Lionel Messi will not retire immediately from international football after finally capping an extraordinary career with Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986, preferring to soak up the glory for at least a while longer.

On a dizzying night in Lusail it seemed more than once that Messi could be denied the fulfilment of a lifelong dream at the fifth attempt. But he added to his two goals and virtuoso all-round performance in regulation time with a penalty during a successful shootout against France and afterwards confirmed his 172nd cap was not his last.

Messi had achieved his dream. The gap in his glittering collection had been filled - the set complete after arguably the most spectacular World Cup final in history, a game for the ages that tore at the emotions and played havoc with the pulse rates before Argentina's icon reached his summit.

He can now add the World Cup to seven Ballons d'Or, four Champions Leagues, one Copa America, 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and a Ligue 1 crown in France with Paris St-Germain.

This was the one. This was the trophy that Messi's millions of advocates will now use as 'Exhibit A' in their argument that he is the greatest to have played the game.

‘The best World Cup final ever’

“Best World Cup Final ever,” Usain Bolt tweeted alongside pictures of himself in an Argentina jersey at Lusail Stadium.

“We’re breathless up here. It was just an unbelievable final. It was a pleasure to be here. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I’ll ever see anything like it again. It was staggering,” former England international Alan Shearer said on the BBC.

Messi’s penalty and Ángel Di María’s first-half goal looked to have settled the tie in normal time, but Mbappé scored two late goals – one from the penalty spot – in as many minutes to draw France level and force extra time.