Argentina have completed a clean sweep of the three individual awards at the World Cup.
The South Americans claimed glory in Qatar as Lionel Messi finally won a World Cup to emulate his hero Diego Maradona. Argentina had waited since 1986 to rule the footballing world but will do so for the next four years after beating France in a penalty shootout after a dramatic 120 minutes.
Messi was, unsurprisingly, named the Player of the tournament with shootout hero Emiliano Martinez being named the best goalkeeper. Enzo Fernandez, who had been a key cog in the middle of the park for Argentina, claimed the Young Player of the Tournament gong.
Messi's individual success comes after he claimed the same award in 2014. Eight years ago he came up short in the final, but was able to make amends at the Lusail Stadium. The PSG star was pipped to the Golden Boot by Kylian Mbappe, but still scored seven times across the tournament.
He also starred on numerous occasions, scoring twice in the final, as he remains his country's shining light at the age of 35. Messi scored in the shootout to set Argentina on their way. Mbappe, as well as claiming the Golden Boot, also picked up the Silver Ball in Qatar.
Whoever won the World Cup out of Messi and Mbappe was always set to claim the ultimate award. Luka Modric, who continues to defy his age, helped Croatia claim third place in Qatar. The Real Madrid star was awarded the Bronze Ball having been named the outstanding player four years ago.
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Martinez was crucial in the shootout and also made an incredible save during the game as Randal Kolo Muani was sent clear. The Aston Villa goalkeeper, whose mind games paid off, saved twice in the final shootout. He also kept the Dutch out twice during a quarter-final success.
Fernandez meanwhile will have come into the World Cup as a relatively unknown commodity. All of his caps have come in 2022 with the final just his 10th game for his country. The 21-year-old joined Benfica from River Plate in the summer for around £10m. Fernandez joins an impressive list of up and coming starts to claim the gong.
Four years ago it was Mbappe who won the award in Russia whilst the likes of Paul Pogba, Thomas Muller, Michael Owen and Franz Beckenbauer have also claimed it. Messi, Martinez and Fernandez were all recognised before the winners and runners-up medals were handed out and posed for a photo on stage.
