This was a World Cup Lionel Messi refused to lose

Chris Jones is in Qatar covering the men's World Cup for CBC Sports.

Out of all the reasons that soccer tournaments are won and lost, from all the moments that see games and destinies turn — in the grand, final accounting of the millions of choices that determines who lifts a trophy — it was impossible to watch Argentina finally triumph over France and not wonder whether Lionel Messi had made up his mind to win the World Cup in his fifth and final attempt, and so he did.

The record will show that La Albiceleste won Sunday's final on penalties, after the score was tied 2-2 at the end of a stunning regulation, and 3-3 after a frenetic extra time.

But in the hearts of soccer fans around the world, the greatest game that any of us will see in our lives will be remembered as fated, because a tiny man from Argentina willed that trophy into his hands. 

"I had a feeling that this was mine," he said after.

The 35-year-old opened the scoring — of course he did — in the 23rd minute, after Angel Di Maria earned a penalty with a vintage cut into the box. Messi, playing his record 26th men's World Cup game, stood up to take the 29th penalty of his international career.

He hesitated just enough, and French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dived to his right, leaving Messi to pass the ball into the empty half of the net.

Thirteen minutes later, Messi made a terrific one-touch turn to feed the ball to Alexis Mac Allister, who swung it left to Di Maria. The 34-year-old had played only eight minutes in Argentina's three previous knockout-round matches, but now he was starting alongside his slightly more ancient friend, and he lifted the ball over Lloris and into the net.

Di Maria burst into tears and made his trademark heart with his hands. Then he