France Wins the 2018 World Cup with a 4-2 Win against Croatia

France's players celebrate the 2018 World Cup win. Photo by Dave Shopland/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

2018 World Cup wrapped up on Sunday with France lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy after a 4-2 win against Croatia. This was France’s second World Cup, after they won the tournament in 1998, while Croatia secured its best finish in their history coming second.

2018 World Cup finals started off to a slow pace, and we didn’t see a lot of opportunities on either side until 18′ minute, when France’s Antoine Griezmann crossed the ball from a free kick and Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic, unfortunately, put the ball into his own net. Croatia wasn’t about to surrender the game that easily and came back 10 minutes later with a great placed shot by Ivan Perisic.

It was, however, Perisic who brought his country in a difficult position in 38′ minute. After France’s corner, the 29-year-old stopped the ball with his hand in the penalty area which prompted Argentinian referee Néstor Pitana to review the incident. Pitana awarded France a penalty after a long review and Griezmann converted it to give his country 2-1 lead.

In the second half, France built upon its lead with two quick goals by Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe in 59′ and 65′ and solved the dilemma about the winner. Croatia got its hopes up in 69′ minute when Mandzukic capitalized on the mistake by Hugo Lloris to make it 2-4, but that was eventually all Croatia managed to do.

This World Cup win made France’s head coach Didier Deschamps only the third man in history to lift the FIFA World Cup Trophy as a player and a manager. Before him, only Brazil’s Mário Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer managed to do the same.

19-year-old Kylian Mbappe became the first teenager since Pelé in 1958 to score a goal in the World Cup final. Mbappe was also named the tournament’s best young player. On the other side, Croatia’s Luka Modric was named the tournament’s best player overall while England’s Harry Kane won the Golden Boot for the best scorer finishing with six goals.

Gunner's favorite movies are Pulp Fiction, Iron Man (just the first one), and every James Bond film ever made. He's learning TV and cinema and hoping to always enjoy movies as he does now.