Despair for Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate as France lose…

Despair for Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate as France lose to Argentina in World Cup final

Ibrahima Konate's hopes of winning the World Cup were ruined by Lionel Messi and Argentina on Sunday evening, but not before one of the greatest football matches of all time unfolded in a scarcely believable fashion.

Lionel Messi gave the South American's the lead from the spot in the 23rd minute before Angel Di Maria added a brilliant second 13 minutes later, as Argentina ran riot.

Shell-shocked France had barely laid a glove on their opponents and looked to be losing their grip on the treasured trophy they won four years ago in Russia.

But the game was turned on its head 10 minutes from time when France were awarded a penalty, which Kylian Mbappe squeezed past the out-stretched Hugo Loris. And incredibly it was that man again who pulled Didier Deschamps' side level 60 seconds later when the Paris Saint-Germain star dispatched a brilliant volley to tie the match at 2-2.

Rejuvenated France finished the 90 minutes the much stronger side after looking dead and buried for most of the match, with Mbappe's remarkable quick-fire double forcing extra-time, but not before Loris tipped a rasping drive from Messi over the bar deep into time added on.

Centre-back Konate was Liverpool's only representative in the World Cup final, but after suffering an illness in the build-up to the final he was left out of France's starting line-up, with Deshamps favouring Dayot Upamecano. However, with the game in extra-time Konate was brought on to replace the tiring Raphael Varane in the 113 minute.

By the time the Reds' defender entered the field, Messi had put Argentina 3-2 up. Chasing a goal, Konate was thrown up top by Deschamps as the French desperately hunted down a second equaliser.

And with a script more befitting of a Hollywood blockbuster, that moment arrived in the 118th minute when France were awarded a second penalty which Mbappe dispatched to tie the match at 3-3 and become the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since England's Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966.

But in what was a football match for the ages, someone had to win and it was Messi's Argentina who prevailed as goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez saved Kingsley Coman's spot-kick before Aurelien Tchouameni dragged his effort wide. And that paved the way for Gonzalo Montiel to seal Argentina's third World Cup triumph and their first since 1986.

It was disappointment for Konate, who will return to Liverpool having played in the final, but with a runners' up medal.

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