World Cup final Rondo: Was this the worst final ever? Did Rodri's Spain deserve to win and where does Lionel Messi's legacy stand?

Tom Hindle: 100000%. Argentina didn't come here to play soccer, instead relying on rotational fouling and Lionel Messi. Spain aren't the sexiest team to watch, but they had a game plan here, and even if it took a long time to strike the killer blow, they were excellent value for the win. Had Argentina tried to give them a game, this would have been a far better contest.

Alex Labidou: It wasn't the most attractive brand of soccer, and there's likely a desire from fans to see Lamine Yamal actually fully grasp his anointed one status, but yes, Spain deserved to win against Argentina and the whole thing.

Put this into perspective: they silenced the two "best" teams in the tournament in France and Argentina and also shut down teams like Portugal and Belgium. Those are four favorites, and they conceded just one goal to all of them. One could make a case that this is arguably one of the best defensive teams in World Cup history.

Ryan Tolmich: Quite clearly. They were far and away the best team in this tournament, as evidenced by the fact that Argentina didn't even belong on the same pitch as them. In the end, there was no denying that they were rightful champions as they beat Portugal, Belgium, France and Argentina to get to that trophy.

TH: Yeah, probably. 2022 skewed our expectations about what finals should be, mostly because it was so high-level and chaotic. Most big games are a bit of a slog, with two teams electing to try not to lose rather than to win the thing. If we're getting nerdy, these are two flawed teams. Argentina lack pace and a second option outside of Messi. Spain don't have an incisive attacker through the middle.

Neither side wanted this to become a transitional game. The result? A lot of little passes and nearly 50 fouls in a game that was basically a fistfight in central midfield. Not one for the neutrals.

AL: In modern history? Probably.

Argentina didn't have a single shot until the last period of extra time, and the whole match was marred by needless fouls and chippiness.

A lot of folks will point to the 2010 final, also won by Spain. But there were more storylines for the soccer romantics in that one. Some consider that Spain squad to be one of the best of all time, and their defensive performance in that game was an outlier on a team that featured strong attacking threats like David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Fernando Torres.

RT: No, because the stakes carried it. Because of the fact that Messi and Yamal were involved, there was obvious tension that wouldn't have existed if this was between two other teams. Despite the scoreline, it was also a pretty incredible display of soccer from Spain. It certainly wasn't a classic by any stretch, but there have been plenty of finals with less juice.

TH: Nah. He's playing with house money at this point. 2022 probably sealed what we already knew: that he is the GOAT. If anything, dragging an inferior Argentina team to the final might be just as much of an achievement. It will probably sting a bit that Pele still has one more World Cup title, though.

AL: No. At age 39, he was arguably the player of the tournament before Sunday, and he broke every conceivable record on the way to the final. While he missed his chance to definitively claim the GOAT title, as Pele still has two World Cup titles, in reality, his accomplishments likely already put him there.

RT: Not in the slightest. A win would have elevated it to a different stratosphere, but the loss doesn't change anything. His performances this summer erased any doubt about his current ability as he outperformed everyone's expectations. If anything, his legacy grew even further this summer, despite the loss in the final.

TH: Man for man? Nope. But as a unit? You'd have to say so. It's a weird bunch, with only one truly elite defender (Pau Cubarsi). Still, those four, with Rodri shielding and Fabian Ruiz adding some midfield balance, are just a nightmare to play against. There's a parallel universe in which Didier Deschamps plays three midfielders and France pip them in the semifinal. But hey, not today!

AL: Yes. Sure, you can point to defensive stars who would be better than the backline Spain have, like Fabio Cannavaro or even Spanish legend Carles Puyol. But collectively, this team was suffocating. Credit has to go to Luis de la Fuente for tactically setting up this team to be impenetrable.

RT: Stats don't lie, right? On paper, it's not close, but the way in which Spain defended was unfathomable. So much credit goes to the midfield, it has to be said, but, as a team, Spain were near-perfect in the brief moments they didn't have the ball.

TH: Yes and no. Some of it was really great, especially having the "small" teams get their moment. But the 16-group model felt pretty imbalanced and cut all of the jeopardy out of the last day of the group stage. It seems it'll be 64 next time around, and that should offer plenty more drama.

AL: Yes, by and large, it did. FIFA announced it sold almost 7 million tickets, which is more than the population of some countries and some U.S. states. The games, especially in the group stage, were fun and showcased that the world, in its entirety, is getting better at this sport. Hate to say it, but well done, FIFA.

RT: Absolutely, and expand it to 64 ASAP. There's enough talent to justify more teams, and some of the best moments of this tournament were when some of the "minnows" had their moments to shine. Get Italy, Nigeria, Cameroon, Poland and the others in here, and let's get the world together for a celebration.

TH: 8. The soccer was mostly fantastic. Messi had a nice run. The best team won. But all of the political noise outside of the main stuff knocks it down a couple of points.

AL: Let's give this a solid 8/10. The group stage and the rounds of 32 and 16 were all magical. But when it came down to the business end, it was the usual suspects at the end, and the final ended on a whimper.

RT: We'll go with an 8. The final didn't live up to the hype, but the rest of the tournament sure did. From the off-field vibes to the on-field drama, this was a damn good summer, one that would've been perfect if the final had a bit more life.