The Liverpool centre-back was brought off the bench with seven minutes of the additional 30 remaining - shortly after Lionel Messi’s second goal of the evening had seemingly secured the trophy for his team, who led 2-0 at half-time thanks to a Messi penalty and Angel Di Maria’s strike.
Further drama was to come, though, as Kylian Mbappe - whose late brace had forced extra-time - then became only the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick by converting his second spot-kick of the match in the 118th minute to force a shootout.
But Argentina would prevail 4-2 on penalties to win the World Cup for the third time.