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On July 15, 2018, France became the champions for the second time in the FIFA World Cup after beating Croatia by 2-0 in the final of the 2018 edition, held at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. France got the better of Belgium by 1-0 in the first semi-final while in the second one, Croatia beat the 1996 champions England by a 2-1 margin. In the first half of the game, France went ahead with a 2-1 margin after a goal from forward Antoine Griezmann in the 38th minute. Earlier, in the 18th minute, Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic rose to meet Griezmann's free kick with the top of his head but he deflected it and the ball passed his own goalkeeper. From Croatia, winger Ivan Perisic scored in the 28th minute.
After gaining the momentum in the first half of the match, France witnessed the courage of midfielder Paul Pogba, who stepped up and racked up a goal in the 59th minute of the match. Kylian Mbappe strengthened France’s grip in the match as he also scored in the 65th minute and took the game far away from Croatia. However, Mandzukic didn’t lose hope and notched up a goal for his team in the 69th minute. In the end, the game ended with 4-2 figures and France lifted the coveted FIFA World Cup trophy after 20 years.
Kylian Mbappe played a vital role in making France champions for the second time
Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe played a crucial role in making France champions after 20 years. In the entire campaign, both notched up four goals respectively in seven matches apiece and emerged as the highest scorers for their team. Mbappe was just 19 at that time and his efforts got him recognition in the professional football world.
After Didier Dischamps, Hugo Lloris entered the record books as the second French captain to win the FIFA World Cup. Talking about the runners-up Croatia, they witnessed the courage of Mandzukic, who scored three goals in his six appearances.
