted a picture of Messi then, taking on five or six Chile players with the caption 'this picture says it all... don't go Lio.'

This Argentina team, forged by powerful bonds and powerful failures and always together, has the mark of Messi's grit of always being in the fight. So instead of Messi and 10 others, Argentina were Messi along with 10 warriors and some more. A fist.

The Saviour?

It turned out to be Emi Martinez, who had made the save of the World Cup in the 120th minute. Messi led the penalty kicks under that huge burden. Then Emi had his turn and there was no turning back for Argentina. "Football of this type dispels any rivalry," Brazil great Ronaldo, El Phenomenon, wrote.

The arguments on Messi's GOAT battle with Cristiano Ronaldo also ends. For some, Mbappe is the challenger but he is not Messi's to take on any longer.

The lines on that trophy, the World Cup, represents two athletes 'at the stirring moment of victory' according to its sculptor. How fitting in the end, to the bitter end of the penalties. Messi, in his final dance, more lifelike and yet surreal.