France Are World Champions

Congratulations to FRANCE for winning the World Cup for their second time. They beat Croatia 4-2. France had won their group and then they beat Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium to get to the final.

The first half was dominated by Croatia as they passed the ball around like they were in a training session. The French did have a couple of attacks and it was in one of them that they received a free kick near the Croatian box. A lovely cross goes into the net but it was an own goal by Mandzukic as he heads in the first World Cup final own goal after 18 minutes. Croatia never gave in and continued their pressure on France and scored the equaliser in the 28^th minute with a fantastic goal by Perisic his third of the tournament. With another French attack and a corner was given with the result of a hand-ball by a Croatian player in the penalty area. The referee went to VAR (Video Assistant referee) and after some considerable time, the referee gave a penalty to France. The penalty was taken by Griezmann and France go 2-1 up with his fourth goal of the tournament in the 38^th minute. That’s how it ends at half time. In the second half it was still Croatia that started to push the ball around but it did not take long before the French players grew with confidence. A third goal from France came in the 59^th minute from Pogba to put France in full control of the game. Another France goal followed, by the young teenager Mbappe in the 65^th minute 4-1. Croatia then were all over the place as the tide turned, but a big mistake by the French goalkeeper gave Croatia their second goal in the 69^th minute by Mandzukic 4-2. The second half came very much alive by this time and since their second goal, Croatia came back hard against the France defence as they sat back for the last fifteen minutes of play. The final whistle is blown after five minutes of added on time and France won 4-2 in a very entertaining final. France have finished on a total of 14 goals and it is their second highest score since then they won the cup back in 1998 with 15 goals.