Photo: Getty courtesy of FIFA.com

France beat Croatia 4-2 and win 2018 Word Cup

FRANCE 4 : 2 CROATIA

France are the 2018 World Champions after deservedly beating Croatia 4-2 in an entertaining final. Didier Deschamps became only the third person to win the coveted trophy as a player and a manager following in the footsteps of Franz Beckenbauer and Mario Zagallo.

The game had it all, a penalty awarded through VAR, an own goal, a pitch invasion, thunder and lightening and some cracking goals in open play to provide a wonderful signature to a great tournament.

France took the lead through a Mario Mandzukic own goal in the 18th minute. As befits a tournament characterised by set pieces, his header came from a free kick dropped in the danger area by Antoine Griezmann. Croatia had been the better side until then with a possession advantage that they retained throughout the match.

Ten minutes later, the Balkan side deservedly equalised ironically after France’s best spell of the game to that point. Ivan Perisic used both feet to set up an attempt after a corner was poorly cleared and hammered the ball through traffic past Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.

Inevitably, the VAR raised its ugly head as it has done so through the Finals. Seven minutes before half time, France were awarded a penalty after Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana consulted the VAR and saw Perisic’s outstretched hand divert the trajectory of the ball. Griezmann converted it to give Les Bleus a 2-1 half time lead.

Two goals in six minutes after the interval put France into an unassailable lead and both were works of beauty.

Firstly though, Deschamps made a courageous decision to replace another player of excellence who was sadly having an off day. He removed Chelsea’s out-of-sorts midfielder N’Golo Kante with the much less heralded Steven N’Zonzi of Seville. History and hindsight proved him a genius as N’Zonzi tightened up France’s hitherto loose footprint on the midfield. Thereafter the game swung irresistibly towards the dark blues.

Just before the hour mark, Paul Pogba, who had defied club critics in England, set Kylian Mbappe  the later to be crowned Young Player of the Tournament free down the right where he found Griezmann in space.

Griezmann returned the ball to Pogba on the edge of the box. His first shot was blocked but ever alert, he reacted first and made no mistake with the second effort to make it 3-1 to France with exactly one third of the game left.

Mbappe became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele
Photo: Getty courtesy of FIFA.com

Mbappe was not to be left out of the carnival. He finished a pass from Luca Hernandez with panache from 25 yards out just six minutes later. In doing so, he became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958.

At 4-1 with still 25 minutes left, it looked as though Croatia might be embarrassed in a match and a tournament where they didn’t deserve anything of the kind. France relaxed and Lloris will not want to rewatch Croatia’s second goal. Mandzukic pickpocketed him as he lazily manoeuvered into a position to clear and the ball somewhat fortuitously bounced off the Juventus striker’s foot into the net.

It wasn’t to spoil the Carnival in Paris. That was the last goal of the final and France were deservedly crowned World Champions thereafter without any further scares.

France won their second World Cup 20 years after winning their first on home soil. They did so with one of the youngest squads in the tournament and there may be more greatness to come in the Euros in two years time.

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For Croatia, it was a superhuman effort from a nation of just over 4 million people. They won many friends and Luca Modric was deservedly crowned the Player of the Tournament.

Others such as Ivan Rakitic and Ante Rebic increased their stock though one can only begin to imagine how much 22-year-old French defender Benjamin Pavard is worth to VfB Stuttgart now.

That is all to come in a frantic post World Cup transfer market. For now the glory is all to France.