DOHA, Qatar — A World Cup that opened with a beer ban ended with a champagne toast. A tournament that started with a call for cultural sensitivity finished with a cultural icon being celebrated.
The first World Cup held in the Middle East and the first played in a majority-Muslim country will someday be remembered for many things, but for now there’s no reason to look past Sunday’s epic final, which ended with Lionel Messi finally lifting the 14-inch solid gold World Cup trophy as fireworks exploded from the roof of a sold-out 89,000-seat stadium, lighting up the night sky.
It was the only prize Messi, widely considered the greatest player in soccer history, had never won. And when he came face to face with it for the first time after Argentina’s penalty-kick win over France, he paused to give it a gentle kiss.
