Even before an epic final won by Lionel Messi and Argentina, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was calling it "the best World Cup ever" in Qatar.

From leaping from his seat in the VIP box to consoling crestfallen players on the pitch, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a wide-ranging performance at the World Cup final that was not to everyone's taste. 

The 44-year-old was an unmissable presence at the game at the Lusail stadium in Qatar on Sunday, even making an appearance in the team's changing room to deliver an emotional post-game pep talk.

Lionel Messi ended his long wait for the World Cup title in one of the most memorable finals in history.

Messi was at his most inspirational, scoring two goals to take his total for the tournament to seven and delivering his country's third World Cup triumph as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw through extra time.

Watching football icon Lionel Messi inspire Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar on Sunday made the economic suffering engulfing the country "worth it", according to ecstatic fans.

Kylian Mbappe was unlucky to finish on the losing side as Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup final, but the 23-year-old showed on Sunday why comparisons with Pele are not unreasonable.

Argentina star Lionel Messi on Sunday vowed to continue playing for his country despite finally realising his lifetime ambition of winning the World Cup.

France coach Didier Deschamps said the way his team lost Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina was "cruel" after they came from behind twice over the course of the game only to succumb in a penalty shoot-out.

Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory on Sunday, scoring twice against France in one of the all-time great finals with the South Americans holding their nerve to triumph in a penalty shootout.

Morocco's fans in the Arab world took the North African team's 2-1 loss to Croatia in Saturday's World Cup third-place playoff philosophically. The team had already made history, becoming the first Arab and first African team to reach the semifinals in the international soccer tournament.

Its loss to France on Wednesday dashed fans' hopes that Morocco would become an underdog champion, but many had hoped that it would at least take third place in facing off against Croatia.

Spanish midfielder and 2010 World Cup winner Sergio Busquets announced his international retirement on Friday.