France clinched their second FIFA World Cup after defeating Croatia in a thrilling finale at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Les Bleus repeated their success on home soil at France 98 with a comfortable 4-2 victory despite Croatia's strong performance throughout the tournament in Russia. Their victory meant Didier Deschamps is now the third man to win the World Cup as a player and coach.
Luck was not on Croatia's side as France erased their memories of losing in the final to Portugal in Euro 2016. France took the lead after 18 minutes when Antoine Griezmann's free-kick deflected in from Mario Mandzukic's head.
Ten minutes later, Croatia equalised with a superb goal by Ivan Perisic. But then, referee Nestor Pitana awarded a penalty to France after VAR was consulted for a handball by Perisic. Griezmann calmly scored from the spot in the 38th minute to restore his team's advantage.
When the match resumed after the break, France looked to have wrapped it up with two strikes in six minutes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe either side of the hour mark. Croatia showed unbreakable spirit and even threatened a comeback when Mandzukic took advantage of France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris hesitating over a clearance to pull a goal back. But France closed out the win to bring redemption for Deschamps after defeat at the Euros two years ago, sparking wild celebrations and ensuring Lloris lifted the World Cup.
Photos: FIFA
Photos: FIFA
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