World Cup final: France crowned world champion after 4-2 win over Croatia
There was to be no final, dramatic twist in a World Cup which has been full of joyous surprises and jaw-dropping late drama.
Twenty years after France won the first World Cup in its country’s history, a youthful Les Bleus side beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to win football’s most prestigious prize for the second time.
This was the highest-scoring final since 1966 and an entertaining climax a wonderful tournament deserved. In 90 high-octane minutes there was a controversial VAR decision, an own goal, record-breaking feats, a pitch invasion and an underdog pushing a heavyweight to its limit.
A Mario Mandzukic’s own goal and a controversial Antoine Griezmann penalty either side of Ivan Perisic’s wonderful long-range strike gave France a 2-1 lead at the break.
Arguably, France was undeservedly ahead but by the hour Les Bleus had scored two further goals, through Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, to put France in command and the result in little doubt.
A dreadful error by captain Hugo Lloris allowed Mandzukic to reduce the deficit in the 69th minute and though Croatia went in search of more goals in the closing 20 minutes France, despite nerves creeping in, refused to fold.
As the heavens opened, France celebrated wildly on the pitch and Didier Deschamps, who etched his name in the record books by becoming the third man to win the World Cup as a player and head coach, following Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, was thrown into the air by his players and staff.
Mbappe, aged 19 years and 207 days, also further cemented his status as the most exciting young talent in world football with a long-range strike which made him the second-youngest player to score in a final after Pele, who scored as a 17-year-old in 1958.
Deservedly, the Paris Saint-Germain star was named the competition’s best young player.
This was a final not many would have predicted at the start of the tournament back in June, but Russia 2018 has had little respect for pedigree — Germany, Spain, Argentina and Portugal were all toppled before the quarterfinals — and so it made sense that this month-long competition would be brought to its conclusion with a David versus Goliath contest of sorts.
A gifted Croatian team, bidding to become the smallest country since Uruguay to win the sport’s most coveted trophy, went toe-to-toe and often outplayed France, a top pick at the start of this competition and a nation contesting its third World Cup final.
As a country of four million, Croatia had overcome demographic and economic odds to reach the pinnacle and had come from behind in all three knockout games to reach this final, winning in extra-time on all three occasions.
But another comeback was a step too far for Zlatko Dalic’s talented team.
courtesy : cnn.com
photo : WPTV.com
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