FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL 2018

The 2018 World Cup Final held in Russia this year was a showdown between two competitive teams: France with their fiery offense, and Croatia with their stingy defense and never quitting midfielders. Both teams had great runs in 1998, but France won it all and took out Croatia in the semi-finals. Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe (19-year-old sensation), and Antoine Griezmann were both important players for France in this matchup. Both teams had great midfielders including Ngolo Kante for France and Luka Modric of Croatia. Kante, in previous matches, has gone on the attack against the best players on the opposing team, which includes Lionel Messi of Argentina, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium, and Luis Suarez of Uruguay, and put all of these guys off of their games by contesting passes and shots and playing super physical, making them feel uncomfortable. He had a tough task against Modric and Ivan Rakitic, two of the best midfielders in the game on Saturday. France for a third time in 20 years, was playing for another World Cup championship. They were the second youngest roster in all of the World Cup, behind Nigeria. Throughout the game, France was moving the ball around a lot, getting in good touches, trying to play over the top and through the middle, while Croatia was pressing France, trying to stop the passes into the middle. Croatia kicked long switches to the outside of the pitch when Rakitic or Modric had the ball to set up a cross for a shot on goal. This was a winning technique the team executed greatly throughout the entire World Cup to get to the final.

The first goal came from Croatia that was an own-goal off of a free-kick around the 18-minute mark. Mario Mandzukic was the victim of the own-goal that gave France the 1-0 lead. This was the first own goal ever in a World Cup Final. After that goal, Croatia had trailed in all 4 knockout matches and eventually came back to win all three of those (with exception to the fourth match being the World Cup final). Croatian forward Ivan Perisic, however, tied the game 1-1, around the 28th minute with a one-touch banger. He took it across Kante, hits it with the laces of his shoe, through traffic, and banged into the goal. Perisic previously had three goals in seven games, which was a team-high. Ten minutes later, a handball on Perisic off of a corner kick by Griezmann resulted in a penalty that would be taken by Griezmann. He shot and scored, which gave France the 2-1 lead. Griezmann after this penalty shot had four goals in the tournament, three of those goals had been PK’s, including this one in the World Cup Final, which matched Harry Kane, the striker from England, for most goals and assists in the tourney. Samuel Umtiti, French defender, was injured in 45th minute from a shot to the leg by a Croatian defender. Umtiti, being the hustler he is, was a huge part of the team, but eventually returned five minutes later, looking healthier, after being checked by team doctors. The first save from either goalkeeper in the match came in the 46th minute of the second half. Off a third chance, Paul Pogba strikes in a goal from a Griezmann pass in the 58th minute. For all those soccer fans out there including me, we all knew at some point Kylian Mbappe was going to score; then, he did. Mbappe scored with a right foot banger around the 65th minute, off a beautiful pass from Griezmann. The last 19-year-old to score in a World Cup Final was Brazilian soccer legend Pele in 1958. Despite France being up 4-1, Croatia never gave up. Mandzukic scored a goal around the 68th minute on a very nonchalant kick from French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, to keep the score at 4-2, which gave Croatia a chance to crawl back into the game with 23 minutes left.

However, time ran out and for the second time in country history, the Les Bleus, won the World Cup Final. Kylian Mbappe won the Young Player award for his outstanding performance in the tournament all-around with four goals and nine important passes (assists). Luka Modric of Croatia won the Golden Ball award for his 2 goals and 18 key passes, as well as his grit and grind that he displayed on the pitch with every game he played. Harry Kane won the Golden Boot award, and respectively so, as he led all players in the tournament with a total of six goals. Ivan Rakitic had played his 71st game, including games for his club and country in 11 months, more than any other player in the world. And, Raphael Varane, French defender, became the 10th man in soccer history to win the World Cup and the European Cup in the same year.

Overall, this World Cup Final had everything a soccer fan wanted to see: hard work and effort from both teams; rainy and slick conditions with fans rushing the field; questionable referee calls that sparked controversy; and most importantly, amazing athleticism. This was a World Cup that will be talked about for years to come.