“Messi finally became Messi” and “beautiful and useless” performance of Mbappé

In the aftermath of the final won by Argentina against France, the newspapers praised the performance of the Albiceleste and its attacker Leo Messi.

by Fatoumata Sillah

The international press celebrated, Monday, December 19, the day after the coronation of Argentina, a Lionel “Messi finally became Messiah” thanks to his first title obtained in the World Cup, at 35. The praise covering the seven-time gold ball rubbed, in many newspapers, those who were attributed to the exceptional performance of his comrade in Paris Saint-Germain Kylian Mbappé, “king of scorers” of the World Cup in Qatar with eight achievements, including three in the final.

A hat -trick marking a “beautiful rebellion”, Sunday evening, faced with the domination of the Albiceleste in the first part of the meeting, but a feat however deemed “useless” by the Spanish daily El Pais, since he did not was able to prevent France’s defeat alone on penalties. On all the “some”, the cut in hand, it is therefore Lionel Messi who appears, compared alternately to his compatriot Maradona or in Pelé. “On the 10th reaches glory” after “a life of frustration and mutual misunderstanding between him and his country, with two farewells to the national team”, recalls El Pais.

For the “pulga” (the chip), it is “the coronation of glory”, title Le Guardian in London. The Argentinian “planted his flag at the top of Everest”, also greets The Times. Leo Messi “led Argentina at the top with a Maradonian performance”, abounds, in Spain, the Marca sports newspaper. The third star on the Argentina jersey is seen everywhere like the apotheosis of the career of his attacker: “Leo is the king of footballers”, concludes El Pais.

Mbappé “could not shoot All French penalties “

Finally, the World Cup in Qatar saw the team “who wanted this title more than any other country” rewarded, considers time, in Switzerland, in its analysis. Even the Brazilian media, whose national selection is a historic rival of Albiceleste, congratulated the performance of their Argentine neighbor. Lionel Messi is “the best” and “greatly deserved to lift the cup”, insists the daily O Globo, who speaks of the victory of “brothers”.

Eight years after his defeat in the final at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Argentina “comes out of his shadow corner” by winning the competition. But, in Italy, the Stampa is not fooled, because “the spotlights are already ready to move on Mbappé”, observes the newspaper Turin. The speed of the double of the French striker in the second half, shortly after the 80 e minute, left no one of marble. Thanks to him, “we believed [the French team] indestructible”, maintains time, “alas, he could not draw all French penalties”, deplores the Swiss newspaper. For The Times, there is no doubt: “the scene now belongs” to the twenty-three-year-old player, described as “phenomenon that looks like nobody” by the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“How can we score four goals in the World Cup final and not win?” Asks The Times, adding, unlike the official FIFA count, the shot to the goal scored by the attacker French at its total achievements during the last match of the competition. Pending the next exploits of the two teams, and the next edition of the World Cup, the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung observes without appeal: Sunday evening’s performance will remain in “Football History Books”.