Though I slightly favoured France to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Ar[1]gentina because of its strategic brilliance and pat[1]tern of the game, Leonel Messi turned the tables sin[1]gle-handedly, proving be[1]yond any doubt, that he is not only tactically superior but could take the entire French defense on wrong foot with his classical moves and superb finishing. After 14th June 1940, when the German forces breached the famous French Maginot line of de[1]fense near Ardennes Forest and the German forces marched into Paris, 18th of December 2022 was the sec[1]ond fateful date, that would always haunt the great French nation, where French football team de[1]spite a great fightback in the second half and extra-time, couldn’t hold back the resurgent Messi’s Argentina from lifting the glittering World Cup trophy at the Lu[1]sail stadium in Doha. The start and finish of any team game is vital and those players and teams who control these vital mo[1]ments, because of their su[1]perior game and psychological preparations, usually win the big matches. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest, rightly described these moments of greatness when he said, “It is not the mountain that we conquer, but ourselves”. And Messi conquered the French foot[1]ball mountain closely de[1]fended by Kylian Mbappe and his team-mates by dis[1]playing calm intensity, self belief and discipline at its best, in all decisive mo[1]ments of the game. Messi, 35, who was per[1]haps playing his last World Cup game in front of almost 90,000 spectators made sure that Argentina is crowned as world champions after 36 years. Ball control is the foundation on which indi[1]vidual players can make a difference in the outcome of a game and Messi showed it amply in the first half of the final. The most gifted football players are remembered for their exceptional skill under pressure. Pele, Eusebio, Maradona, Puskas, Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Beckham are few who made the fans stand on their feet in appreciation of their daz[1]zling skills and in the final in Doha it was Messi and Mabape who mesmerised the fans with their skills and superb finishing.

 In football the goal scor[1]ers are broadly categorised into two types. The first type is the player who scores by getting on the end of passes. This kind of player has the knack for leaving spaces alive, then exploding into that space to get there instantly when the ball arrives to finish a cross in the net. The second one is who is initiating the entire move, the improvisational player who prefers to receive passes at his feet and then through elusive dribbling and exciting use of combi[1]nation play, makes space to score and Messi had the combination of both. In the first half Argentina spear[1]headed by Messi, played vertical balls to put as many French defenders out of game as possible and often forcing them to turn and run towards their own goal. The Argentinians were superb in making diagonal runs to re[1]ceive vertical balls played through and over the top of the French de[1]fense. The mid[1]field game di spl a y ed by Ar[1]gentina was also superb. They pro[1]vided cover and balance, tracking down the players in cor[1]rect positions, mak[1]ing excellent recovery runs and d i s p o s s e s s i n g their opponents. Their transition from defense to counter-attack was also perfect thus changing the defensive rhythm to attacks at appropriate times. The second half of the game was far more bal[1]anced and somewhat in favour of France. Seasoned French coach Didier De[1]schamps used his bench strength more creatively that resulted in a 3-3 score[1]line after extra-time. No doubt that France displayed great character and mental tough[1]ness in the final by coming from behind and drawing the game in the dying moments. Vincent Lom[1]bardi, a great coach once said that mental tough[1]ness is rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self[1]denial. Also most im[1]portantly, it is combined with a perfectly disci[1]plined will that re[1]fuses to give in. It’s a state of mind, you could best call it, “character in action” and the French team was em[1]bodiment of character led by Golden Boot winner Mbappe. The curtains were finally drawn on the French team when Emiliano Martinez, the Argentinian goal-keeper, saved two penalties in the shootout but not before the world had witnessed what was perhaps the greatest World Cup final. Qatar was a perfect host that showcased its culture, heritage and hospitality along with its management skills in a befitting manner. The Arab world showed the globe that they have the will and ability to hold sports events of immense magni[1]tude. Qatar indeed presented an exceptional World Cup in the Arab world which should inspire the Arab and Muslim youth to take sports to the next level in their re[1]spective countries. Hope[1]fully, football will get a new lease of life in Pakistan be[1]yond the slums of Lyari and our government would think seriously about pro[1]moting sports in general and football in particular among the youth by investing re[1]sources seriously. sdfsports@gmail.com