Interesting fact : Oliver Giroud played all 7 games and had exactly ONE shot on goal altogether !
That makes him the most unsuccessful striker in the history of World Cup
Griezmann getting accolades is such a shame to this game. FIFA says it wants to curb theatrics and diving but they keep rewarding players who do this. Why not retroactively punish the players instead of giving them man of the match awards and the likes. This game left such a sour taste in my mouth I would have loved to see Croatia take this and they played so well but would have been ok with a fair France win.
Irrespective of whether France or Croatia deserved to win, I'm sure UK fans (and those watching a UK broadcast) can all agree that, regardless of what channel they watched this match on, the commentary was crap and has been throughout the tournament. Be it the lugubrious tone of Danny Murphy or the rose-tinted reminiscence of Glenn Hoddle, it has been dire. Anybody disagree?
@stefanm I wonder how people can even like such a stupid comment. First it's just offensive, second it's not even true.
Pogba played so well this game he fully deserves the MOTM. Amazing defensive work, he launched multiple dangerous counter attacks with amazing long passes, his goal started from an amazing through ball to Mbappe, he won almost all his 1v1s. Him and Hernandez were the best players on the pitch today by far.
Congratulations to Croatia ! For me you are the real champion because you were the only team who tried to play football pro actively and wanted the ball to attack all the time, not just on counter situations. You also were the team with the greatest fighting spirit and made the world cup worth watching. France might be the new champion of the world in technical terms but you are the champion of the hearts.
@neumi17 Nobody should have a problem with "style" of play. If u win by the rules, no matter how "not graceful" it looks, its still a win.
My problem is that every expert is saying this was not a penalty, and the first goal came from a dive by griezman... Why do they have VAR if they do not know how to use it propperly?
@k.1 Why can't people have a problem with the style of play ? Of course you can judge a team by the way they play. Its not illegal to win like France did but you can still strongly dislike their style ...
@tshibuabua- Didn't see that while scrolling. My first, that I can vivdly remember, was 1994. That was decent, some shocks and the best team ultimately won. I think 2010 was pretty poor. The unpredictable Jabulani ball, the annoying sound of the Vuvuzela in every match ruining atmosphere & team songs/chants and the boring final itself makes it the worst for me.
@SteveHyland agree! 2010 was the worst world cup for me. a lot of boring games. 1998 was my first. 2006 and 2002 were amazing, 1998 was the best so far. 2014 was OK, I would rate this WC 7/10. Not bad at all.
@kanat_karktl- '98 was very good. I was in France for a couple of weeks right in the middle of the tournament and the atmosphere, in places, was electric. I suppose this can be said of any venue but still, it was the only one I experienced a bit of while in a foreign country. Plus the French team were a joy to watch- Zidane at his best, the coming of Henry, that dynamic defence etc. I always feel it benefits the tournament when the host nation(s) do well. That wont happen in Qatar in all likelihood.
One more thing: I agree with individuals awrds to Modric as the best player of the WC, Mbappe as a revelation, Kane Ballon d'oro he was the most efficient in a Cup with loads of missed penalties . I think Courtois got the Golden glove thanks to Lloris childhood mistake that cost the 2nd goal.
Nice match. I've checked out the last WC final with several goals was England 1966 (also 6 goals). A pity for one side Giroud didn't score in the whole tourney. France won fairy and square, even if the penalty was not called, there were 3 more goals of difference in the global score. There also were players about I've never heard of them previously, like Lucas or N Zonzi, maybe because I don't follow La Liga closer. Good players, specially Lucas was one of the best of the tournament, deserves to be in the final XI.
@vivelafrance Why ? If the penalty is not given, it's a total different game and France actually would have had to do a little more to score a goal than just sit deep and counter. The penalty changed everything in favour of France.
@neumi17 You're very funny guys, a lot of if ? Yeah that's what a World cup is... it's a lot of if (player choices, injuries, cards, luck (penalty shout-out, ...), and even some bad bits (own goal). During 7 games, you need to align a team which will have to make it through against 7 other teams with their own list of if.
@neumi17 When France won 1-0 against Belgium, they scored only once, if they hadn't that would have been a completely different game, yeah for sure. If they had Meunier, that would have been different, yeah for sure. But guys, he got 2 yellow cards when trying hard to defend his team against other unfortunate contenders. When France won against Uruguay, if they had Cavani, that would have been a completely different game, yeah for sure. But he got injured when trying very hard against Portugal. If he hadn't, maybe that would have been Portugal, and that would have been a very different game for France against CR7... yeah for sure, but guys that's not what happened for this World Cup.
First, thanks to whoscored.com, your analysis tools are awesome to have during matches! I heatmapped just the 4 midfielders for Croatia and France, amazing what came up, 262 touches to 142 and Croatia's heatmap shows width and heavy possession slightly on attacking side of the pitch- exactly as most coach's would say they want before the match, but the discipline to execute that in a huge match is impressive. There is a lot midfielders can learn by watching Rebic, Modric, Rakitic, and Perisic.
I thought VAR was only meant to be for clear and obvious errors, and the fact that there's such a big debate about the penalty shows that the handball was anything but clear and obvious. Anyway, regarding the football, people forget that in 2014 Germany only really played well against Brazil, but struggled in many other games, including the final; the same with 2010, Spain were hardly brilliant; Portugal in the 2016 EUROs were awful to watch, etc. International football isn't about being stylish and outplaying everyone, it's just about winning, however you do it. So congratulations to France, and especially Deschamps and Mbappe; and everyone feels particularly bad for Croatia, but putting it into perspective, 2nd in the world for a tiny nation is a great achievement.
I don't know why people are shocked. The powers that be ensured who they wanted to win win. No way a country with a measly 4 million population was going to win the WORLD Cup in this modern era
@excalibur The France has not convinced the audience with the champion title of world cup. Both tactical and performance, especially this final. For the first half, the first goal is a little bit cheating and luck. The second one , well, VAR this year. It's a joke to see one team leading the game by 2 goals with 1 shot.
@excalibur Wow you are so smart.Two small nations are 2nd and 3rd in this World Cup..Portugal is European champion also.So go to some conspiracy forum and spread your crap there.
@valencia00 There's a difference between being 2nd and 3rd and winning. Also, Portugal is not a small footballing nation at all. Comparing them to Croatia is stupid. Anyway, the one-sided officiating in this game speaks for itself
@excalibur You were talking about population not small in football sense.Croatia has more success then Portugal in her 27 years of independence.1998 3rd and now 2nd..Portugal 3rd in 1966.
@SteveHyland In my Google it says the opposite. And it wasn't even hard to see that the ball never went completely over the line, 1/3 was still on the line. It was so obvious, that I am surprised you even doubt it.
@neumi17 " A study conducted by the engineering department at Oxford University concluded the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cm away from being a goal. "
@neumi17- That wasn't goal-line technology. I read the Oxford study at the time, from what I remember it was an estimation based on a number of applied formulas which came to the conclusion it wasn't over. However, when you use the official technology which is applied for goal checking nowadays, it actually proves the ball was over and that the problem with previous attempts have been camera angle/human eye error. Look for the Sky sports MNF segment.
@SteveHyland Sorry, but this "study" I can't take seriously. It had only one agenda : To prove it was a goal, no matter what it takes. And their result was ridiculous, because according to them the ball was in by a large margin, which is already stupid, since one could see, that it was a super close decision. By just looking at the old material everybody can see, that the ball bounced off the line. If at all, it would have been in millimetres, not 10 cm. Besides, the new technology is only useful by evaluating live situations in a stadium, not by using old film material. Dozens of studies have shown, what the normal eye can witness already by looking at the situation. But the only one, that comes to a completely different result and implies, that the ball was in by far, is the one which you accept as the only right one. Bit strange, don't you think ?
What really baffled me was the the replays of the penalty incident. They kept showing the replays from the same camera (from top). They just displayed the incident from two cameras for the referee. Right after the goal, they showed the penalty incident from a different camera. I believe, had the referee viewed the incident from that camera, he wouldn't have called for penalty!
Golden boot for Kane and rightly so. Unlike others he won the penalties he scored. He also got 2 more than anyone else and sat out the last group game. He also played for England with their ultra defensive tactics, who created him nothing in open play. Only a massive hater would complain. Congratulations France. Deserved to win today.
@Champion i am not sure you understand what is "golden boot".. the player w the most goals get this, it doesnt matter if they are the best player or the worse.
Oh my world, what a mess of a match. The VAR referees were specifically instructed not to place a game referee into a dilemma, which is exactly what they did. The system worked so well in the rest of the tournament, what a shame. I feel for the Croatians, who were dominating outrageously at that point. And for players like Mandzukic and Perisic, who had such a great tournament. Reminds me of Germany-France at the Euro 2016. France may have won this final anyway, but a team doesn't play the same way if trailing by one goal, so who knows what would have happened. This match could have been a real nail-biter. Still, great tournament overall for Pogba, Mbappe and the French. Just a bittersweet victory.
@antonsmith it was a penalty though. He blocked a cross with his hand and the hand was outstretched. You can say that VAR was misused but it gave the correct decision
@khonda Your view is not shared by many observers and pundits who commented the game, including former players. I'm not saying it's not a penalty, but it shows that the decision is not an obvious one. This is why VAR referees were instructed by FIFA, at the beginning of the tournament, not to call a play when there is any room for interpretation, so that a game referee is not plunged into a dilemma. The fact that the game referee spent a lot of time, and even returned to watch other replays, shows that it wasn't clear cut. And given he already erred by giving the free kick on the previous goal, his original decision (a goal kick) should not have been reversed. I know it's a technicality, but you never want to have World Cup decided a penalty.
@khonda you have a valid point. However how are you suppose to jump without your hands? Plus if a goalie made contact that close at that pace of a header on the deflection that would be world class. Human reaction times don't work in slow motion...
Anti football won today and this sends a clear message to youth. Cheat and you will win trophies. No wonder fifa selected Nestor Pitana for this game . A disgrace
@Lechiffre10 Anti football? Dudes like you only care about goals and flashy dribbles. You can't appreciate the tactic war between coaches and players. The only disgrace is you. You're not a fan of this sport.
@T0ny04 Griezmann diving for the first goal isn't anti-football? France sitting back deep after a questionable penalty call and playing long balls to Mbappe isn't anti-football? Go clean your eyes you've got s*** in them
@Lechiffre10 Well my friend it's about time you wake the f up because ALL players dive or make sure the referee sees fouls. On this particular occasion there WAS GOING TO BE CONTACT, Griezmann just saw it coming and fell before contact. It's not a France thing, it's not a call from Deschamps, it's just fucking football. Blame the sport and the way rules are applied, not a nation. Secondly, falling back deep and counter attacking was the strategy for France for the last... 4 years may be? Just like teams like Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Uruguay, a lot of Italian teams, they like to focus on defense first and guess what.. it works. The goal is to win games not to entertain a princess like you. You would be the first to bitch your own team on the internet for losing and you also complain about the way winners win. Get a grip dude.
@Champion They conceded one own goal, one unlucky penalty and two long shots. How did they defend badly ? France had zero chances created but scored 4 goals. Its called bad luck vs extremely lucky. Not badly defended ...
@mIKe9441 People may say that possesion football is dead and the way France plays is the way to go but I simply can't understand how averaging low number of shots and low pass success is considered good football.
@felipe9525 I have to agree that this World Cup is disappointing for the evolution of football style. So many teams winning with abysmal possession numbers.
@antonsmith I have no problem with low possesion teams actually. The problem is when they can't even pass the ball properly.
Take Netherlands vs Spain in 2014: Netherlands had low possession but decent pass sucess (81%) and good amount of chances created (14 shots).
@felipe9525 I like your point on the passing game and chances created. It's a more accurate way to put it, yes. Great analysis. That Dutch team was awesome to watch; so sad they weren't there this time around!
@felipe9525 all that matters is the goal tally. Croatia could have won today. But their keeper did badly on two goals and their defence were bad on set pieces. Croatia can blame themselves regardless of crying of officials
@Champion And did I say that it didn't? I'm talking from a spectator point of view. It's not entertaining at all to watch a team that misses so many passes and barely shoots at the goal.
But then again, in order to score you have to create scoring opportunities. And France created so few opportunities that it feels odd to see that they won by such a margin.
Outside of Pogba and Griezman. France really blows. Kudos to them. Mbappe will me the next Mario gotze.... He will never be ronaldo or messi but maybe a neymar
@khonda feel free to call me in 10 years on this prediction. I just don't see how he will be a top player. Maybe top 10 but not #1. He is an amazing talent but not other worldly
@excalibur Well, he might not even make the first team in Dortmund this season, because he lost almost all of his physical abilities, so I don't know if that statement is appropriate...
@neumi17 It's not about possession, it's how team can execute their game plan. Right now there isn't possession based team that's good enough. And France had luck and referee on their side.
@Gav1 LOL Did you even watch the game? Pobga played an amazing defensive game, launch multiple dangerous counters attacks with amazing long balls and was clinical up front when it mattered. He dominated his territory in the midfield and fully deserve the MOTM. I bet you're 12 and judge a player on the number of flashy dribbles and skills they did.
this referee has been as strict as Collina
BBC commentators or was it ITV commented that every referee should be this big to, he's big enough to make himself clear and feared - just not to be joked enough.
he's been great in this tournament
Croatia have been far superior as expected but luck is on France's side. Croatia move the ball well and have a great chance to equalize if they can get to one on one situations against France's defenders. France should improve their counter attacks, that's the only way they can score, apart from set pieces and penalties of course.
@Castle Croatia can blame themselves for awful defending and keeping. Football isn’t just about possession. Croatia have made terrible mistakes , it’s their own fault and France have executed in the last third. Don’t be a salty child like mentality.
@Champion I’m aware of the decisions. For me he moves the hand to ball on penalty. I think the fact Perisic didn’t complain and looked annoyed at himself says everything. He went to complain and had no voice. He stopped as he was so disappointed in himself. Look at body language of Perisic and it appears he knows it was deliberate hand ball in his own mind. Soft free kicks happen and need to be defended still , that’s just part of football really although frustrating part
Croatia have looked very dangerous so far and i think they have a good chance of coming back in the 2nd half if they keep playing with the same type of intensity.
Every 50/50 call is going to France. Since their first game, FIFA decided France was going to win the World Cup. Stupid pen against Australia, stupid pen for France and no penalty given for Argentina in that game, etc. So sad to see that this is what football has become :(
France are getting battered but are leading via an own goal and a BS penalty decision. People thought England in the final would be an embarrassment......
@Ouftey But still he's directing the ball toward his foot which clears the ball thus breaking the chance of a goal.
deliberate or not, but the resulting action was enough to take this as a deliberate handball
@alric8- His type of player isn't appreciated by everybody. Doesn't do the glamourous things and is limited as a passer but every midfield in world football would be stronger with him in it.
I absolutely agree with the prediction of whoscored.com, it will be 2 goals from France and no goal or 1 goal from Croatia. France win, France ind total 1,5 more, France win and 2,5 more, btts. By the way, probably we can see here a red card.
For me, Eden Hazard has been the best player of the tournament, at least attackingwise. He's been the most consistent and dangerous player and has shown examble that's totally opposite to Neymar's theatrics. But since Belgium failed to reach the final, the award will probably go to French player. Deserving winners would be naturally their defensive players: Lloris, one of defenders or Kante who all have had a great tournament. But it's difficult to name a stand out performer of these six as France have defended with their whole team and no less than three of their defenders have scored! Alternative option would be Modric, although I don't think we have even seen him at his best lately.
@Castle Hazard kid is good but far behind the best player in the tournamant... I suppose you are a EPL fan but please spend more time on football world
@ambrose I'm a fan of skilfull and attacking minded football with some tactical adjustment against each opponent which Belgium have shown in this tournament. I also gave other good candidates for best player award while you gave none. Or which other player do you think have PERFORMED better?
@Castle De Bruyne and Courtois equally important? Not even sure I'd name Hazard as Belgiums best in this tournament. Whoscored.com will rate Hazard the highest FOR SURE, but maybe, just maybe; There are more important things in the game than "Successful dribbles" and whatnot =/
@Castle- He doesn't have any. Just hates Hazard. Look at his previous comments. I would personally go with Modric but he has to play well today to confirm it, if that makes sense.
@MMUNILU Maybe most of the world wouldn't have blaimed them, but Croatian fans would not have taken anything but reaching to the semis like 1998. And you might have not noticed, but they have played with lots of pressure in their shoulders, particularly in latter stages. However, now they can be little more relaxed and should be able to play their own game now if their legs only permit them.
I will be very surprised if France don't win this.
France defeated Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium. 3 quality teams in the lead up to the final, all in regular time.
Croatia needed extra time to get past denmark, russia and england.
Unless France "choke" they should be too good here.
France win 3-1.
@angelo44 France are huge favorites, no doubt. But I'd like to remind you that Croatia were very convincing in group stages whereas France's performances were poor. Since then, Croatia's playing has hindered while France have step up. France have been most solid team because of their excellent defending with the whole team (apart 4-3 win over Argentina) and deserve to be at final. But they are no unbeatable and I dare say Belgium would be here instead, had Meunier been available as he had outstanding game yesterday, although it doesn't matter anymore. With a good game, Croatia can win this match and it doesn't even require France to 'choke' anything. Particularly if France sit too deep, likes of Mandzukic and Perisic can give Croatia the edge. But of course, three extra times and France's smart and cautious game plan should be too much for Croats.
@angelo44 Indeed, but France failed to beat Denmark achieving only a goalless draw. At least Croatia beat them finally with extra-time. France have also drawn TWICE with the very Croatia in their last two matches. There is no joyride for France here.....
Croatia are made up of true patriots born in their own homeland playing for their country until the end.
France made up of immigrants and imports, from a squad of 23 players 19 of them come from abroad.
Croatia will win in extra time again :) 2-1
@UEFAMAN Every single player that is worth more then half a potato from your racist 3th world country had to IMMIGRATE to another country to learn to play football in the first place . Sush babushka
@FCSFU France is different eh?French league i think is below Portuguese so every good player must IMMIGRATE how you say it to another country aswell.If for France played 70% whites they would be shit.Such a great football nation and their only achievement on World cup is winning it only in 1998 and that was on their home ground!So UEFAMAN is right
**CONGRATULATIONS TO CROATIA - YOU DESERVE TO GO ALL THE WAY AND BRING THE CUP HOME** CROATIA V ENGLAND 2-1 Well here we are ...exactly as I predicted in my last post, 1-1 draw in 90min with Croatia to win in extra time :) CROATIA V FRANCE - FINAL ???? PREDICTION : 1-1 draw in 90min >>>>>>>>>CROATIA TO WIN IN EXTRA TIME<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< SORRY FRANCE - BUT YOU WILL BE JOINING ENGLAND COME SUNDAY Gooooo......CROATIA (HRVATSKA)
Apart from the Argentina game, France haven't wowed me in this world cup. They've been very efficient though, so I can't see anything other than a France win. I would LOVE Croatia to win it, just for the fact this is their first ever world cup final.
head says 2-1 to France, heart says 2-1 to Croatia.
@jonezy1234 My thoughts exactly. France have been mostly boring and dreadful to watch, except for a few moments of brilliance from Mbappe, but also extremely difficult to defeat.
No matter how hard Croatia fights France will win this match within 90 minutes comfortably. In fact Belgium would have defeated Croatia easily if played against.
Croatia has done extremely well to get to the final but I feel the last hurdle will just be too much for them to overcome. When France hit 4th gear they can play some truly beautiful football and they are also very well drilled in all areas of the field. They already have experience of a major final following Euro 2016 and I'm certain they will not let this second chance slip. I'm predicting a France win, but Croatia are certainly no pushovers either. I suspect it will be a very entertaining match.
France didn't score a field goal against Belgium, and so did England against croatia. Whereas croatia have scored field goals only. This makes them threatening.
France being huge favourites on paper is a fact.
But after Euro 2016 final (+ Brexit ref 2016 + US elections 2016 etc. etc.), I would be extremely cautious and refrain from making any prediction.
@quayvo- Khedira didn't play in the WC final though, I think that is what @glenbayern meant since both Varane and Modric will start, injury permitting. (?)
Croatia were just about able to deal with England's fast, energetic but uninspired attack. Wouldn't imagine they will against Mbappe and Griezmann. They will have much of the ball, but France were able to look fairly comfortable conceding most possession against Belgium who have greater attacking threats than Croatia. All signs point to a 2-0 final that may disappoint for entertainment.
Tough game. Croatia probs score first early in first half, then France will step it up and dominate the rest of the game, scoring two goals or more. France 2(+):1 Croatia
@sebatron Everyone keeps writing them off about being exhausted and quite frankly England looked more exhausted than Croatia. That's how good this team is. Won 2 penalty shouts ( not 1 but 2!!), beat a resilient host team and another Danish defensive team and came back to beat England. France, on the other hand, I'm still really not convinced about.Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 so saying France beat Argentina is pointless, Uruguay were toothless without Cavani and the rest of the team was disappointing. Beligum also really underwhelmed in the semi's, only Hazard showed up and Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku were no where to be seen. Croatia has the likes of Rakitic, Modric to inspire the team. Perisic and Mandzukic also have awoken in the knockout stage at the perfect time. Only player I'm concerned about is Strinic who is absolute trash. If he plays Mbappe will eat him alive.
@Lechiffre10 Yeah, you wouldn't have thought they'd gone to extra time in every knockout game, they looked so much fresher than England. They need to avoid making such a slow start again, they made England look much better than they actually are in that first half. Everyone already dismissing Croatia, I hope they do it!
@pyt55 I remember during the last World Cup they said they couldn't IP ban or something. So trolls kept making new accounts. I think a lot of posters here, even regular ones, need temporary or even permanent bans at times. I think this site is only really run mostly by one main person, plus others, so it's hard for him to constantly keep track of comments. He should probably make some regular posters moderators of the comments. The problem is that might enable them to edit the actual stats and mess up the match centre, not sure. If he can just give people access to comments it's fine.
First and last comment. ;)
@Davisson nope
Interesting fact : Oliver Giroud played all 7 games and had exactly ONE shot on goal altogether ! That makes him the most unsuccessful striker in the history of World Cup
@neumi17, 0 shots on target actually.
Griezmann getting accolades is such a shame to this game. FIFA says it wants to curb theatrics and diving but they keep rewarding players who do this. Why not retroactively punish the players instead of giving them man of the match awards and the likes. This game left such a sour taste in my mouth I would have loved to see Croatia take this and they played so well but would have been ok with a fair France win.
Irrespective of whether France or Croatia deserved to win, I'm sure UK fans (and those watching a UK broadcast) can all agree that, regardless of what channel they watched this match on, the commentary was crap and has been throughout the tournament. Be it the lugubrious tone of Danny Murphy or the rose-tinted reminiscence of Glenn Hoddle, it has been dire. Anybody disagree?
pogba worst player ever seen, but still chosen as man of the match here ? hahahaha
@stefanm I wonder how people can even like such a stupid comment. First it's just offensive, second it's not even true. Pogba played so well this game he fully deserves the MOTM. Amazing defensive work, he launched multiple dangerous counter attacks with amazing long passes, his goal started from an amazing through ball to Mbappe, he won almost all his 1v1s. Him and Hernandez were the best players on the pitch today by far.
@T0ny04 He won two 1vs1's , is that worth mentioning ?
great congrats
The first French goal was offside plus it wasn't foul at all.
Congratulations to Croatia ! For me you are the real champion because you were the only team who tried to play football pro actively and wanted the ball to attack all the time, not just on counter situations. You also were the team with the greatest fighting spirit and made the world cup worth watching. France might be the new champion of the world in technical terms but you are the champion of the hearts.
@neumi17 Nobody should have a problem with "style" of play. If u win by the rules, no matter how "not graceful" it looks, its still a win. My problem is that every expert is saying this was not a penalty, and the first goal came from a dive by griezman... Why do they have VAR if they do not know how to use it propperly?
@k.1 Why can't people have a problem with the style of play ? Of course you can judge a team by the way they play. Its not illegal to win like France did but you can still strongly dislike their style ...
Mandzukic now has a great career: Scored in two different CL Finals. Scored in a World Cup Semi Final and a Final.
@ustat777 But how many of them did he win?
*1986
@tshibuabua- Didn't see that while scrolling. My first, that I can vivdly remember, was 1994. That was decent, some shocks and the best team ultimately won. I think 2010 was pretty poor. The unpredictable Jabulani ball, the annoying sound of the Vuvuzela in every match ruining atmosphere & team songs/chants and the boring final itself makes it the worst for me.
@SteveHyland agree! 2010 was the worst world cup for me. a lot of boring games. 1998 was my first. 2006 and 2002 were amazing, 1998 was the best so far. 2014 was OK, I would rate this WC 7/10. Not bad at all.
@kanat_karktl 2002 was nightmare
@kanat_karktl- '98 was very good. I was in France for a couple of weeks right in the middle of the tournament and the atmosphere, in places, was electric. I suppose this can be said of any venue but still, it was the only one I experienced a bit of while in a foreign country. Plus the French team were a joy to watch- Zidane at his best, the coming of Henry, that dynamic defence etc. I always feel it benefits the tournament when the host nation(s) do well. That wont happen in Qatar in all likelihood.
This was the worst world cup I've ever seen. My first was in 1984.
@tshibuabua- There wasn't a world cup in 1984.... Do you mean 1982, 1986 or 1994?
@tshibuabua curious what your thoughts are further
@tshibuabua Interesting.
One more thing: I agree with individuals awrds to Modric as the best player of the WC, Mbappe as a revelation, Kane Ballon d'oro he was the most efficient in a Cup with loads of missed penalties . I think Courtois got the Golden glove thanks to Lloris childhood mistake that cost the 2nd goal.
Nice match. I've checked out the last WC final with several goals was England 1966 (also 6 goals). A pity for one side Giroud didn't score in the whole tourney. France won fairy and square, even if the penalty was not called, there were 3 more goals of difference in the global score. There also were players about I've never heard of them previously, like Lucas or N Zonzi, maybe because I don't follow La Liga closer. Good players, specially Lucas was one of the best of the tournament, deserves to be in the final XI.
@dib "if the penalty was not called", it would have been a completely different match.
Oh and well done to Russia, everyone who's been to the WC has said it's been fantastic.
@What4 - It's called reputation laundering
@andrew7taylor What can you do, football has been like that for a long time, since probably before Abramovich bought Chelsea, even.
Well if penalty is not given..France will still win by 3 goals. What a fine performance in the final
@vivelafrance Why ? If the penalty is not given, it's a total different game and France actually would have had to do a little more to score a goal than just sit deep and counter. The penalty changed everything in favour of France.
@neumi17 You're very funny guys, a lot of if ? Yeah that's what a World cup is... it's a lot of if (player choices, injuries, cards, luck (penalty shout-out, ...), and even some bad bits (own goal). During 7 games, you need to align a team which will have to make it through against 7 other teams with their own list of if.
@neumi17 When France won 1-0 against Belgium, they scored only once, if they hadn't that would have been a completely different game, yeah for sure. If they had Meunier, that would have been different, yeah for sure. But guys, he got 2 yellow cards when trying hard to defend his team against other unfortunate contenders. When France won against Uruguay, if they had Cavani, that would have been a completely different game, yeah for sure. But he got injured when trying very hard against Portugal. If he hadn't, maybe that would have been Portugal, and that would have been a very different game for France against CR7... yeah for sure, but guys that's not what happened for this World Cup.
First, thanks to whoscored.com, your analysis tools are awesome to have during matches! I heatmapped just the 4 midfielders for Croatia and France, amazing what came up, 262 touches to 142 and Croatia's heatmap shows width and heavy possession slightly on attacking side of the pitch- exactly as most coach's would say they want before the match, but the discipline to execute that in a huge match is impressive. There is a lot midfielders can learn by watching Rebic, Modric, Rakitic, and Perisic.
I thought VAR was only meant to be for clear and obvious errors, and the fact that there's such a big debate about the penalty shows that the handball was anything but clear and obvious. Anyway, regarding the football, people forget that in 2014 Germany only really played well against Brazil, but struggled in many other games, including the final; the same with 2010, Spain were hardly brilliant; Portugal in the 2016 EUROs were awful to watch, etc. International football isn't about being stylish and outplaying everyone, it's just about winning, however you do it. So congratulations to France, and especially Deschamps and Mbappe; and everyone feels particularly bad for Croatia, but putting it into perspective, 2nd in the world for a tiny nation is a great achievement.
@What4 Couldn't agree more.
I don't know why people are shocked. The powers that be ensured who they wanted to win win. No way a country with a measly 4 million population was going to win the WORLD Cup in this modern era
@excalibur The France has not convinced the audience with the champion title of world cup. Both tactical and performance, especially this final. For the first half, the first goal is a little bit cheating and luck. The second one , well, VAR this year. It's a joke to see one team leading the game by 2 goals with 1 shot.
@excalibur You mean the Illuminati?
@excalibur Wow you are so smart.Two small nations are 2nd and 3rd in this World Cup..Portugal is European champion also.So go to some conspiracy forum and spread your crap there.
@valencia00 There's a difference between being 2nd and 3rd and winning. Also, Portugal is not a small footballing nation at all. Comparing them to Croatia is stupid. Anyway, the one-sided officiating in this game speaks for itself
@excalibur You were talking about population not small in football sense.Croatia has more success then Portugal in her 27 years of independence.1998 3rd and now 2nd..Portugal 3rd in 1966.
So many goals in the final! When there were so many goals in the final of the World Cup last time? Congratulations to France for the championship.
@Worldean 1966, England - W. Germany 4-2 after e.t.
@AnselmSelze One goal was a fraud though, so technically this is the highest scoring game since 1958 in Sweden.
@neumi17- All 4 goals were over the line. Goal-line technology proved it. Google.
@SteveHyland In my Google it says the opposite. And it wasn't even hard to see that the ball never went completely over the line, 1/3 was still on the line. It was so obvious, that I am surprised you even doubt it.
@neumi17 " A study conducted by the engineering department at Oxford University concluded the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cm away from being a goal. "
@neumi17- That wasn't goal-line technology. I read the Oxford study at the time, from what I remember it was an estimation based on a number of applied formulas which came to the conclusion it wasn't over. However, when you use the official technology which is applied for goal checking nowadays, it actually proves the ball was over and that the problem with previous attempts have been camera angle/human eye error. Look for the Sky sports MNF segment.
@SteveHyland Sorry, but this "study" I can't take seriously. It had only one agenda : To prove it was a goal, no matter what it takes. And their result was ridiculous, because according to them the ball was in by a large margin, which is already stupid, since one could see, that it was a super close decision. By just looking at the old material everybody can see, that the ball bounced off the line. If at all, it would have been in millimetres, not 10 cm. Besides, the new technology is only useful by evaluating live situations in a stadium, not by using old film material. Dozens of studies have shown, what the normal eye can witness already by looking at the situation. But the only one, that comes to a completely different result and implies, that the ball was in by far, is the one which you accept as the only right one. Bit strange, don't you think ?
What really baffled me was the the replays of the penalty incident. They kept showing the replays from the same camera (from top). They just displayed the incident from two cameras for the referee. Right after the goal, they showed the penalty incident from a different camera. I believe, had the referee viewed the incident from that camera, he wouldn't have called for penalty!
Golden boot for Kane and rightly so. Unlike others he won the penalties he scored. He also got 2 more than anyone else and sat out the last group game. He also played for England with their ultra defensive tactics, who created him nothing in open play. Only a massive hater would complain. Congratulations France. Deserved to win today.
@Champion The truth is that Kane did not deserve a golden boot. LOL
@Champion i am not sure you understand what is "golden boot".. the player w the most goals get this, it doesnt matter if they are the best player or the worse.
@Champion Legit no one cares. France just won the world cup lol
@capra Cool story bro. I’ve commented on the game a lot and mentioned France in my comment. But keep behaving like a child Capra kid
@Champion rightly so absolutely, he did indeed score more goals than the other players. Correct decision for me, Clive.
shots on goal it's 6-3 oficcial
Oh my world, what a mess of a match. The VAR referees were specifically instructed not to place a game referee into a dilemma, which is exactly what they did. The system worked so well in the rest of the tournament, what a shame. I feel for the Croatians, who were dominating outrageously at that point. And for players like Mandzukic and Perisic, who had such a great tournament. Reminds me of Germany-France at the Euro 2016. France may have won this final anyway, but a team doesn't play the same way if trailing by one goal, so who knows what would have happened. This match could have been a real nail-biter. Still, great tournament overall for Pogba, Mbappe and the French. Just a bittersweet victory.
@antonsmith it was a penalty though. He blocked a cross with his hand and the hand was outstretched. You can say that VAR was misused but it gave the correct decision
@khonda Your view is not shared by many observers and pundits who commented the game, including former players. I'm not saying it's not a penalty, but it shows that the decision is not an obvious one. This is why VAR referees were instructed by FIFA, at the beginning of the tournament, not to call a play when there is any room for interpretation, so that a game referee is not plunged into a dilemma. The fact that the game referee spent a lot of time, and even returned to watch other replays, shows that it wasn't clear cut. And given he already erred by giving the free kick on the previous goal, his original decision (a goal kick) should not have been reversed. I know it's a technicality, but you never want to have World Cup decided a penalty.
@khonda you have a valid point. However how are you suppose to jump without your hands? Plus if a goalie made contact that close at that pace of a header on the deflection that would be world class. Human reaction times don't work in slow motion...
Like if you saw Griezmann's dive to get the freekick
Anti football won today and this sends a clear message to youth. Cheat and you will win trophies. No wonder fifa selected Nestor Pitana for this game . A disgrace
@Lechiffre10 Anti football? Dudes like you only care about goals and flashy dribbles. You can't appreciate the tactic war between coaches and players. The only disgrace is you. You're not a fan of this sport.
@T0ny04 Griezmann diving for the first goal isn't anti-football? France sitting back deep after a questionable penalty call and playing long balls to Mbappe isn't anti-football? Go clean your eyes you've got s*** in them
@Lechiffre10 Well my friend it's about time you wake the f up because ALL players dive or make sure the referee sees fouls. On this particular occasion there WAS GOING TO BE CONTACT, Griezmann just saw it coming and fell before contact. It's not a France thing, it's not a call from Deschamps, it's just fucking football. Blame the sport and the way rules are applied, not a nation. Secondly, falling back deep and counter attacking was the strategy for France for the last... 4 years may be? Just like teams like Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Uruguay, a lot of Italian teams, they like to focus on defense first and guess what.. it works. The goal is to win games not to entertain a princess like you. You would be the first to bitch your own team on the internet for losing and you also complain about the way winners win. Get a grip dude.
the stats say it all. better team lost.
@mIKe9441 If you exclude luck and stupid mistakes it's 3-1 France.
@mIKe9441 and keeper was bad
@mIKe9441 not how football works. Croatia defended very badly
@Champion They conceded one own goal, one unlucky penalty and two long shots. How did they defend badly ? France had zero chances created but scored 4 goals. Its called bad luck vs extremely lucky. Not badly defended ...
@mIKe9441 id expect the better team to finish better and to not give up stupid goals
@mIKe9441 No...The better team, as expected, won.
@mIKe9441 People may say that possesion football is dead and the way France plays is the way to go but I simply can't understand how averaging low number of shots and low pass success is considered good football.
@felipe9525 I have to agree that this World Cup is disappointing for the evolution of football style. So many teams winning with abysmal possession numbers.
@antonsmith I have no problem with low possesion teams actually. The problem is when they can't even pass the ball properly. Take Netherlands vs Spain in 2014: Netherlands had low possession but decent pass sucess (81%) and good amount of chances created (14 shots).
@felipe9525 I like your point on the passing game and chances created. It's a more accurate way to put it, yes. Great analysis. That Dutch team was awesome to watch; so sad they weren't there this time around!
@felipe9525 all that matters is the goal tally. Croatia could have won today. But their keeper did badly on two goals and their defence were bad on set pieces. Croatia can blame themselves regardless of crying of officials
@Champion And did I say that it didn't? I'm talking from a spectator point of view. It's not entertaining at all to watch a team that misses so many passes and barely shoots at the goal. But then again, in order to score you have to create scoring opportunities. And France created so few opportunities that it feels odd to see that they won by such a margin.
Outside of Pogba and Griezman. France really blows. Kudos to them. Mbappe will me the next Mario gotze.... He will never be ronaldo or messi but maybe a neymar
@Ersatz2018 Child analysis. Clear Manchester United fanboy
Lol
@Ersatz2018 varane and umtiti? And Mbappe plays week in week out for PSG and doesnt sufer from a debilitating disease
@khonda also I usually focus on the front 6. Both varane and umtiti were solid
@khonda feel free to call me in 10 years on this prediction. I just don't see how he will be a top player. Maybe top 10 but not #1. He is an amazing talent but not other worldly
@Ersatz2018 Gotze? He's already better than Neymar.
@excalibur Well, he might not even make the first team in Dortmund this season, because he lost almost all of his physical abilities, so I don't know if that statement is appropriate...
@Ersatz2018 you don't know what you're talking about
@ac10 mbappe struggled to do anything but player counter attack and is 3rd best fwd on psg. Perisic had more contributions that mbappe
Final score 2-2 (ridiculous penalty and no free kick for France).
@Ninjaboss13 The ball was a bit flat: 7-1 for Croatia.
@Ninjaboss13 And ridiculous mistake from Lloris, then 2-1 for France.
@Ninjaboss13 don't forget the people running onto the field... 3rd goal right after that on Croatia counter
@Ersatz2018 Possibly. And the ref not letting Rakitic, Perisic, quick free kick. Probably a goal.
Man of the match: referee.
@Davisson -1 well bitterness is nothing you can go forward I was for croatia, but being bitter is a foul play
@libehv How can we not be bitter about a game being rigged against an underdog team with passion and heart?
@Ninjaboss13 How is it rigged? I dare you to give actual examples because I know you're wrong
The sun dream team uses this site for player ratings. Shocking. So i wont be doing sun dream team anymore. il be using a different dream team app.
I’thanks for coming Croatia
Shocking ref
The end of possession type football . Who ever wants to have the ball loses ...
@neumi17 It's not about possession, it's how team can execute their game plan. Right now there isn't possession based team that's good enough. And France had luck and referee on their side.
@neumi17 If the ref is on the other teams side.
@neumi17 yea.... kinda sad. As well as make sure to dive. Look to have VAR get you a penalty and anything else I'm missing?
@Ersatz2018, fouls and corners not given to Croatia.
5mins more omg
Croatia much better team yet the ratings dont show it. Whos doing these ratings????
@Gav1 You're wrong. Having the ball and missing the target doesn't make you the better team.
Shocking ref. Pogba aint done f all except score.
@Gav1 LOL Did you even watch the game? Pobga played an amazing defensive game, launch multiple dangerous counters attacks with amazing long balls and was clinical up front when it mattered. He dominated his territory in the midfield and fully deserve the MOTM. I bet you're 12 and judge a player on the number of flashy dribbles and skills they did.
@Gav1 nothing except set up the run for Mbappe which created the chance he himself scored.
@Gav1 yet hes still the highest rated player on the pitch
@khonda how???? Like i said whoever doing these ratings aint got a clue.
Pogba and Mbappé just doing this single handedly. Really weird final.
lol, even the corner kicks are not given to Croatia
Loris giving free??wth come France
WTF Lloris.
@spectre08 Wanna be Karius. ;-)
Lol what was that from Lloris lmao
Shameful keeping from Lloris 4-1 up in a WC final lol
Best final ever
@neumi17 Are you mad?
Howler by Lloris.
Subasic is trash. Awful keeping on third and fourth goals.
Goal of the game there from Mbappé
This is the most bizarre 4-1 I'll ever see.
Worst world cup winner of all time... Sad day for the football.
Its crazy, every touch goes in favour for France. They don't do anything but lead 3-1. Unreal ...
this referee has been as strict as Collina BBC commentators or was it ITV commented that every referee should be this big to, he's big enough to make himself clear and feared - just not to be joked enough. he's been great in this tournament
Finally decent French play and a really nice goal
1 shot and 40% possession at HT...but somehow they got 2 goals. Lucky French cheats
Ridiculous score right now, Croatia sooo much better ! France hasn't scored a self created goal in four games...
Croatia have been far superior as expected but luck is on France's side. Croatia move the ball well and have a great chance to equalize if they can get to one on one situations against France's defenders. France should improve their counter attacks, that's the only way they can score, apart from set pieces and penalties of course.
@Castle Croatia can blame themselves for awful defending and keeping. Football isn’t just about possession. Croatia have made terrible mistakes , it’s their own fault and France have executed in the last third. Don’t be a salty child like mentality.
@Champion You're entitled to your opinioms, but it doesn't look like many people agree with you.
@Champion I’m aware of the decisions. For me he moves the hand to ball on penalty. I think the fact Perisic didn’t complain and looked annoyed at himself says everything. He went to complain and had no voice. He stopped as he was so disappointed in himself. Look at body language of Perisic and it appears he knows it was deliberate hand ball in his own mind. Soft free kicks happen and need to be defended still , that’s just part of football really although frustrating part
@Castle Luck hasn't been on France's, the ref has
Croatia have looked very dangerous so far and i think they have a good chance of coming back in the 2nd half if they keep playing with the same type of intensity.
Every 50/50 call is going to France. Since their first game, FIFA decided France was going to win the World Cup. Stupid pen against Australia, stupid pen for France and no penalty given for Argentina in that game, etc. So sad to see that this is what football has become :(
Disgraceful referee.
@Davisson I disagree
@libehv Really? The first free-kick was a dive and that penalty call was insane. Final score should be 2-2.
There is only one side that plays football
France are getting battered but are leading via an own goal and a BS penalty decision. People thought England in the final would be an embarrassment......
Really not impressed with France's play at all. Croatia really unlucky so far
France kicks the ball on Croatia free kick. No card...? Hm...
@Ersatz2018 Ref's on their side.
Not penalty. He tries to put his arm along his body, don't understand how we can give a penalty there...
@Ouftey "tries" is not enough. clear handball clear penalty
@ksaviauk Handball penalties have to be deliberate. That was nowhere near deliberate.
@Ouftey Because France has to win somehow.
@Ouftey But still he's directing the ball toward his foot which clears the ball thus breaking the chance of a goal. deliberate or not, but the resulting action was enough to take this as a deliberate handball
@Ouftey agreed total BS. How are you suppose to jump now?
@Ersatz2018 hands to your body, as it's been taught!
Stupid handball
What a goal
Clear offside from Pogba on the goal... And he hinders Mandzukic on the action, so the goal should be invalidated.
@Ouftey official images released show no offside
@Ouftey rules are different if you are france
That goal conceded was cheaper than a base spec Tata nano
Dive by Griezmann
@Riah He's just as bad as Mbappe.
I remember kante haters on here pre World Cup. They have all gone very quiet. He’s been france’s best player
@Champion I've never seen anyone hate on that guy =/ He's a "Makélélé" updated to modern paced PL football style.
@Champion how the hell can you hate Kante unless you're a troll? I never knew there was such thing.
@alric8- His type of player isn't appreciated by everybody. Doesn't do the glamourous things and is limited as a passer but every midfield in world football would be stronger with him in it.
1X 90' , 1 EX
DRAW , at least do not put to much money on France. Croatia is different.
I absolutely agree with the prediction of whoscored.com, it will be 2 goals from France and no goal or 1 goal from Croatia. France win, France ind total 1,5 more, France win and 2,5 more, btts. By the way, probably we can see here a red card.
@Buddy7 This much is the most difficult for me to predict so I will go by your prediction
For me, Eden Hazard has been the best player of the tournament, at least attackingwise. He's been the most consistent and dangerous player and has shown examble that's totally opposite to Neymar's theatrics. But since Belgium failed to reach the final, the award will probably go to French player. Deserving winners would be naturally their defensive players: Lloris, one of defenders or Kante who all have had a great tournament. But it's difficult to name a stand out performer of these six as France have defended with their whole team and no less than three of their defenders have scored! Alternative option would be Modric, although I don't think we have even seen him at his best lately.
@Castle Hazard kid is good but far behind the best player in the tournamant... I suppose you are a EPL fan but please spend more time on football world
@ambrose I'm a fan of skilfull and attacking minded football with some tactical adjustment against each opponent which Belgium have shown in this tournament. I also gave other good candidates for best player award while you gave none. Or which other player do you think have PERFORMED better?
@Castle De Bruyne and Courtois equally important? Not even sure I'd name Hazard as Belgiums best in this tournament. Whoscored.com will rate Hazard the highest FOR SURE, but maybe, just maybe; There are more important things in the game than "Successful dribbles" and whatnot =/
@Castle- He doesn't have any. Just hates Hazard. Look at his previous comments. I would personally go with Modric but he has to play well today to confirm it, if that makes sense.
The Croatians have done their best! even if they ending in the group stage nobody would blame them. France is taking the trophy home by 2-0
@MMUNILU Maybe most of the world wouldn't have blaimed them, but Croatian fans would not have taken anything but reaching to the semis like 1998. And you might have not noticed, but they have played with lots of pressure in their shoulders, particularly in latter stages. However, now they can be little more relaxed and should be able to play their own game now if their legs only permit them.
france win, 3-0,3-1,4-0,4-1
0-0 crotia will win in ex time
Pogba will receive red card and 1:1 draw in regular time.
France 3-1.Croatia will be feeling tired after 3 extra time games. Mbappe and Griezmann both to score.
France bts/no
I will be very surprised if France don't win this. France defeated Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium. 3 quality teams in the lead up to the final, all in regular time. Croatia needed extra time to get past denmark, russia and england. Unless France "choke" they should be too good here. France win 3-1.
@angelo44 France are huge favorites, no doubt. But I'd like to remind you that Croatia were very convincing in group stages whereas France's performances were poor. Since then, Croatia's playing has hindered while France have step up. France have been most solid team because of their excellent defending with the whole team (apart 4-3 win over Argentina) and deserve to be at final. But they are no unbeatable and I dare say Belgium would be here instead, had Meunier been available as he had outstanding game yesterday, although it doesn't matter anymore. With a good game, Croatia can win this match and it doesn't even require France to 'choke' anything. Particularly if France sit too deep, likes of Mandzukic and Perisic can give Croatia the edge. But of course, three extra times and France's smart and cautious game plan should be too much for Croats.
@angelo44 Indeed, but France failed to beat Denmark achieving only a goalless draw. At least Croatia beat them finally with extra-time. France have also drawn TWICE with the very Croatia in their last two matches. There is no joyride for France here.....
France WIN and tonight's gonna be a good night!!! #Russia2018
France 2-1 Croatia Mbappe to score
Griezmann to score. If France win 2-0 or even lose 1-2.
@Davisson From penalty, surely?
@Castle, yes.
Extra Time again. 1-1 normal time. Then hopefull Croats will win on penalties:)
@koziol.mutant You want a world champion who wins on penalties ?
Modric and Rakitic r like Batman and Robin... Goooooo Croatia
@offside Silly childish jokes!
@Book i thought football was all fun and games,,, Modric the little engine that could... chooochooo
Croatia are made up of true patriots born in their own homeland playing for their country until the end. France made up of immigrants and imports, from a squad of 23 players 19 of them come from abroad. Croatia will win in extra time again :) 2-1
@UEFAMAN Born in their homeland ? When Modric was born, there was no Croatia ...
@UEFAMAN Every single player that is worth more then half a potato from your racist 3th world country had to IMMIGRATE to another country to learn to play football in the first place . Sush babushka
@FCSFU France is different eh?French league i think is below Portuguese so every good player must IMMIGRATE how you say it to another country aswell.If for France played 70% whites they would be shit.Such a great football nation and their only achievement on World cup is winning it only in 1998 and that was on their home ground!So UEFAMAN is right
@UEFAMAN Les immigrés t'enculent fdp.
I go for four nil with mbappe brace grizman and pogba header
@buthethi I got at least 90% correct prediction this world cup....heading to premier league next
Thauvin, may you show our skills in future tournaments. Might be the most exciting player we won't get to see this WC.
@Fromhell If he is so great, why wasn't he playing than ?
@neumi17 Because other players of equal or higher skill + experience and lots of int.caps behind them, exists in the France squad.
@neumi17 Because France have Matuidi ;)
**CONGRATULATIONS TO CROATIA - YOU DESERVE TO GO ALL THE WAY AND BRING THE CUP HOME** CROATIA V ENGLAND 2-1 Well here we are ...exactly as I predicted in my last post, 1-1 draw in 90min with Croatia to win in extra time :) CROATIA V FRANCE - FINAL ???? PREDICTION : 1-1 draw in 90min >>>>>>>>>CROATIA TO WIN IN EXTRA TIME<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< SORRY FRANCE - BUT YOU WILL BE JOINING ENGLAND COME SUNDAY Gooooo......CROATIA (HRVATSKA)
3:1 France
Apart from the Argentina game, France haven't wowed me in this world cup. They've been very efficient though, so I can't see anything other than a France win. I would LOVE Croatia to win it, just for the fact this is their first ever world cup final. head says 2-1 to France, heart says 2-1 to Croatia.
@jonezy1234 My thoughts exactly. France have been mostly boring and dreadful to watch, except for a few moments of brilliance from Mbappe, but also extremely difficult to defeat.
No matter how hard Croatia fights France will win this match within 90 minutes comfortably. In fact Belgium would have defeated Croatia easily if played against.
Croatia ..to be number 1
@Salek Not in football though ...
Croatia has done extremely well to get to the final but I feel the last hurdle will just be too much for them to overcome. When France hit 4th gear they can play some truly beautiful football and they are also very well drilled in all areas of the field. They already have experience of a major final following Euro 2016 and I'm certain they will not let this second chance slip. I'm predicting a France win, but Croatia are certainly no pushovers either. I suspect it will be a very entertaining match.
France didn't score a field goal against Belgium, and so did England against croatia. Whereas croatia have scored field goals only. This makes them threatening.
@anjumskhan It doesn't matter how you score them.
France being huge favourites on paper is a fact. But after Euro 2016 final (+ Brexit ref 2016 + US elections 2016 etc. etc.), I would be extremely cautious and refrain from making any prediction.
Yellow cards are getting wiped for the final?? I thought Mbappe/Rebic/Mandzu are out?
@tkr They got wiped before the semis
@Excelsior no, Meunier was suspended in the semis
@pyt55 He got the suspension before the yellow cards were cleared between the quarters and semis.
Modric or Varane will be the first players since roberto carlos to win both world cup and the Champions League in the same year.
@glenbayern wrong, khedira did it back in 2014
@quayvo- Khedira didn't play in the WC final though, I think that is what @glenbayern meant since both Varane and Modric will start, injury permitting. (?)
@glenbayern- Nice piece of trivia there!
Griezmann vs Modric for Ballon d'Or 2018.
@Davisson Griezmann is a star striker but not a master class yet
@Davisson Griezmann certainly not, what did he do that was so special ? Its gonna be Ronaldo again probably but Modric has a shot in it...
@Davisson Only Modric has chances if Croatia will win.
@Davisson Griezmann hasn't done much in this WC.
@Guilain, lol, 2 goals and 2 assists in the knockout stages... at the end of the day, statistics will help him win.
@Davisson That's not gonna be be enough to get the Ballon d'Or : -)))
@Davisson he is penalty grizmann
Croatia win I think.
1-1 difficult match here
Croatia were just about able to deal with England's fast, energetic but uninspired attack. Wouldn't imagine they will against Mbappe and Griezmann. They will have much of the ball, but France were able to look fairly comfortable conceding most possession against Belgium who have greater attacking threats than Croatia. All signs point to a 2-0 final that may disappoint for entertainment.
Tough game. Croatia probs score first early in first half, then France will step it up and dominate the rest of the game, scoring two goals or more. France 2(+):1 Croatia
I have a strong feeling Croatia are going to play their greatest football in the final
@Lechiffre10 After 3 times 120 minute games?
@sebatron Everyone keeps writing them off about being exhausted and quite frankly England looked more exhausted than Croatia. That's how good this team is. Won 2 penalty shouts ( not 1 but 2!!), beat a resilient host team and another Danish defensive team and came back to beat England. France, on the other hand, I'm still really not convinced about.Croatia beat Argentina 3-0 so saying France beat Argentina is pointless, Uruguay were toothless without Cavani and the rest of the team was disappointing. Beligum also really underwhelmed in the semi's, only Hazard showed up and Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku were no where to be seen. Croatia has the likes of Rakitic, Modric to inspire the team. Perisic and Mandzukic also have awoken in the knockout stage at the perfect time. Only player I'm concerned about is Strinic who is absolute trash. If he plays Mbappe will eat him alive.
@Lechiffre10 Yeah, you wouldn't have thought they'd gone to extra time in every knockout game, they looked so much fresher than England. They need to avoid making such a slow start again, they made England look much better than they actually are in that first half. Everyone already dismissing Croatia, I hope they do it!
what did elucidate spam?
@BarcaPlsLetMeDown left racist and homophobic comments
@BenMcAleer1 why is his account still active?
@pyt55 I remember during the last World Cup they said they couldn't IP ban or something. So trolls kept making new accounts. I think a lot of posters here, even regular ones, need temporary or even permanent bans at times. I think this site is only really run mostly by one main person, plus others, so it's hard for him to constantly keep track of comments. He should probably make some regular posters moderators of the comments. The problem is that might enable them to edit the actual stats and mess up the match centre, not sure. If he can just give people access to comments it's fine.
@Champion You mean banning those who keep saying that Africans are tactically inept, right? ;-)
@Adorno- Africa is a continent consisting of a single race/tribe now then? That in itself is a racist statement. ;-)
Whatever it is i expect Croatia to score! remember this
Heart says Croatia, mind says France.
France to win 2-0
First!
@Davisson AMAZING WELL DONE SO PROUD OF YOU
@jonezy1234, come on, don't be jealous.