A World Cup final which had it all: from the sublime to the tragic, comedy to calamity, and amidst it all a teenage star with a winners’ medal and a new level of expectation which would paralyse other mere mortals.
France came through a six-goal final in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium that transcended from arguably the best in history to the daftest, and maybe back again. A game in which Kylian Mbappe, the 19-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward who is all legs and limbs and unbelievable ability, became the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Brazil’s Pele in 1958. If ever there was a sense that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were giving up the GOAT (greatest of all time), two ageing behemoths exiting the tournament early, Mbappe confirmed himself as the player ready to take up the mantle.
France held a first-half lead in controversial circumstances: a dive, an own goal and a hotly disputed penalty awarded by VAR. People were just starting to forget about VAR, when it reared its monstrous head again to award France a 39th-minute penalty. Referee Nestor Pitana called for video assistance when a France corner struck Ivan Perisic’s hand. Seemed harsh, but Griezmann scored the penalty. Somewhere back in England, Harry Kane hid behind a sofa.
VAR confusion
Huge thunder crashed above the Luzhniki Stadium soon after – or was that the sound of 4.5million Croatian boos reaching Moscow? Fifa claimed the World Cup final was watched by more than 1billion people and it could well be that those arguing for and against the penalty were split, 500m to 500m. VAR has left football with the same level of confusion as before, it just takes a little longer.
Four pitch invaders legged it onto the field early in the second half. Croatia defender Dejan Lovren tackled one of them. Stewards dragged them from the field. Activists Pussy Riot claimed responsibility for it, then the second half ran riot.
As if Will Smith performing live in the closing ceremony and being outdone by Ronaldinho playing bongos was not enough, the game had so much more.
The first half was no less breathless than the second. Ivan Rakitic said there would be 4.5m Croatians on the pitch for the final and while there were, in keeping with Fifa’s rules, only 11, half the country could’ve been in the stand behind goalkeeper Danijel Subasic’s goal for the first 45 minutes. And Croatia started as though they were being physically thrust forward by the support, ensconced in France’s half for the opening stages, the ball seemingly blown back by the collective breath every time their opponents tried to clear.
Croatia on top early on
There was an intensity to Croatia’s play that can only derive from furiously reading English newspapers for anything that might possibly enrage them in the hours before kick-off, as they had done ahead of beating England in the semi-finals. Luka Modric had the outside of his boot oiled and firing. Rakitic hit a perfect 40-yard switch pass. Perisic was at full pelt down the left at any opportunity.
So it was harsh, really, when Mario Mandzukic’s own goal put France in front, 18 minutes in. Griezmann sent a free kick into the area and the towering Croatian striker nodded the ball over his goalkeeper. Even more galling, for Croatia, that Griezmann appeared to dive to win the free kick.
Mandzukic is the footballing equivalent of The Mountain from Game of Thrones; he’s freakish big and freakish strong, and quicker than you’d expect for a man of that size. Defenders would be foolish if they weren’t frightened of him.
He utilised those attributes at the right end for Croatia’s equaliser 11 minutes later, forming an integral part of a clever free-kick swung to the right of France’s penalty area by Modric. Mandzukic headed back across goal, Domagoj Vida touched the ball back to Perisic and though his first touch with his right foot was awkward the second with his left wrapped the ball into the right of goal.
Ferocious France
France held a slender lead at the break after Griezmann’s penalty, but then Mbappe, who had an ineffectual first half, grew into the occasion he was destined for. He began to pressure Croatia’s left with those great loping runs and for France’s third, just before the hour, picked out Griezmann at the end of one. He laid back to Paul Pogba and while his first shot was blocked the second was curled into the left of goal.
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Then it was Mbappe’s turn to stamp his mark on history so ferociously it will have sent shockwaves through football. He was already only the third teenager to play in a World Cup final, after Pele and then Italian Giuseppe ‘Lo Zio’ Bergomi in 1982, but mirrored the Brazilian legend with his long-range strike.
Where was the calamity, you’re thinking? Wait for it. From nowhere France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris received a back pass and then tried to shimmy around Mandzukic, perhaps mistaking the Croatian’s quickness, a few yards from the goal-line. Mandzukic tackled him to score.
Still, it is not what this final will be remembered for; that will be reserved for France lifting the trophy and Mbappe’s moment. As Will Smith famously rapped: this was the moment his life got flipped-turned upside down.
More on the World Cup Final:
World Cup 2018: iSport writers select their team of the tournament
Here’s what you missed or, er, didn’t, in England’s final game of the World Cup
Why Luka Modric could be key to Croatia stopping France forward Kylian Mbappe in World Cup final
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