What a rollercoaster of a game!
I am of course very sad that France didn't make it to the trophy, but there comes a point when grit and flashes of pure brilliance are not enough to win a match. The French squad was seemingly absent for a great deal of the game, and even if their ability to never say die is admirable, the fact remains that Argentina was often more convincing on the pitch. The high profile absences of Kante and Pogba were glaring in this game, with the French midfield too often overwhelmed and unable to feed balls to Mbappé. In a way, getting this far was miraculous and a testimony of the cohesion among players and the quality of Deschamps' management. We lost, but shouldn't feel ashamed about it.
If there is a silver lining to this defeat, it is that Leo Messi finally gets the final trophy missing from his cabinet. I've always viewed him as a better player than Maradona. The latter was a flawed genius, while Messi is a genius. Full stop. So in a way I am happy that his countrymen and the rest of the world will finally give him the credit he is due, without ifs and buts.