15 July 2018
Sometimes the World Cup Final can be a tense, tight affair with neither country wanting to give an inch.
That was certainly not the case at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday as France defeated Croatia in a thrilling 4-2 match to win their second FIFA World Cup, 20 years after winning their first on home soil.
It was a Bianconeri derby in Moscow as Blaise Matuidi started for France while Mario Mandzukic was in the XI for Croatia with Marko Pjaca on the bench.
France took the lead on 18 minutes when a free kick floated in by Antoine Griezmann was inadvertently flicked into the Croatia goal by Mandzukic putting Les Bleus up 1-0.
It wouldn't take more than 10 minutes for Croatia to equalize through Ivan Perisic, but France took back the lead before half-time as France was awarded a penalty for handball. Griezmann slotted home to put France up 2-1 at half-time.
In the second half, goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe six minutes apart gave the French an insurmountable lead, though Mandzukic finished his World Cup on a high with a 69th minute strike to round out the scoreline at 4-2.
A big congratulations to Blaise Matuidi who will forever be immortalized as a World Cup winner while a huge round of applause to Mandzukic, Pjaca and Croatia who did themselves proud the entire month in Russia.
