Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup last night in an exhilarating match against France. Social media exploded, football pundits proselytized, and journalists racked their brains for front-page headlines clever enough to capture the public imagination.

The front pages of India’s top English newspapers were the result of these efforts. Everyone queued up to try their hand at a Messi pun. Not everyone succeeded.

First up was the Times of India – “SupreMessi”. The strap made full use of alliteration, “Heartbreak for hat-trick hero Mbappe in humdinger.”

Indian Express went for “Messianic Night”, slightly perplexing for even erudite readers, but catchy enough.

The report matched the tone of the headline: “For Lionel Messi, this would be the sweetest night of all, yet it could have been his cruellest night. For much of the match, it seemed he would keep his date with destiny, rather destiny would keep its date with Messi.”

Telegraph skipped Messi puns, but it’s hard to say whether this was a smart move. This was their headline:

“Lionel Messi had to wait, and wait, and wait,” the report began. “He had to wait until he was 35. He had to wait until he had already lost a World Cup…He had to wait until the end of the most extraordinary final in the tournament’s history…”

Hindustan Times cleverly kept it simple – “Messi’s Maradona Moment”. As Argentina won, the report said, “Cue hugs. Cue song. Cue chants. Cue tears. And cue Sergio Aguero flying down the stands to envelop Messi.”

The New Indian Express’s front page sang “Foot Of God”, announcing that “two years after losing DiegoMaradona, a football-obsessed, trophy-starved nation will look up to the heavens not thinking about the past but about the present”.

And finally, the Hindu. 

“On a star-kissed night in the bejewelled Lusail Stadium, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe – the standout stars of this World Cup – scored two and three goals respectively to deliver a memorable final that will be forever etched in the memories of those who were here.”

Now it’s just a four-year wait for 2026 in North America. Meanwhile, check out Newslaundry’s sports podcast for all the latest discussions from the world of sports.