Lionel Messi in tears as Argentina's World Cup hero shares emotional private moment with his mother

The tears had been a long time coming but Lionel Messi's mother Celia hugged him on the pitch after they both poured out. Separated by his prodigious footballing ability when he left Rosario to play for Barcelona as he was homesick at 13, their embrace together amid the madness of Argentina's World Cup celebrations was both touching and profound.

The boy who became the tallest the game had ever seen was, for a few seconds, just a little boy again. It was the most public of private moments. Then it was off to sing and dance in front of the wall of Argentinian fans who had pushed their side over the line in the final which had it all, including two goals and a penalty from their demigod.

They sang their World Cup theme song "Muchachos", an ode to the regained hope after last summer's Copa America success, which translates into English as follows.

"In Argentina I was born, land of Diego and Lionel, I will never forget the young men of the Falkland Islands, I cannot explain it to you, because you would not understand, how many years I have cried for the final we lost.

"But it's over, because in the [stadium] Maracana, the final against the Brazilians, dad [Argentina] won again. Guys, now we can dream again, I want to win the third [title], I want to be world champion.

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"And Diego [Maradona], we can see him in heaven, With Don Diego [Maradona's father] and with La Tota [Maradona's mother], All supporting Lionel." OK, it doesn't read as well, but the emotion as it is sung is something to behold and it resonated long and loud after they completed their mission on Sunday night.

To say that a lot rested on Messi's shoulders is a gross understatement. How much was underlined by the deafening roar 80 minutes before kick-off as the image of him stepping off the Argentina team bus to the ground was projected onto the big screens at Lusail Stadium. He carried a nation to this World Cup, but he lifted it to heaven.

Both penalty sends were clinical, with the extra time saved a testament to its durability. The 35-year-old looked like he had passed out in his seventh game in 27 days when he was knocked off the ball by Kingsley Coman before France's spectacular equalizer in normal time.

But, after almost winning the game in regulation time after penetrating inside two defenders before drilling a thunderbolt towards the goal that Hugo Lloris tipped over the crossbar, he came back into the extra time with his second goal. He was able to celebrate it twice with the VAR check.

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It wasn't until it was over that Messi, crossed himself, looked up at the sky and pointed up. It was his thank you to his grandmother who died just before his 11th birthday. Back in Rosario, she who took him with her older brothers to football training when they were children.

She started the train. The one who reached his final destination on Sunday evening. He was majestic throughout the World Cup. The Player of the Tournament award was, unlike 2014, fully deserved. He made the difference for...