WORLD CUP
As it happened: France beat Croatia 4-2 to take World Cup victory
France took on Croatia in a much-anticipated World Cup final that saw a goal for each side in the first 30 minutes of play and an eventual 4-2 win for Les Bleus. See FRANCE 24's live blog below to revisit the key moments from the match.
Issued on: Modified:
Advertising
- France and Croatia went head-to-head in the World Cup final in Moscow, with Les Bleus seeking their second title in 20 years. Croatia was seeking their first-ever World Cup victory.
- Both teams went into Sunday’s final with the same starting line-ups as for their semi-final wins, over Belgium for France and England for Croatia.
- With a population of only 4 million, Croatia is the smallest country to reach a World Cup final since Uruguay back in 1950. Zlatko Dalic’s team were seeking revenge against France after losing 2-1 to Les Bleus in the 1998 semi-finals in Paris, where Dalic travelled to watch that World Cup as a fan. Croatia have never beaten France in six matches.
- France coach Didier Deschamps is only the third person to win the trophy as both a player and manager. Striker Kylian Mbappé, whose two goals helped to send the Argentines home earlier in the tournament, is only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final – after Brazil legend Pele in 1958.
To see how the World Cup final unfolded, read our live blog below:
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning
Subscribe