2018 FIFA World Cup Final Review

The month-long festival of football has finally wound to a close. The tournament provided the world with an astounding thirty-two days, which led to both heartbreak and ecstasy for each and every one of the thirty-two teams who qualified for 2018’s rendition of football’s greatest competition. After all was said and done, only two sides remained to lock horns and engage in battle to get their hands on football’s most elusive piece of silverware. Croatia were in their first ever World Cup final and hoped to transform a day of hoping into the greatest day in their country’s footballing history. For France it was their first World Cup final in twenty years, although they were out in search of retribution for their heart-breaking Euro 2016 final loss to Portugal. Only ninety minutes separated each and every player who stepped out on to that pitch from participating in football’s largest spectacle of a match, and eternal glory.

France 4-2 Croatia

Football’s ultimate match was brought to life in the pre-match entertainment as fans began gradually filling out the 81,000 seats inside Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. As the clock reached 5:50PM the French and Croatian stars ventured onto the pitch knowing that this might well just be the most vital ninety minutes of football they would ever play. The sides stood in solidarity as their national anthems echoed around the stadium; a proud and humbling moment for any player with the privilege of featuring in a World Cup final. Shortly after, the opposing sides entered their lines, shook hands with their opponents and awaited the toss to decide who would kick off the final. 6PM ticked over, and the stadium was ready, it was time for the 2018 World Cup Final.

In the early stages of the match, Antoine Griezmann was alleged to have been dubiously fouled, roughly thirty yards from Croatia’s goal. The Frenchman stepped up and curled the ball over the top of the cluster of bodies awaiting his delivery. Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic climbed up highest to try and clear the ball away from any danger. To the dismay of the Croatian forward, he couldn’t get high enough, as the ball only skimmed off the top of his head and into the top corner of the net. France were 1-0 ahead within 18 minutes. The French players celebrated joyously, but it was clear that they knew they still had a massive job ahead of them.

A long distance Croatian free-kick was hooped out wide to meet the marauding run of Sime Vrsaljko. He used his head to launch the ball towards the centre, where there was an abundance of waiting bodies from both sides. Mario Mandzukic used his strength well to out-body Paul Pogba and loft the ball back up. The ball’s trajectory sent it towards Dejan Lovren who couldn’t get a clear touch but managed to find his centre-back partner Domagoj Vida. Vida had his back to goal but managed to get a toe to the ball to find the feet of Ivan Perisic. Perisic took a touch across his body with his right foot and struck menacingly towards France’s goal with his left. The ball flew through a sea of blue shirts and past Hugo Lloris into the bottom corner of France’s net. Croatia were level with only 28 minutes on the clock, leaving everything still to play for.

34 minutes into the match, France were awarded a corner which Antoine Griezmann promptly stepped-up to take. He whipped in a dangerous cross towards the near post, in the direction of N’Golo Kante. Kante couldn’t quite get his head to it but obstructed Perisic’s line of sight as the ball came crashing off his extended arm. After much deliberation the decision went to VAR to provide the referee with another look. Nestor Pitana took his time to evaluate, before returning from the screen and pointing straight to the penalty spot, to give France a golden opportunity to take the lead. Antoine Griezmann took responsibility for the penalty having already scored two so far in the tournament, one against Australia and another against Argentina. Griezmann looking calm, but certainly filled with emotions on the inside, strode towards the ball and sent Danijel Subasic in the wrong direction. The Croatian keeper dove to his left as Griezmann gently placed the ball past his right. France now had a vital 2-1 lead which they would take into the half-time break.

The second half proved tense early on, as Croatia pushed forward to level the scores once again, but France were disciplined and determined to ensure that wouldn’t occur. 55 minutes in, France brought on Steven N’Zonzi for their engine of a holding midfielder N’Golo Kante. Kante was on a booking and had been uncharacteristically off the pace for the early stages of the match. Four minutes later Paul Pogba sent the French support into pandemonium as he produced the moment which the French had been dreaming about. The build-up play began with Pogba, who picked out Kylian Mbappe with a perfectly executed volley, which drove itself straight into the forward’s path. As Mbappe dribbled the ball toward the Croatian penalty area, Pogba stepped up to offer support. Mbappe attempted to cut the ball back to Griezmann in the area, but it took a heavy deflection. Griezmann still managed to bring the ball under his control whilst off balance and lay it off to Pogba, just outside eighteen yards. Pogba struck the ball with his right foot, but it deflected straight back to him off Luka Modric. Without hesitation Pogba had a crack on his left foot whilst the ball was loose and made no mistake in wrong footing Subasic and sending the ball curling into the side netting. One of the most heavily scrutinised players on the planet had just produced a moment that silenced the critics. France were 3-1 up and now in the driver’s seat with just over half an hour to play.

Brimming full of confidence, France had now taken the game by the scruff of the neck as they had Croatia up against the ropes, barely clinging on to survival. In the 65th minute France’s golden boy struck what seemed as though may be the killer blow to Croatia. Mbappe found himself with plenty of space, twenty yards away from goal as Croatia’s fatiguing defence struggled to keep up with France’s swift counter attacks. Mbappe got his head over the ball, struck it well and sent the ball rifling into the bottom corner of Subasic’s goal. France now led 4-1 and a come-back for Croatia appeared to be almost impossible to produce under the circumstances. The French team joined Mbappe in what appeared to be an ecstatic but also relieving celebration as they knew there was no catching them now.

69 minutes in, France were cruising and appeared to have their opponents comfortably in their back pockets. French keeper Hugo Lloris received possession from Samuel Umtiti just inside his six-yard box. Lloris took his time on the ball all too comfortably, as he tried to lay the ball back off to Umtiti, Mario Mandzukic read his every movement and shut him down emphatically. Lloris’ pass ricocheted straight off Mandzukic’s leg and into the back of the net. Croatia had pulled the score back to 4-2 with over twenty minutes to play.

The final twenty minutes proved to be frustrating for Croatia as France held a strong defensive line and retained possession brilliantly. Croatia were forced to chase, tackle and subsequently foul the French in their attempts to win the ball back. Although throwing everything forward for the last ten minutes, there would be no breakthrough to kick-start a fairy-tale ending for the Croatians. As the clock ticked over to the 95th minute of time, referee Nestor Pitana blew the final whistle to call a close on the 2018 FIFA World Cup. France had defeated Croatia 4-2 and for the second time in their history were champions of the world. The heavens opened, soaking players and world leaders just in time for the presentation, which announced that Luka Modric was awarded with the Golden Ball. Young player of the tournament went to Kylian Mbappe, as the Golden Glove was deservedly awarded to Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois. The Golden Boot which is awarded to the tournament’s top scorer went to Harry Kane who amassed six goals during the tournament.

After the Croatian players received their runner-up medals and the French players got their hands on their World Cup winner medals, the moment that the world had been waiting for had arrived. French captain Hugo Lloris grasped the glorious golden World Cup trophy firmly with both hands and lifted it triumphantly above both his head and the heads of his team-mates. It was official, France were the champions of the world after a performance in 2018 that will never be forgotten.