Spain dethrone 10-man Argentina to win World Cup as godfather Messi relinquishes crown to heir Yamal

The story began almost two decades ago when Lionel Messi, then a Barcelona star, held a six-month old Lamine Yamal in his arms for a UNICEF charity calendar photoshoot. Fast forward 19 years, Argentina's veteran superstar was battling to prevent the Spanish wonderkid from lifting football's most coveted trophy. Their unexpected reunion on the biggest stage - a World Cup final between the reigning European and South American champions - added another layer of historical significance to this match.

This was built as a legacy duel between godfather and the potential heir to his throne. Yamal grew up worshipping Messi. At the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, he had the chance to eclipse 'La Pulga' by leading a Spanish victory that would represent a changing of the international guard. With a 20-year age gap between them, the narrative was compelling.

Pre-match, Messi, at 39, described the viral photo of him holding the future inheritor of his famous No.10 shirt at Camp Nou "crazy". Yamal, who only turned 19 on Monday, had openly expressed his dream of facing his idol and Argentina in the final. That dream had now become a reality.

Yamal can no longer be labelled a 'prodigy'; he's now an established superstar, having already been on the scene for four years. It wasn't necessary for him to win this game in order to cement his status as an all-time great - after all, Messi's first didn't come until he was 35. But deep down, he would have wanted one after growing in stature throughout the tournament.

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For Messi, this was likely to be his swansong. One final bid to further cement his legacy, help Argentina to back-to-back triumphs and join Brazilian legend Cafu as only the second player to feature in three World Cup finals. Would he bow out in a blaze of glory, or would he pass the torch to the most exciting young talent in international?

Adding to the intrigue were the men in both dugouts. Argentina's Lionel Scaloni had lauded opposite number Luis de la Fuente as his "master", crediting the Spaniard with teaching him invaluable lessons while undertaking his coaching badges in 2017. Two masters of their craft, two contrasting styles. What a contest we had in store.

Among the notable attendees was president Donald Trump, who would later present the trophy to the winning team. To him, the real victor of this World Cup was the United States, stating at a FIFA reception in New York City on Friday that the tournament had "really brought the world together".

For the White House, Sunday’s showpiece encounter was the culmination of months of navigating logistical challenges alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico to stage the largest World Cup in history. From exorbitant ticket prices to hydration breaks and political interventions, the past 39 days had been anything but dull. 48 teams had been whittled down to two after an unprecedented 104 games, spanning four time zones at cities up to 2,800 miles apart.

The game was now afoot. Spain - on a sensational 37-game unbeaten streak - dictated possession in the early exchanges and it took Argentina 25 minutes to nullify their opponents threat. They had yet to touch the ball in the Spaniards box. Yet, while Spain had spent a lot of time in Argentine territory, piercing open their defensive line was proving difficult.

As half-time approached, Mikel Oyarzabal registered the first shot on target, but his effort on the turn lacked the necessary power to trouble Emiliano Martínez. Space was starting to appear for Spain and Real Madrid wing-back Marc Cucurella then narrowly zipped an angled drive wide of the post.

Then came another World Cup first: the staging of glitzy Super Bowl-style half-time show featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber and Shakira as FIFA broke tradition by extending the interval to 30 minutes. It concluded a World Cup where celebrities have been spotted at every turn - from delivering the match ball to posing for cameras after flashing up on big screens.

Spain remained in the ascendency for the duration of the second half, spurning numerous chances. Argentina were on the ropes, and only some inspired goalkeeping from Martinez prevented 'La Roja' from settling this contest within 90 minutes. Instead, the pressure had been ramped up on De La Fuente's side to finish the job in extra-time after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 105 minutes when Nico Williams' downward header was lashed high into the roof of the net by fellow substitute Ferran Torres. And after withstanding a late Argentine surge, Yamal's Spain reclaimed the crown to end a 16-year wait, as Messi relinquished his.