The World Cup final had everything you could ask for: extra time, late drama, moments of brilliance and, unfortunately, the ugly scenes that sometimes follow when emotions spill over. As Spain celebrated their victory over Argentina, players from both teams became embroiled in a heated confrontation that threatened to overshadow a remarkable tournament.
Yet two quieter moments, away from the noise, may end up saying far more about the beautiful game than the post-match chaos ever could.
As celebrations erupted around him, Lamine Yamal's first instinct wasn't to charge into the jubilant crowd or involve himself in the confrontation nearby. Instead, he dropped to the ground in prayer. In the middle of one of the biggest moments of his young life, he paused to give thanks to God before doing anything else.
A few minutes later came another image that quickly spread around the world.
After receiving his World Cup winner's medal, Nico Williams made his way to the stands and placed it around his mother's neck. It was a simple gesture, but one loaded with meaning. Years earlier, she had crossed the Sahara Desert in search of a better life for her family, risking everything so that her children might have opportunities she never did. On football's greatest stage, Nico quietly reminded the world that some victories belong to far more people than the one standing on the podium.
The World Cup has reminded us this year that sport has an extraordinary way of revealing what matters most to people. When the pressure lifts and the cameras are watching, some instinctively point to themselves. Others look beyond themselves.
Yet perhaps the tournament offered one final image worth lingering over.
Twenty-four hours before the final, England and France had contested a thrilling third-place play-off. There were 10 goals, plenty of smiles and, at the final whistle, something that felt refreshingly rare. After congratulating one another, several players from both teams gathered together in what appeared to be a moment of shared prayer (players Marc Guéhi, Bukayo Saka and Jean-Philippe Mateta who were in the huddle are open about their Christian faith). It was a beautiful sight to see these exhausted men standing there, their arms wrapped around teammates and opponents alike.
It was a quiet reminder that football is at its best not when it divides people, but when it reveals what they already share.
Looking back, perhaps these are the images that will endure from this World Cup: one young man dropping to his knees in gratitude to God; another placing his winner's medal around his mother's neck; and two teams, having spent 90 minutes trying to beat each other, standing shoulder to shoulder in a moment of peace.
In a tournament full of extraordinary goals, they may just have been its most memorable moments.
