QuincyAbeyie It should have been more, was my point.

QuincyAbeyie Griezmann was awful in the final tbh

Clrnc Everyone was. The point is that up until that point nobody had done anything to displace him as their best player.

I think Griezmanns contributions are being a bit overrated. Mbappe was streets ahead through out.

Poor @Big Willie had a Koundé level showing in this thread

One thing I didn't really realise until I saw the celebrations in Buenos Aires is while we're bitching about a winter WC half the world will probably be pretty happy about it being in December

jones bullet dodged for Arteta number 1 target too. Imagine if we signed him to play RB ffs.

Ben White streets ahead.

jones

anything to avoid the Messi hysterics we're being plastered with alll across social media and in person from people who never watched a whole game of football in their lives before the WC.

A France win would have been meh, couple days celebration for their fans etc but it would end there.

The MessiMania will be unbearable though. If only he spent the majority of his career anywhere else but Barca (obviously not the usual PL culprits), then I'd probably have appreciated him a whole lot more. But oh well. Glad this gruff is done and we can get back to the reall football.

Do you think the "Messi hysteria" is unwarranted?

I hadn't watched much of the World Cup beyond England's games and the odd bits and pieces, but what an incredibly insane game of football we were treated to last night. Kylian Mbappe's one man, shock and awe rescue mission for a France team who seemed completely dead will live long in the memory. But ultimately, not quite as long as the sight of Lionel Messi finally fulfilling the destiny his talent demanded. I was thinking, when I read Cesc's tribute to him on Insta last night, that Cesc had won the World Cup by the time he was 22 - it seems crazy that the best player of my lifetime has had to wait his entire career to do the same. The vagaries of team sports.

Having really been turned off by Emi Martinez's constant jibbering since leaving Arsenal, I found myself feeling really pleased for him last night, the level of his shithousing seemed very Arteta appropriate, but that ship has now sailed. Nonetheless, a great save at the end and his decision to forsake trophies at club level for international glory has been well and truly vindicated. I reckon he owes Neal Maupay a beer.

Clrnc Would've been an awful decision, he's a brilliant CB to be fair though.

Arteta has a bunch of these calls now, wanted to sign Raphinha Martinez Tapsoba Vlahovic etc, even White if we're being honest isn't nearly as good at CB which he was supposed to play. Reckon he's performed some satanic rituals last summer this level of luck is something else.

Big Willie He's the greatest ever and the age old discussion of who the is can be put to rest, some hysterics are warranted.

I don't like Barcelona but I'm happy he was mostly there, I hate Madrid a lot more and the only other clubs that could've afforded him are English bar PSG obviously.

This WC was insane, obviously I'm biased but honestly probably the best I've seen since the US/France. Don't know if my body is to return to watching Artetaball.

It's the best since World Cup 98 for me. 2010 would have been pretty good if it wasn't for Spain and their soul draining brand of football getting the trophy.

The narrative of this world cup with Messi winning it tops it for me though, probably the most memorable.

goon 98 was good, 06 was equally good imo. Found 2010 bloody boring and the sound of Vuvuzuelas constantly is a turn off for me.

Russia was also quite decent tbh but Qatar takes the cake. The amount of drama and quality of football is unprecedented, probably due to it being in the winter.

goon

QuincyAbeyie QuincyAbeyie Yes... No. Maybe? I dunno. Can you repeat the question?

I am biased though, and pretty heavily at that. He's a great player. One of the all time greats, for sure. The talk of Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi has always been bullshit to me as there was never any doubt Messi is on another level to Cristiano in almost all facets and is equal in just about anything else so this win alone isn't something that was needed for that. He's rightfully up there amongst the all time greats for what he's done throughout his career and not just because he won last night. It must feel amazing for him to finally win the WC after nearly ending his international career with no trophies a few years ago when he quit the NT so good for him.

I'm just not so invested in the love fest that some of you feel. I could understand it if he really did carry this team to the WC. I mean I've seen Messi carry teams before in the past and win almost everything on offer. This time however he has a lot to thank his team mates for. He got the trophy and will get all the plaudits like Ronaldo did when he won the Euros but one didn't even play in the final, and the other wasn't even his team's best performer. Di Maria and Martinez (just like at the Copa America mind you) were huge reasons for the win, especially Martinez.

The story that he got them the WC etc etc when 4 out of his 6 goals were penalties is a bit whatever. You could say that about Ronaldo at the 2002 world cup. Coming off the injury problems he had for the past 2 or so years, scoring in every game but the England match, finishing with 8 goals in the process, none of which were penalties btw. That was a monstrous WC effort by someone trying to right the wrongs of 98. For me still the greatest player I've ever watched play.

Oh looky there, that big wall of Messi hate managed to go through. Thanks @Pepe LeFrits