Ultimately this World Cup Final belonged to Lionel Messi, but the future belongs to Kylian Mbappe.
The showdown between Argentina and France had rightly been billed as a battle between the two biggest stars in the game, and they both delivered.
Messi struck twice, while Mbappe emulated England legend Geoff Hurst by scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.
In the end, there could be only one winner and it was perhaps fitting that it was Messi, given this was his last chance to claim the trophy that had eluded him.
Mbappe already has a World Cup winners’ medal and, on the evidence of this match, he will surely win another one.
At 23, the Frenchman still has his best years ahead of him.
His performances in Qatar have seen him compared to Pele, who won three World Cups, and emulating him is not out of the question for Mbappe.
This final showed how he has the talent and, even in defeat, the comparisons to the Brazil legend are justified.
The records are stacking up for Mbappe and there are undoubtedly more to come. By scoring against Argentina, he became just the fifth player to score in two World Cup finals, joining Vava, Paul Breitner, Zinedine Zidane and, of course, Pele.
Mbappe finished as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals, despite not starting France’s final group game.
His total tally of World Cup goals stands at 12 (the same as Pele) and, most impressively, four of those have come in finals. No one else, not even Pele, has that many. How many more will Mbappe add to his tally before he calls time on his career one day?
Destiny and fate made you feel like this was always going to be Messi’s final, Messi’s World Cup, but Mbappe so nearly ripped up the script.
With 10 minutes of normal time remaining Argentina were cruising. But then in the space of 97 seconds, Mbappe struck twice to turn this final on its head.
First, he converted a penalty after Randal Kolo Muani was brought down by Nicolas Otamendi, and then he fired home an emphatic volley.
It was a goal that summed up Mbappe’s unbelievable talent. Heading the ball to Marcus Thuram, he spun to leave his defender for dead, running into the box and volleying first time past Emi Martinez.
Some will argue the Argentina goalkeeper could have done better but - as is often the case with Mbappe - it all happened so fast he barely had time to react.
That goal sent the game into extra-time, where the sense that this was Messi’s final returned as he scored with 12 minutes to go.
Surely that was that and France, now, were down and out.
Mbappe, once again, had other ideas, though.
He won a penalty when his shot was blocked by the arm of Argentina defender Gonzalo Montiel and, cool as you like, stepped up to score with just two minutes remaining.
He scored again in the shootout, but it was heartbreak for him as France lost 4-2 on penalties.
That handed Messi the crowning moment he has been craving, but Mbappe will be back.
His star shows no signs of slowing down and Miroslav Klose, who has scored more World Cup goals than any man in history, will be wary that Mbappe is just four behind him.
That record will likely be Mbappe’s, as will many others, but this final belongs to Messi as the greatest player of his generation bowed out from the World Cup in style.
He will be missed, but waiting in the wings is a player ready to step up. The future is what Mbappe makes it.
