After he scored one of the most sensational goals to mean absolutely nothing in a World Cup Final, Kylian Mbappe was mobbed by almost every Frenchman in the Lusail Stadium.
At least that is what it felt like as the subs and the subbed stormed the field to salute their talisman after the first of his two equalisers and the second goal of a hat-trick that, incredibly, also meant absolutely nothing in a World Cup Final.
When Mbappe eventually emerged from the base of the celebratory scrum, Argentina were ready to restart and Lionel Messi, his narrow shoulders a little bit lower than usual, was standing over the ball on the centre-spot.
He glanced towards Mbappe and his Paris St Germain club-mate clenched his fist, looked fiercely at Messi as if to say … take that.
Oh, you should have known, Kylian, known that this was pre-written into football legend, known that even after you had cancelled out Messi’s second and Argentina’s third, fate was your unbeatable enemy.
You should have known Leo would have the last laugh.
From a long way out at this tournament, this felt like Messi’s destiny and that he arrived there via an astonishing game of football and a penalty shoot-out just made it even more compelling - and even more agonising for Mbappe, whose Golden Boot will be the least gilded consolation in sporting history.
For a time, as one number ten led the tear-washed celebrations, another number ten sat slumped on the bench, his face buried in a jersey that was pulled to the top of his head.
He would eventually re-emerge and be engaged by Emmanuel Macron - unsurprisingly, it did not work with Mbappe.
But you can guess what the President was saying to the Prince. You have done yourself and your country proud - and he would be right.
But much more than that, Mbappe and Messi did the game proud, did football proud.
Has there ever been a sporting duel within a team game that has lived up so spectacularly to its billing?
It was hard to think straight in the thick of the glorious bedlam but there cannot have been another like this one.
And there cannot have been many players in any major team-sport finals whose loss has been as ill-deserved as Mbappe’s.
For so much of this match, he was isolated, frustrated by the odd torpor that had seemed to slow his team.
He watched on as Messi scored from the spot and Angel di Maria doubled a lead that Argentina never really looked like surrendering.
But when the penalty came France’s way, Mbappe came alive.
Between them - including the shootout - Mbappe and Messi took five penalties … and never looked like missing.
Under this sort of incredible pressure, that takes some doing.
But it was Mbappe’s volleyed second that reminded anyone left in the world who needs reminding that he is the heir apparent to that greatest living footballer title.
The speed, the awareness, the volley - and then, that gesture to Messi, who responded with a goal in extra-time only for Mbappe’s second penalty to send it to the shootout.
After he tucked his penalty away, Mbappe was, this time, powerless to save France.
There was that consolation of the Golden Boot which he received just before Messi collected his Golden Ball for being the tournament’s best player.
There were more hugs from Macron, one from the Emir of Qatar and plenty of words in his ear as he went by.
But he was not listening and as he left the podium, he walked past the World Cup Trophy and did not give out a second glance.
He has lifted it before, of course, and there is a decent chance he will lift it again, but this will hurt, to have done so much in vain will hurt.
He will be told how he played his part in one of THE greatest games, he will have his Golden Boot to admire, the President will probably give him some award or other.
But this will hurt for a long, long time.
