Glen Johnson thinks yesterday’s World Cup final between France and Argentina was better than Liverpool’s famous Champions League final in Istanbul in 2005.
Lionel Messi inspired his nation to their first World Cup victory since 1986 after the game ended 3-3 after extra time and the tie was settled on penalties with the South Americans winning 4-2.
The former Reds defender has also claimed that Kylian Mbappé, who became the first man to score a hat trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966, will be as successful as his PSG teammate in ten years.
“The World Cup final was without a doubt the best final I’ve ever seen,” he told Midnite (via Liverpool Echo). “Forget it’s a final, it was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve ever seen.
“He had everything except a red card, great attack, defense, goals and saves. For me, it’s the best ending I’ve ever seen. It’s better than Liverpool’s comeback in Istanbul in 2005 because it’s a World Cup final, it’s the biggest game in football.
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“Nobody outside of Liverpool appreciates the Istanbul match even though it’s one of the best finals.”
It’s hard to see how our success at Ataturk Stadium can be topped.
We were down 3-0 at halftime against a team full of world-class players like Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Hernán Crespo, but we managed to turn things around six minutes into the second half.
Of course, yesterday’s game was one of the all-time classics, but we’re not sure it can compare to our 2005 Champions League success.
Johnson also commented on Mbappé’s performance: the 23-year-old did everything he could to win his second World Cup title, but it was Messi who reigned supreme.
He said: “Kylian Mbappe was the side story of the final. He didn’t offer anything in the first 60 minutes but then he fired up and scored a hat-trick.
“It’s heartbreaking to do his performance and not win the World Cup. I would love it if Liverpool could sign Mbappé because he will receive the same praise that Lionel Messi has 10 years from now.”
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