Twenty years after France won the first World Cup in French history, the young Blues beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to claim the most prestigious award in football for the second time. For the second time, France won the World Cup by overcoming a daring challenge from Croatia in a thrilling final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. France became the first team to score four goals in a World Cup final since Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in 1970. Providing a breathtaking spectacle, leading to the highest total goals scored in a final since 1958, pitch incursions and controversial interventions significantly impacted the results.
It was a final that few people expected at the beginning of the tournament in June. Still, in Russia 2018, few people respected the pedigree – Germany, Japan, France and Portugal were lost even before the quarter-finals – so it made sense that the World Cup would end in a kind of competition between David and Goliath. The sudden downpour that took Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French and Croatian counterparts off guard in the medal table failed to erase the memory of a great tournament that will go down in the archives as arguably the best in the 88-year history of the World Cup. After triumphing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final in Russia, the French players stayed on the pitch for long minutes, enjoying a happy ending that will be remembered for a lifetime.
France hailed the final whistle after another World Cup win when Didier Deschamps’ players threw it into the air. The victory meant that Deschamps, their captain 20 years earlier, became only the third person to win the FIFA World Cup as a player and manager. As the sky opened, France celebrated on the pitch with Didier Deschamps, who entered his name in the record book as the third person to win the World Cup as a player and manager, after the Brazilian Mario Zagallo and the German Franz Beckenbauer. It was thrown into the air by its players and staff. Luckily for France President Emmanuel Macron, there were no more setbacks in the stands.
Every World Cup-winning team has a player who excels, who will lead his team through matches and score goals in decisive moments. Kylian Mbappe is a French youn sensation. There are many players who contributed to their success, but after winning the tournament, Mbappe has shown the world what he is capable of and has performed well for both club and country. He also reached the finals of the UEFA Champions League with PSG but was defeated by Bayern Munich.
