France Win Second World Cup Title With Final Victory against Croatia

France won its second World Cup title by beating Croatia 4-2 on Sunday in a match briefly interrupted by an on-field protest during the second half that Russian punk band Pussy Riot later took credit for .

Teenage forward Kylian Mbappe scored his fourth goal of the tournament for France and the team's fourth in the 65th minute, about 12 minutes after play resumed at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Mbappe, who is 19, is only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final. Pele was 17 when he scored two goals for Brazil in the 1958 final.

Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba also scored for the 1998 champions. Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic scored for Croatia.

Mandzukic also scored an own-goal, giving France the lead in the 18th minute.

Pussy Riot, a Russian punk rock group that rose to global prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2012, claimed responsibility for the second-half disruption on Twitter.

THE ANALYSES OF THE FINALS

It had been 20 years and three days, to be precise! Twenty years since French streets filled and the Champs-Elysees transformed into a resplendent sea of humanity, the only apt comparison the liberation of Paris. On Sunday, when Kylian Mbappe struck to put the result of the World Cup final beyond all doubt, the sequel began.

Twenty years and three days after the most glorious day in French soccer history, the second arrived. France won its second World Cup title in style, beating Croatia 4-2.

A tight and tense first half gave way to an explosive second, France’s flamboyant stars running riot. Paul Pogba, oft-derided and underrated, turned on the style and capped a Golden Ball-worthy tournament with a back-to-front beauty. Mbappe, the World Cup’s breakout star, ended Croatia’s improbable run once and for all.

Mbappe hadn’t even been born on that memorable day in 1998, when the 2018 team’s manager, Didier Deschamps, lifted the World Cup. That triumph changed France forever. It remains to be seen whether this one will.

But after they rose to the occasion on the biggest stage of all, one thing is clear: France has a new generation of heroes.

France goes ahead against the run of play

The game began with French nerves and intermittent Croatian pressure. It was cagey, as expected. France prioritized defensive solidity and caution, as expected, and as it had all tournament.

And as it had all tournament, it struck when you least expected it.

But on one of its few forays into the final third, Antoine Griezmann baited Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic – or, more accurately, the referee – into a foul. There wasn’t zerocontact. But Griezmann created it; he fabricated it to frame defender. It should have been a no-call.

Nonetheless, from the ensuing free kick, Griezmann swung in a beauty, at the perfect height to engender indecision. Mario Mandzukic leapt to clear, but instead inadvertently flicked the ball into his own net:

It came against the run of play. It was somewhat fluky. But it was quintessential France at the 2018 World Cup. It was opportunistic. For the fourth straight game, Les Blues went ahead from a set piece or penalty.

And for the fourth straight game, they seemed to be in control. But this one wouldn’t be quite so simple.

Croatia gets its deserved equalizer

Croatia rightfully drew praise for the way it approached a game of such magnitude. It was fearless. It was on top for much of the first half. And it responded 10 minutes after France’s opener with a clever set piece of its own.

It sent right back Sime Vrsaljko streaking down the right, sprinting into the box late. Luka Modric aimed a looping ball to the fullback at the far post, which Vrsaljko won. Croatia then won the second, third, fourth and fifth ball. Ivan Perisic took a lovely first touch with his right foot at the top of the box, and stung a left-footed drive past Hugo Lloris:

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France, though, would hit back again on – you guessed it – another set piece.

Set pieces, set pieces, set pieces – and VAR

It’s been the story of this World Cup: set pieces. The two final openers were set-piece goals No. 69 and 70 of the tournament. No. 71 put France ahead.

On a play eerily similar to its opening goal against Belgium in the semifinals, France sent a runner darting to the near post. Except this time, Blaise Matuidi whiffed on the header – and that was problematic for Croatia. Ivan Perisic instinctively responded to Matuidi’s miss be bringing his left arm down toward the ball.