They did it! The Blues defeated Croatia after a magnificent final (4-2). But it was tough! The generation led by Griezmann, Pogba, and company has pinned a second star on the tricolor jersey.
Coach Didier Deschamps fielded the same starting eleven that defeated Belgium in the semi-final, including Blaise Matuidi, who had to come off in that semi-final after a severe clash with Eden Hazard. Croatia also presented their first-choice team.
Under a stormy sky that didnโt break out during the match but unleashed downpours during the trophy presentation, and after a first quarter dominated by Croatia, the Blues opened the scoring with an Antoine Griezmann free-kick, deflected into his own net by the Croatian striker Mario Mandลพukiฤ (18th minute, 1-0).
A left-footed strike by Ivan Periลกiฤ (28th minute, 1-1) brought the two teams level, before Griezmann regained the advantage for the Tricolores with a penalty (38th minute, 2-1), following a handball in the area by Periลกiฤ and after a video assistant referee intervention. Thus, France led at halftime and Antoine Griezmann became the top French scorer of this World Cup (four goals, including three penalties), ahead of Kylian Mbappรฉ (three goals).
In the second half, Croatia continued to press but left spaces, which Paul Pogba exploited, initiating and finishing a move that allowed him to score the third goal for the Blues with a long-range shot (59th minute, 3-1).
Five minutes later, Mbappรฉ gave the French team a decisive lead with a strike from twenty meters (65th minute, 4-1), drawing level with Griezmann in terms of goals scored during this World Cup (four each). A mistake in the clearance by Hugo Lloris, seized upon by Mandลพukiฤ (69th minute, 4-2), gave the Croatians hope again, but the French managed the end of the match and clinched the second world star for French football at this level.
REACTION FROM DIDIER DESCHAMPS
If France is world champion, itโs because we did things better than the others. We had a very young group; fourteen players were experiencing a World Cup for the first time, but the quality was there. My greatest pride with this group is that they managed to have the right mindset for such a competition. I keep telling them not to give up. We have imperfections; today, we had some too, we didnโt do everything perfectly but we showed decisive mental and psychological qualities in this World Cup where control wasnโt enough. We didnโt have much in the first half, really not much, but we were leading 2-1โฆ You can question whether we are great championsโฆ We are champions! We will be on top of the world for four years.
REACTION FROM ANTOINE GRIEZMANN
I am very proud of this team, the players, the technical and medical staff. We were really a united group, whether it was the substitutes or the starters. Thanks to this strength, we achieved something incredible. We are entering history. Now we just have to enjoy, be with family, and celebrate. And tomorrow will be the same, we will celebrate with all the French people.
