Lamine Yamal completes football at 19 as Argentina betray Messi

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Chief shot writer astatine New York New Jersey Stadium

When superb Spain teen Lamine Yamal embraced a tearful Lionel Messi astatine the extremity of the World Cup final, it looked and felt symbolic. A passing of the torch.

Messi, astatine 39, gazed agelong and hard astatine Argentina's fans packed astir the New York New Jersey Stadium arsenic they sang his sanction aft what whitethorn beryllium the past clip helium graces the game's biggest stage.

And, with the satellite watching, it was Lamine Yamal who offered the large Argentina icon consolation earlier they fell into each other's arms.

Barcelona's fig 10 embracing their astir legendary fig 10.

A antithetic representation to the astonishing photograph of a 20-old Messi bathing a six-month-old Lamine Yamal successful September 2007 arsenic portion of a foundation calendar raffle that went viral erstwhile more successful the build-up to this game.

The babe lad is present a man, and Messi whitethorn beryllium astatine the extremity of his World Cup journey.

Lamine Yamal - 2 decades younger and inactive successful the infancy of his vocation - has efficaciously completed planetary shot by lifting the World Cup 2 years aft helium came to wider prominence by winning the Euros erstwhile Spain bushed England.

He, similar Messi a merchandise of Barcelona, came into the tourney troubled by a hamstring injury, but ended it arsenic the youngest subordinate - astatine 19 years and six days - to triumph some the World Cup and Euros.

And 1 of the cardinal storylines contained wrong this disappointing World Cup last was however Lamine Yamal's power was assisted by the purist strategies of his Spain team-mates - portion Messi was betrayed by Argentina's provocative approach.

It yielded nothing, which was what it deserved.

Spain and Lamine Yamal person grown done the tourney to permission him with the satellite astatine his feet and football's 2 top prizes successful his pocket.

As good arsenic having glorious earthy gifts, helium is besides Spain's fortunate charm. They completed their domination of the planetary signifier with Ferran Torres' decisive 106th-minute onslaught successful other time.

Lamine Yamal has yet to suffer for his state successful the 28 competitory matches helium has played. He has started 13 games astatine large tournaments and won each of them - the longest 100% triumph complaint of immoderate European subordinate crossed large tournaments erstwhile starting.

He besides became - on with 19-year-old Spain team-mate Pau Cubarsi - conscionable the 4th and 5th teenagers to commencement a World Cup last and win, aft Pele for Brazil successful 1958, Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi successful 1982 and Kylian Mbappe with France successful 2018.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente spoke afterwards of his "sincere gratitude" to Lamine Yamal.

"He has played large shot that volition assistance him to mature and beryllium adjacent a greater footballer than helium already is," helium said.

"He truly sacrificed for the corporate good. This is precise important successful my squad. In my sentiment helium played a large World Cup."

And this is not simply a peculiar talent, it is simply a peculiar endowment with a peculiar temperament.

He shrugged disconnected Argentina's evident attempts to intimidate him arsenic helium regularly came into adjacent interaction with Nicolas Tagliafico successful particular.

Former England goalkeeper and BBC Sport pundit Joe Hart summed it up well.

"Not lone did Lamine Yamal not react," helium said. "He stood up to it. He was not rattled and helium did not backmost down. He had the full squad trying to smash him.

"He conscionable stayed existent cool. It was existent standout show from him.

"Lamine Yamal is 19 years old. What a beauteous time for him. He's 19 and has completed football."

With virtually his full vocation successful beforehand of him, and taking successful the acquisition and power of Spain team-mates specified arsenic his skipper and subordinate of the tourney Rodri, determination is each accidental Lamine Yamal volition adhd much successes similar this earlier helium is done.

The joyousness of Lamine Yamal was the sharpest of contrasts to Messi, who looked heartbroken arsenic helium stared into those massed ranks of Argentina supporters, the realisation possibly dawning that this would beryllium the last clip helium would instrumentality specified adoration astatine the World Cup.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, similar Messi trying to triumph a 2nd successive World Cup, became highly emotional erstwhile asked whether this was the legendary attacker's last crippled successful the tourney - portion besides reflecting connected his ain aboriginal with his declaration owed to expire successful December.

Scaloni said helium had not spoken to Messi, earlier bursting into tears himself past leaving the quality conference.

Messi's origin was not helped present by Argentina's confrontational attack from virtually the archetypal whistle, which near their inspiration and person efficaciously a rider for astir of the game.

Spain's triumph was a triumph for shot due to the fact that Argentina appeared to beryllium focused connected thing but that from aboriginal on, erstwhile Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic exercised the benignant of leniency that has infuriated opponents passim the World Cup.

Alexis Mac Allister's mediocre situation connected Dani Olmo received thing much than a little admonishment, prompting Spain fans to ironically chant the sanction of Fifa president Gianni Infantino. It was different motion to the conspiracy theorists who assertion Argentina's roadworthy to the last has been smoothed retired by officialdom.

It was 40 minutes earlier Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez received the game's archetypal yellowish paper for a foul connected Mikel Oyarzabal - greeted with dense sarcasm by galore wrong this immense vessel of a stadium.

To spot Argentina's evident talent, which they displayed by overpowering England successful the semi-final, reduced to specified spoiling tactics was a dismal sight, hardly designed to assistance Messi's genius and influence.

Messi adjacent got successful the enactment by suggesting the referee should nonstop disconnected Spain's Marc Cucurella for talking with his manus implicit his rima - punishable by a reddish paper if employed successful a confrontational mode astatine this World Cup.

It came aft the debased constituent of Argentina's performance, Enzo Fernandez's senseless complaint astatine Cubarsi conscionable earlier the crippled went into other time. The Chelsea midfielder was not adjacent looking astatine the shot erstwhile helium flattened his opponent. A 2nd yellowish paper was afloat deserved.

Argentina were the archetypal squad successful the tournament's past not to person a changeable successful 90 minutes of a World Cup final. When it did come, successful the 117th infinitesimal and with desperation mounting, Messi fired disconnected target.

Spain had 12 shots connected target, Argentina had nary successful the full game.

In a shocking archetypal half, Argentina committed much fouls than passes successful the last 3rd of the pitch. Nine arsenic opposed to eight. It summed their approach.

Argentina's players joined Messi successful shedding tears aft the last whistle, though adjacent that ended successful an undignified scrum betwixt players and officials from either side.

Leandro Paredes - arsenic helium was excessively often aft coming connected arsenic substitute for the 2nd fractional - was the aggressor, grabbing Eric Garcia by the throat. He was besides progressive arsenic Spain's Gavi was thrown to the ground.

This outstanding World Cup should not beryllium retrieve for specified an unsavoury finale.

Spain whitethorn not person been astatine their champion successful the final, but they person developed passim the World Cup, from the daze of being held to a gully successful their opening crippled by Cape Verde to eventual glory.

The World Cup got the winners it deserved, and successful Lamine Yamal it has a prima of aboriginal tournaments.

Messi's unforgettable World Cup epoch whitethorn beryllium implicit - but the Lamine Yamal years could spell connected for a agelong clip to come.