They had two goals from a footballing God, and one from an Angel.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory over France in the greatest World Cup final of all-time last night (Sun) - to take his place in history as the best player of all time.
The footballing genius scored twice in the thrilling 3-3 extra time draw - with another from Angel di Maria - then stepped up to score the first in their dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory.
Messi sparked delirious scenes of celebration in Doha and more than 8,000 miles away in Buenos Aires.
“Let’s go, Argentina!” he roared into the microphone after making a record 26th World Cup appearance.
His words sparked scenes of joyous celebration on the terraces as 40,000 Argentina fans bounced, danced and sang as fireworks were fired into the air.
“This is my dream,” keeper Emi Martinez said after his two saves had helped Argentina to victory.
Messi was named player of the tournament after a stirring fightback by reigning champions France....led by Young Pretender Kylian Mbappe.
Messi, 35, won the battle of the superstars despite Mbappe’s magnificent second half hat trick.
And he collected the trophy as best player before fulfilling his lifelong dream to raise the famous Jules Rimet trophy.
Argentina fan Kevin Kogan, 33, a marketing executive from Buenos Aires, said: “I think that was the best final ever.
“Messi was just brilliant, to score two goals and then the penalty.
“For me, he is now alongside Maradona as the best of all time.
“Maradona won one world cup and lost one. But he was not the best player in the world for seven years, like Messi.”
He was given his tickets by a Brazil fan after they lost their quarter final. “It is only because of that gesture that I am here.”
His friend Kevin Waissmann, also 33 and now based in Miami, added: “That may be the best match in sporting history.
“It was a real honour just to be here, and see Messi do that. What a game.”
Mbappe, the flying French winger, was the tournament top scorer and sportingly posed alongside Messi after collecting his award which came thanks to the first hat trick in a final since England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966.
He scored twice 97 seconds - then scored a second penalty to make it 3-3 with just three minutes left on the clock.
But Messi was not to be denied.
Argentina fans paid tribute to their footballing God and told how they had defied economic meltdown at home to fund their trips to Qatar.
Masseur Sergio Fuentes, 38, travelled 18 hours and 9,000 miles from Tauranga, New Zealand, spending 8,000 US dollars, around £6,500.
He will return to Buenos Aires for the perfect Christmas, but said: “I felt that I had to be here. As an Argentina fan, you could not miss this.”
Mauro Fernandez, 32, a chef from Buenos Aires, travelled from the Far East via Madrid to get to Doha.
He had been studying eastern cuisine with scientist girlfriend Lala Gameno, 39, when he told her: ‘I have to go to Qatar.’
They travelled together to Madrid and he booked a ticket to Doha after his heroes beat Australia.
He admitted that he has now run out of money but hopes to travel home in time for Christmas.
“I paid 400 US dollars for the Holland match and 600 US dollars for Croatia,” he said.
“The flight here was 300 dollars and I will have to see what I can do to get home.
For me it was all about seeing Messi lift that trophy.”
He added: “I knew that Messi was better than Mbappe, for me he is the best.”
Gaston Didier-Lardet, 33, originally from San Luis near Mendoza, flew in from Australia where he was working at a mine.
He said: “There were thousands and thousands of Argentina fans from Bangladesh and India, which is crazy.
“They know nothing about Argentina, but they just love Messi, and who can blame them.
“I am a Messi soldier, for me he is proof of the rewards for total sacrifice.”
He said there were many ‘crazy stories’ of fans selling their possessions - even their homes - to get to Doha.
“Anything to see Messi win the World Cup,” he added. “We knew it was his last chance. He is a God to us.”
Evelyn Galiano, 26, who travelled from Andorra, where she is working as a chef, paid around £6,500 from her savings.
She said: “It has been beyond all my expectations.”
The Blue and White outnumbered the French fans by at least 10 to 1 in the sell out 88,966 crowd packed inside the £632m Lusail Stadium.
But reigning champions France came back in an astonishing fightback.
French fan Radya Fitlizky (c), 19, who had travelled from Indonesia, said: “I am proud of them. It was an amazing game.”
Millions took to the streets in Argentina to celebrate a famous victory.
The 46m population faces a bleak Christmas with inflation at 88 percent - and set to hit an all-time record 100 percent next year.
Asked why lifting the trophy was more important than tackling inflation, Labour Minister Kelly Olmos said: “We must constantly work against inflation, but one month won’t make a huge difference. We want Argentina to be champions. The Argentine people really deserve some joy.”
Messi made his 26th and final appearance at the World Cup, the most by any player alongside Lothar Matthaus of Germany.
His match winning performance took him to 13 goals and eight assists, beating the record of all time great Pele.
Messi won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona, seven Copa del Rey titles and four Champions Leagues.
He holds the record for the most goals in La Liga, as well as a record seven Ballon d’Or awards.
But victory here was the pinnacle of his glittering career in his last ever World Cup game.
