Brazilian legend Pele believes Lionel Messi “deserved” to be a World Cup winner after guiding Argentina to victory over the defending champions France on Sunday.

“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way. Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved,” Pele, a three-time World Cup champion, wrote on Instagram.

Pele also praised French striker Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the final, which ended 3-3 after extra time, and then calmly scored a penalty in the shootout.

“My dear friend, Mbappe, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.”