Lionel Messi celebrates after inspiring Argentina triumph over Italy - in pictures

Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to Finalissima success with a 3-0 win over Italy at a sold-out and partisan Wembley Stadium.

Goals by Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala ensured the Copa America champions were able to celebrate more trophy delight after ending their 28-year wait for silverware last summer.

Messi made the opener and on multiple occasions thrilled the 87,112 crowd with flashes of brilliance to show there is plenty of life in the Argentina captain yet despite a difficult season in France.

"It was a beautiful final, full of Argentines. What we experienced here was beautiful," Messi said.

"Today was a nice test because Italy are a great team. We knew it was going to be a nice game and a nice setting in which to be champions."

But for Italy it was a sobering reminder of just how quickly fortunes can change.

Last July Roberto Mancini's team were euphoric after a penalty shootout win over England landed them the delayed Euro 2020., but they have since failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second successive tournament after losing in a playoff to North Macedonia.

In the build-up manager Mancini described the game as the "end of a cycle" and the defeat left him in no doubt as to how much work is required to revive Italy's fortunes.

"They were better than us. We were in the game in the first half but didn't do enough to turn it around after the break," he said.

This was the third edition of the ‘Cup of Champions’ with two previous matches in 1985 and 1993, the latter being won by Argentina to effectively mean they were defending their title after Uefa and Conmebol's recent partnership brought the clash back to life.

Tickets for the Wembley showpiece sold out in April and judging by the noise