As is customary, FIFA removed the original trophy some moments after president Gianni Infantino had handed it to Messi for the podium photographs.
Players appeared not to realise and the work of two fans soon duped many of them, with their replica trophy making its way to the pitch for selfies and more pictures.
It took the eagle eyes of Angel Di Maria to notice on the bottom of the trophy a difference between the original and the replica, and it was he who pointed out to Messi, who managed to see the funny side.