France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup title

The better team won, but Croatia should hold their heads high for what they accomplished.

Even the rain was kind enough to wait until the final whistle.

Hats off to Croatia, but France was just too powerful and looks like Croatia just ran out of gas.

Congratulations France! I’m 25% French, and 100% glad France won. Houligans make me embarrassed to have Bri’ish blood...

A really good World Cup with some amazing matches.

Still trying to imagine a World Cup being held in Qatar....

I generally ignore soccer but stayed up for this game and am glad I did. Tenacious and tight to the end.

I can't see unimpressive and forgettable football of France as more deserving of title than exhausted but tireless Croatia. Considering how France lucked out early, Croatia would've won 5 out of 10 games at the very least. Shame

The best team won today but Croatia can be proud for their performance on this tournament . A great tournament with a few outstanding games.

When you've no knowledge of the game you can't see... :)

Sure. Keane, Shearer, Mourinho, Schmeichel etc. and me are completely clueless. Let me rephrase then, I can't FEEL. And it's likely most of the world feels the same. Therefore, the France of 2018 will never be a great win. If anything it will be known as first VAR title. Enjoy.

@Maiika

*the France of 2018 will never be a great win. If anything it will be known as first VAR title.*

Well, maybe. But then the Germany 2014 win might be remembered as the last title won under the old, not-so-adequate, human-error-prone system.

I think you guys watched a different game, Croatia was the better team imo, it was just after the two unlucky goals against them, that they had to attack leaving space available for the French counters. France was good, Croatia was better, but thanks to both teams for a great final!

Well, maybe. But then the Germany 2014 win might be remembered as the last title won under the old, not-so-adequate, human-error-prone system.

That's actually ironic since VAR catalyzed the human error in the case of penalty. Netgrump mentioned knowledge of the game, but it seems his intrinsic and situational wisdom conveniently escaped him when it comes to Perisic's handball - the referee call that should not have been made.

Bastille Day followed by the WC winning day , party time for France!

It looked like the French team was on the ground holding on to one of their body parts half the game trying to get a penalty for the Croats. The French won and wimped out at the same time.

Congratulations to France, but superb effort from Croatia. They looked the better footballing side to me but ran out of luck today. And surely from now VAR has to be used to review free kicks that lead to goals? Griezmann's flop was crucial.

Congrats to France. I bet it's a hell of a party there right now.

But with that, I'll be glad to have all this football talk over for another four years.

I think you guys watched a different game, Croatia was the better team imo, it was just after the two unlucky goals against them

Yes. Croatia can count themselves a bit unlucky in that game. Croatia’s equalizer was a beauty.

Credit to France for winning all knockout games, including the final, without needing extra time. A very good side.

Now we can look forward to France getting knocked out in the group stage next time around. I just hope enough teams will be in Qatar for a group stage.

Griezmann's flop was crucial.

True, but Croatia's defending of the free kick was weird. They seemed lined up as if for a corner.

Referee's VAR decision, intruder went into the pitch, French goalie mistake, thunder & rain to slippy grass ground, heavy rain ceremony with umbrellas at the ceremony. Final full of surprises but exciting match. Congrats France! Best performances Croatia!

Houligans make me embarrassed to have Bri’ish blood...

From Reuter's:-

French police fired tear gas and dispersed crowds from the Champs Elysees late on Sunday after clashes with a small group of unruly fans threatened to spoil celebrations of France's World Cup win over Croatia in Moscow.

But as the evening wore on, a small number of fans clashed with police, damaging some businesses and properties along the Champs Elysees.

Some threw stones and other projectiles at riot police who responded with teargas.

But with that, I'll be glad to have all this football talk over for another four years.

Hey, if you don't like it you don't have to read it you know!

The most interesting World Cup final in the last twenty years at least. Kudos to both teams, congratulations to the French.

That's actually ironic since VAR catalyzed the human error in the case of penalty. Netgrump mentioned knowledge of the game, but it seems his intrinsic and situational wisdom conveniently escaped him when it comes to Perisic's handball - the referee call that should not have been made.

Thanks for recognising my 'football wisdom' but in my previous posts there were no details besides that France was overall the better team.

Perisics 'handball' was no penalty worth and besides the own goal [ which happens regularly but always under pressure], a stupidity of the French keeper and good chances in the first half the Croats couldn't produce more. The fist half was for the Croats but overall the French defence was superior. Personally I don't like the current French style as I prefer the way Germany, Belgium, Croatia and yes Brazil play the game. Modric was also my man of the tournament.

To blame everything on VAR is bs as the referees decide and make mistakes.

I think you guys watched a different game, Croatia was the better team imo, it was just after the two unlucky goals against them, that they had to attack leaving space available for the French counters. France was good, Croatia was better, but thanks to both teams for a great final!

You're right, 'in your opinion' and for the first half you're right. Nobody argues an own goal which happens to the best teams under pressure and the penalty wasn't one. When you talk about 'luck' you should mention the stupidity of the French goalie as well :)

Leaves just one 'real ' goal and two for the French when we cut down to your reasoning.

Mentioning 'they had to attack leaving space for the French counters' is hilarious, the 'best team' would have dealed with that too...

That's football Joe, not baseball :)

When you talk about 'luck' you should mention the stupidity of the French goalie as well

> No that was just stupidity...

You're reasoning clearly shows your lack of knowledge of football... Even the best teams have to attack in this kind of "loser gets nothing" situation, creating huge chances for fast countering teams like the French and Belgium. I wrote imo, you should have written IMHO... Back to cricket Net.

Oh Joe, but not all ‘best teams’ in your ‘ loser gets nothing thingy’ are fast countering teams [It was just 2-1 at half time btw] and such teams equalized and won games after lagging behind in the past at this level.

There’s more then Kick & Rush these days :)

and such teams equalized and won games after lagging behind in the past at this level.

Not against this France and this Belgium. Be honest. They're arguably the best counter-attack teams in the history of football. I'm more than able to accept your reasoning, but you work against it when you let yourself underestimate the meaning of what it means to pursue an equalizer against counter-attack teams built around players with unbelievable acceleration and finish. Like Messi and Ronaldo, Mbappe will probably be the one to mark the next 10 years of football. Notably, he was the only one who didn't disappear in a game against Croatian defense and ball pressure - like Messi, Eriksen and Kane excruciatingly did. Putting everything else aside, the fact that half-time didn't end 1-1 is what's regrettable. 

On the side note, Denmark's coach said “Croatia are the best team in Europe for counter-attacks.", but Croatia's counter-attack style was visible only because Denmark didn't allow Croatia to play possession game. As a backup plan it's decent, but it's rarely there because they have capability to control the game as their primary style. Of course Croatian offense is not on level of Mbappe or Lukaku - no point to build game around them; and also because strikers spend a lot of stamina putting pressure on keeper for a bad goal kick thus breaking their possession, while wingers do lot of defensive tasks.