Lionel Messi led Argentina to a stunning World Cup victory, beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after an enthralling 3-3 draw over 120 minutes
In a game that will go down in history as one of the greats, France twice came from behind to send the game to penalties
 Although Messi will take the headlines, Kylian Mbappe was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Sir Geoff Hurst for England in 1966
Argentina dominated for the opening 80 minutes and looked to be cruising to their first World Cup title since 1986
 Messi fired his side ahead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute after Ousmane Dembele was judged to have tripped Angel Di Maria - although it looked to be a soft decision
Juventus winger Di Maria added Argentina's second after a fine sweeping move - spearheaded by Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister - as France looked to be suffering from the effects of illness in camp during the week
But Les Bleus came roaring back into the tie when they were handed a lifeline in the 79th minute as the impressive substitute Randal Kolo Muani was tripped by Nicolas Otamendi
 Mbappe scored from the spot for his first of the evening, before adding a stunning second just 90 seconds later to take the game to extra-time
Messi thought he had won it for his side as his rebounded strike was given by goal-line technology in the 108th minute
 But, with mere minutes to play, France were awarded another penalty after Gonzalo Montiel was penalised for handball
Mbappe stepped up for a second time and once again beat Emiliano Martinez, hauling France back into the tie for a second time and sending the game to penalties
 The 23-year-old took the first kick of the shootout - netting his third of the evening - before Messi replied
But Kinsgley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni both missed their spot kicks for France as Argentina scored each of their remaining three, with Montiel firing home the winning penalty to win the 2022 World Cup
"This squad, these players, play for their people
 They play for the Argentina fans," said an emotional Lionel Scaloni after the game
 "That's what I have always seen
 There are no rivalries, everyone pulls in the same direction
"It is the greatest pride to play for your own country
 The players broke their backs, have achieved this title because they understood what they had to do on the pitch
 We are very very happy and proud
"Today we are World Cup champions
 Although we went to a penalty shoot-out, we deserved the win because of our great performance
 Only some moments they made trouble for us
"When asked about Messi, Scaloni added: "First of all, we need to save him a spot for the next World Cup in 2026 if he wants to keep playing
 If he wants to keep playing, he'll be with us
"He's more than entitled to decide if he wants to keep playing for Argentina or not, and what he wants to do with his career
"It's such a huge pleasure for us to coach him and his team-mates
 Everything that he transmits to his team-mates is something unparallel, that I've never seen before
 A player, a person who gives so much to his team-mates
"France were second best for almost 80 minutes of the game, but will have questioned the awarding of Argentina's penalty in the 21st minute
 Di Maria dinked easily past Dembele and into the area, with the Frenchman barely grazing his foot before the Juventus winger went tumbling to ground
 There was no VAR review of the referee's decision to award the penalty
There was little doubt who would take the spot kick
 It was lined up and expertly dispatched by Messi - rifling the ball past Hugo Lloris - as the blue and white shirts dominating the stands were sent into raptures
Argentina continued to dominate against a sluggish France, and it was a special goal to make it 2-0
 Messi started the move, flicking the ball to Julian Alvarez on the halfway line
 He then spotted the run of Brighton's Mac Allister, who drove forward with plenty of space, before squaring to Di Maria on his left
 The winger then made no mistake in slotting home
That was all Didier Deschamps needed to see from his side
 Olivier Giroud and Dembele were both hooked in the 41st minute, replaced by Marcus Thuram and Kolo Muani, and were out far earlier than Argentina for the second half
Argentina continued to see the better of the chances after the break, with Alvarez and Mac Allister linking up nicely going forward
 France finally registered their first effort on goal in the 67th minute with Kolo Muani nodding a corner wide
But the drama was yet to really get started as France were handed a lifeline with a penalty in the 79th minute
 Kolo Munai was fouled by Otamendi, who was the wrong side of his man and brought him down
As with Argentina's penalty, there was only one man for the job as Mbappe stepped up
 Emiliano Martinez - who had not needed to make a save in the game until that point - did get a hand to it, but the penalty had too much power
In echoes of the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Argentina were pegged back to 2-2 mere seconds later
 It was a stunning finish from Mbappe, playing a quick one-two with Kolo Muani before sending a stunning volley home to complete France's turnaround
Messi could have won it for Argentina in the seventh of eight added minutes
 He hit a swerving effort goalwards, but a leaping Lloris pushed the ball over the crossbar as the game headed into extra-time
Argentina went the closest to taking the lead during the added period
 At the end of the first half, Lautaro Martinez's strike was sensationally blocked by Dayot Upamecano before Montiel's effort from range was nodded over
 Lautaro Martinez tried his luck again soon after, but he poked the ball wide
Lautaro Martinez was involved again as Messi fired Argentina back in front in the second half of extra-time
 The Inter Milan forward forced a sublime save from Lloris, but Messi was lurking for the rebound
 He fired goalwards, with Jules Kounde clearing from deep inside the net
 There were a few seconds of nerves as the referee consulted his goal-line technology watch before awarding the goal
But in a game the epitomised the drama of football, France were awarded a second penalty with four minutes of extra-time to play
 Mbappe let fly from the edge of the area, but a jumping Montiel blocked it with an outstretched arm
 The France forward lined the spot kick up once again, dispatching past Emiliano Martinez, as the game went to a penalty shootout
The two stars of the show - Mbappe and Messi - scored the first two penalties
 But Martinez denied Coman before Tchouameni sent his effort wide
 Paulo Dybala and Leandro Parades had scored theirs in between, before Kolo Muani also found the net for France
Montiel stepped up to take Argentina's fourth and ultimately final penalty to see them win their first World Cup title in 36 years, immortalising Messi in football history
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he remained calm during the penalty shootout as he helped his country to World Cup victory
"It was a game where we suffered," he said
 "Two poor shots and they levelled
 They give them another penalty, they scored
 Thank God later I did my thing, what I dreamed of