Back on the home shores of England, there will have been a tinge of sorrow as members of Gareth Southgate's England squad watched Lionel Messi and Argentina celebrate their first World Cup triumph in 36 years.
After two goals, a successfully-converted spot-kick in the penalty shootout and an all-round majestic display, the boy from Rosario delayed the inevitable changing of the guard with Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe, even if it is only by a few mere months.
While France were vastly underwhelming for large parts of the finale at the Lusail Stadium, Mbappe burst into life with less than 15 minutes remaining as his 97-second brace restored parity in the most sensational of circumstances in the Middle East. The 23-year-old just about dispatched a penalty past Emi Martinez for his first, before sweetly connecting with a volley after a crisp one-two with compatriot Marcus Thuram for his and France's second.
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Even if the performance was well below the standards that have become expected of the 2018 winners during the finals, for a brief period of time at least, while Messi and Co pushed to avoid a collapse of the highest order, Didier Deschamps' side looked all so likely to swipe a secure a second consecutive World Cup triumph and this time from under the noses of the mischievous South Americans.
Having sent the Three Lions packing at the Al Bayt Stadium at the quarter-final stages last weekend, Southgate would have watched Sunday's final with a touch of imagination, given that a semi-final tie against Morocco awaited the winners of the mouth-watering tie. It must be said that England's showing against the French was perhaps one of the finest under Southgate despite it being statically their worst return in a major international tournament since he succeeded Sam Allardyce in late 2016.
Boasting talents like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, Southgate's squad had been one of the pre-tournament favourites and backed by many to lift a second World Cup at the Lusail Stadium on December 18.
Well, at least that's what the Football Association had planned for. The governing body of the English game had hoped that 2022 would finally be the year that football finally did come home. In fact, it was in 2013 that then FA Chairman Greg Dyke installed a clock at England's St George's Park training base which counted down the days until the 2022 finals began.
The idea, which was the subject of criticism from Dyke's successor Greg Clarke, was set up to outline their aim to win the 2022 World Cup. Taken at face value, Southgate failed in his attempt to engrave his name alongside Sir Alf Ramsey's and Sarina Wiegman's as the only two individuals to deliver silverware for the Three Lions, but a more meticulous examination of the manner in which his side exited the first Middle Eastern World Cup had clearly whetted the appetite of those at the FA for more of the same.
On Sunday it was announced that the former Middlesbrough manager will see out the remainder of his contract with the national team and will continue to lead England forward until the end of Euro 2024, at least. However, for Southgate and a few of the 26 members he included in his squad for the 2022 finals, there may be a need for some candid discussions ahead of international football's return in the spring of 2023.
One of those is Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who arguably enjoyed his finest spell in a Three Lions shirt in Qatar as he impressed alongside Bellingham and Rice in midfield, but also scored his first World Cup goal.
In being named in Southgate's contingent, Henderson become just the fourth player in England's history to appear at six major international tournaments, with his maiden appearance coming at the end of his debut season as a Liverpool player when he was selected by Roy Hodgson for the 2012 European Championships co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
Despite struggling in what has been a stop-start campaign at Anfield this term, the 32-year-old was one of Southgate's most reliable performers during the winter and was hailed by many for the way in which he led England's counter-press during the victories over Wales and Senegal.
But for Henderson, the defeat to France earlier this month could - or perhaps should - spell the end of his international career.
After turning 32 last summer, the Reds' No.14 is no longer the fuel-filled midfielder he once was during his earlier days at Anfield. Instead, Henderson is entering a stage of his career where - in an ideal injury-free world - his minutes would begin to dwindle as Liverpool look to blood the likes of Harvey Elliott and, more recently, Stefan Bajcetic.
However, Klopp has not been gifted the luxury of being able to hand the 32-year-old a more reduced role within his ranks as the fitness of Thiago Alcantara continues to be a prolonged issue at Anfield.
It meant that while the Reds embarked on their quest for quadruple immortality last campaign, Henderson started 43 of the club's 63 games across all competitions. Only five outfield players accumulated more minutes than the midfielder. Of course, long-term injuries to Curtis Jones, Elliott and Thiago were all contributing factors in the midfielder racking up his highest tally of appearance in a sole season on Merseyside.
In addition to that, Henderson had - after a season-ending groin injury in February 2021 - rushed back to fitness to be part of England's 23-man squad for that summer's European Championships, which highlights just how extensively the former Sunderland scholar has been pushed to his absolute physical limit in recent years.
After returning from last summer's European Championships with a runners-up medal, Henderson and Liverpool - after a few murmurs of a potential move elsewhere - swiftly agreed on a new four-year extension at Anfield. In truth, it was a lengthy deal that certainly raised a few eyebrows given how rarely those in the 30+ club have been rewarded with lucrative contracts during Fenway Sports Group's reign at Anfield.
It's a deal that will take the midfielder to immediately after his 35th birthday, in the summer of 2025, and perhaps signals his clear role as James Milner's successor as the elder statesman of both the AXA Centre and Anfield dressing rooms.
Milner himself called quits on his international career at the age of 32 following England's embarrassing elimination from the 2016 European Championships at the hands of Iceland. It was a decision that came jst one year into his career on Merseyside and since then Milner has since gone on to arguably play the best football of his glittering career as he has been instrumental in the Reds' Champions League and Premier League winning campaigns.
In fact, his form was so impressive in his first season after informing the FA of his decision to end his Three Lions career - as the Yorkshireman set the record for the most assists in a Champions League season en route to the Reds reaching the 2018 final in Kyiv - that Milner was reportedly asked to reverse his international retirement as Southgate wanted to him include him in his squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Despite declining the complimentary invitation, Milner has been able to prolong his stay at the upper echelons of the game and was aptly awarded when he made his 600th Premier League appearance during the 3-1 victory over Southampton in November.
It's fair to say if the former Manchester City and Aston Villa midfielder was trudging around with Southgate's squad five times a year with the possibility of the odd cameo appearance here or there, he would not be performing at the same levels which have made him a key component of Klopp's squad and ultimately seen him sign a one-year extension at the age of 36.
But given the enthusiasm Henderson has for pulling on the Three Lions shirt, and with 74 appearances to his name, it is unlikely that he would decide to call time upon his international career while he still feels like a valued member of Southgate's squad. After all, with the success he has achieved at Liverpool in recent years, he brings an added element of wisdom that very few within the walls of St Georges' Park can offer. Clearly, you only have to ask Jude Bellingham about the obvious impact Henderson has had on him during their time as international team-mates.
When it was suggested to the Liverpool skipper that the 2022 Qatar finals could perhaps be his international swansong, a staunch Henderson responded. "Oh, wow! Are you chucking that out there? I've seen a lot of 36-year-olds play at World Cups, so no reason why I couldn't."
But with players like Bobby Clark, Jones Bajcetic and Elliott all at the early stages of their careers with the Reds, and with Liverpool expected to add at least two young first-team midfielders to their ranks next summer, Henderson has a crucial role to play in ensuring the next generation of superstars endure a seamless transition at Anfield. Something he may only be able to make sure of if he calls time on his impressive Three Lions career.
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