2018 FIFA World Cup final - wikipedia 2018 FIFA World Cup final 2018 FIFA World Cup Final The France team holds the World Cup trophy Event 2018 FIFA World Cup France Croatia Date 15 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 15 ) Venue Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Man of the Match Antoine Griezmann ( France ) Referee Néstor Pitana ( Argentina ) Attendance 78,011 Weather Partly cloudy 27 ° C ( 81 ° F ) 51 % humidity ← 2014 2022 → The 2018 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 15 July 2018 to determine the winners of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was the final of the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men 's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The match was contested by France and Croatia, and held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Before 2018, France 's only World Cup victory was in 1998 -- though they had also reached the final in 2006 -- while Croatia were playing in their first World Cup final. Both teams had defeated former World Cup champions on their way to the final : France defeated 1930 and 1950 winners Uruguay, Croatia defeated 1966 winners England and both teams defeated 1978 and 1986 winners Argentina. Croatia became the third Eastern European nation to reach the World Cup final, and the first since Czechoslovakia lost the final in 1962 to Brazil. France won the match 4 -- 2, having taken a 2 -- 1 lead during the first half on an own goal and penalty awarded by the video assistant referee ( VAR ), both firsts in a World Cup final. France also became the second team in the 32 - team World Cup to win all their knockout matches without any extra time or penalty shoot - out after Brazil in 2002. As winners, France qualified for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. Contents 1 Venue 2 Background 3 Route to the final 3.1 France 3.2 Croatia 4 Pre-match 4.1 Match ball 4.2 Officials 4.3 Closing ceremony 5 Match 5.1 Summary 5.2 Details 5.3 Statistics 6 Post-match 7 Viewership 7.1 Europe 7.2 Rest of the world 7.3 Advertising 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Venue Further information : Luzhniki Stadium The final was played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, located in the Khamovniki District of the Central Administrative Okrug. An expanded version of the stadium was named as the provisional final venue in Russia 's World Cup bid, which was selected by FIFA on 2 December 2010. Luzhniki Stadium was confirmed as the final venue on 14 December 2012, following a meeting of the now - erswthile FIFA Executive Committee held in Tokyo, Japan. The stadium also hosted six other matches, including the opening match on 14 June, three group stage matches, a round of 16 match, and the second semi-final match. The exterior of the Luzhniki Stadium at night with Moscow State University in the background. The Luzhniki Stadium, previously known as the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium until 1992, originally opened in 1956 as part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex to host the USSR Summer Spartakiade. The stadium has served as the national stadium of the country, hosting many matches for the Russia national team and its predecessor, the Soviet Union national team. In the past, the stadium has been used as the home ground at various times for CSKA Moscow, Torpedo Moscow, and Spartak Moscow. However, there are currently no clubs based at the stadium. The stadium has hosted numerous international sporting events. The stadium was the main venue for the 1980 Summer Olympics, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, football ( four matches, including the gold medal match ), and the Individual Jumping Grand Prix. The stadium hosted the 1999 UEFA Cup Final, as well as the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final. Other events staged include the Spartakiad, the final game of the 1957 Ice Hockey World Championships, the 1973 Summer Universiade, the Friendship Games in 1984, the 1986 Goodwill Games, and the 1998 World Youth Games. In 2013, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Athletics Championships were held at the ground in front of sparse crowds. The stadium has also served as a venue for many concerts, including Western artists after the fall of the Soviet Union, as well as political rallies. Rated as a category 4 stadium by UEFA, the Luzhniki Stadium is the largest in Russia and at the 2018 World Cup ; it usually has a maximum capacity of 81,006, but was reduced to 78,011 for the World Cup. This also makes the stadium the largest in Eastern Europe, and among the largest in Europe. To prepare for the World Cup, the stadium was closed for extensive renovations in August 2013. The spectator stands were moved closer to the pitch, which was converted from artificial turf to natural grass, after the removal of the athletic track. The historic facade of the stadium was preserved due to its architectural value, while the roof was upgraded using a new polycarbonate skin with exterior lighting. The Luzhniki did not host any matches at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup due to the ongoing project. The renovation project cost € 341 million, and the stadium officially reopened with an international friendly between Russia and Argentina on 11 November 2017. Background After Uruguay and Brazil were eliminated in the quarter - finals, a European side was ensured to win the World Cup for a fourth consecutive tournament. The match was also the ninth all - European World Cup final, which most recently occurred in 2006 and 2010. The match was the third World Cup final for France, first appearing in the 1998 final as hosts, winning 3 -- 0 against reigning champions Brazil. France also contested the 2006 final, where they lost to Italy in a penalty shoot - out following a 1 -- 1 draw. Only Germany ( eight ) and Italy ( six ) have reached more finals among European nations. Didier Deschamps became the fourth person to reach a World Cup final as both a player and as a manager, after Franz Beckenbauer, Rudi Völler, and Mário Zagallo. The match was the first World Cup final for Croatia in their fifth World Cup appearance. They are the 10th European country and 13th overall to reach a World Cup final, and the first new finalist since Spain in 2010. With a population of 4.17 million, Croatia is the second least - populated country to play in a World Cup final, behind Uruguay ( victors in 1930 and 1950 ). Croatia 's previous best performance was as World Cup debutants in 1998, when they finished in third place, losing 2 -- 1 to hosts France in the semi-finals before beating the Netherlands 2 -- 1 in the third place play - off. The final was the sixth meeting between France and Croatia, with France undefeated in the previous fixtures with three wins and two draws. The two sides first met in the 1998 World Cup semi-final, with hosts France winning 2 -- 1. Their only other competitive meeting was during the group stage of Euro 2004, which finished as a 2 -- 2 draw. Their next, and most recent, meeting was in a March 2011 friendly match, which finished as a 0 -- 0 draw. Route to the final Further information : 2018 FIFA World Cup France Round Croatia Opponents Result Group stage Opponents Result Australia 2 -- 1 Match 1 Nigeria 2 -- 0 Peru 1 -- 0 Match 2 Argentina 3 -- 0 Denmark 0 -- 0 Match 3 Iceland 2 -- 1 Group C winners Pos Team Pld Pts France 7 Denmark 5 Peru Australia Source : FIFA Final standings Group D winners Pos Team Pld Pts Croatia 9 Argentina Nigeria Iceland Source : FIFA Opponents Result Knockout stage Opponents Result Argentina 4 -- 3 Round of 16 Denmark 1 -- 1 ( a.e.t. ) ( 3 -- 2 p ) Uruguay 2 -- 0 Quarter - finals Russia 2 -- 2 ( a.e.t. ) ( 4 -- 3 p ) Belgium 1 -- 0 Semi-finals England 2 -- 1 ( a.e.t. ) France France entered the 2018 World Cup as one of the favourites to win the tournament, particularly for their strong squad featuring several youth talents. The team finished as runners - up to Portugal at Euro 2016, which the country hosted. The team qualified for the World Cup proper after finishing first in their qualification group, ahead of Sweden and the Netherlands. At the World Cup, France were drawn into Group C alongside Australia, Denmark, and Peru. The team defeated Australia 2 -- 1 in its opening match in Kazan, with a penalty called by the video assistant referee and scored by Antoine Griezmann followed by an own goal deflected by Australian defender Aziz Behich. In its second match, France won 1 -- 0 over Peru on a goal scored by 19 - year - old Kylian Mbappé, who became France 's youngest goalscorer at a major tournament. The victory over Peru qualified France for the knockout stage, allowing manager Didier Deschamps to rest several starting players for the final group stage match against Denmark. The match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow finished in a scoreless draw marked by misplaced passes and goalkeeping mistakes. The team 's group stage performance was characterised as lacking cohesion and failing to use its star players effectively. Finishing as winners of Group C, France were matched in the round of 16 with Group D runners - up Argentina. France won 4 -- 3 on two goals scored by Mbappé, who also won a penalty in the opening minutes. Defender Benjamin Pavard also scored in the match, with his strike later voted as goal of the tournament. Mbappé 's performance drew comparisons to Brazilian stars Ronaldo and Pelé, who in 1958 was the most recent teenager to score twice in a World Cup match. In the quarter - finals, France defeated Uruguay 2 -- 0 on a goal and assist by Griezmann. The team advanced to a semi-final match against Belgium in St. Petersburg, which ended in a 1 -- 0 win for the French with a corner kick headed into the goal by defender Samuel Umtiti. The French team, particularly Mbappé, were criticised for timewasting and other unsportsmanlike conduct in the semi-finals after taking the lead in the second half. Croatia The 2017 -- 18 Croatia national squad, dubbed the `` Second Golden Generation '', posing with Vladimir Putin and Kolinda Grabar - Kitarović after the final against France. Croatia entered the 2018 World Cup as dark horses, with their golden generation led by forward Mario Mandžukić and midfielders Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Ivan Rakitić. The team had been eliminated in the group stage at the 2014 tournament, but reached the round of 16 at Euro 2016. In their qualification group, Croatia scored 15 goals and finished second to Iceland after appointing manager Zlatko Dalić amid a series of poor away results. However, Croatia managed to advance past Greece in the qualifying play - offs, winning the first leg 4 -- 1 and drawing 0 -- 0 in the second. Croatia were drawn into Group D with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria, considered a difficult draw due to Argentina 's talent and Nigeria 's historic performances. In their opening match, the team earned a 2 -- 0 victory over Nigeria, with an own goal by Oghenekaro Etebo caused by Mandžukić and a penalty scored by Modrić. Striker Nikola Kalinić refused to enter the match as a substitute, citing back pain as his reason for not playing, and was expelled from the team by Dalić, leaving Croatia with only 22 players for the remainder of the tournament. Croatia went on to upset Argentina with a 3 -- 0 win, thanks to an effective game plan that used the `` height and strength of their players to dominate the game in aerial duels '', playing a `` pressing game, counter-attacking, and more direct play in possession '' to counter Lionel Messi, scoring all their goals in the second half. Croatia finished atop the group with a 2 -- 1 win over Iceland, resting several starting players in the final group match. In the round of 16, Croatia played Denmark and earned a 1 -- 1 draw after the two teams exchanged goals in the opening five minutes and a missed penalty from Modrić in extra time. Croatia won the subsequent penalty shootout 3 -- 2, with three saves by goalkeeper Danijel Subašić and two saves by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The team advanced to a quarter - final fixture with hosts Russia, who had defeated Spain in the round of 16, in Sochi. The Russians scored their first in the 31st minute, but Andrej Kramarić equalised for Croatia eight minutes later and kept the score at 1 -- 1 through the end of regular time. Croatia took a 2 -- 1 lead in extra time with a header by Domagoj Vida, but Russian defender Mário Fernandes equalised in stoppage time to trigger a penalty shootout. The shootout was won 4 -- 3 by Croatia after two misses by Russia and a shot by Modrić that rebounded off the post and into the goal. Croatia became the second team in World Cup to win two shootouts in a tournament, after Argentina in 1990. After the match, a video of Vida saying `` Glory to Ukraine '' prompted controversy among Russians and a warning from FIFA 's disciplinary committee, which enforces a ban on political slogans. Croatia 's semi-final match against England at the Luzhniki began as they conceded a free kick goal by English defender Kieran Trippier in the fifth minute. Croatia resisted several attempts by England to score a second goal in the first half. Croatia managed an equalising goal of their own through a shot by Perišić in the 68th minute. The match was won 2 -- 1 by Croatia after a 109th - minute goal by Mandžukić. This made Croatia the first team to earn three come - from - behind victories in the FIFA World Cup, all three matches also going into extra time. Pre-match Match ball The official match ball for the final was the Telstar Mechta ( Russian : Мечта ; lit. dream or ambition ), a red - coloured variant of the Adidas Telstar 18 introduced for the knockout stage. The Telstar family, a homage to the original 1970 Telstar, was designed similarly to 2014 's Brazuca, but with longer seams and additional panels. Officials Néstor Pitana officiated the final. Argentine referee Néstor Pitana was selected to lead the officiating team for the final, which was announced on 12 July 2018 by the FIFA Referees Committee. The final is Pitana 's fifth match as referee during the tournament, becoming only the second referee to officiate the opening match and the final. Pitana officiated an additional group stage match, along with two knockout stage matches in the round of 16 and quarter - finals. Pitana has been a FIFA referee since 2010, and officiated four matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. His compatriots Hernán Maidana and Juan Pablo Belatti were chosen as assistant referees. Björn Kuipers of the Netherlands was chosen as the fourth official, with his fellow countryman Erwin Zeinstra as the reserve assistant. Italian Massimiliano Irrati was named the video assistant referee, presiding over the first use of the technology at a World Cup final. Argentine Mauro Vigliano was chosen as the assistant video assistant referee, while Carlos Astroza of Chile was appointed as the second assistant and Danny Makkelie of the Netherlands as the third assistant. Closing ceremony The tournament 's closing ceremony was held prior to the start of the match, featuring a performance of `` Live It Up '', the official song of the tournament, by Will Smith, Nicky Jam, and Era Istrefi. Jam also performed `` X ( Equis ) '', wearing a shirt honouring J Balvin. Opera singer Aida Garifullina sang the Russian folk song `` Kalinka '', accompanied by a children 's choir and percussion section that featured a cameo by Brazilian star Ronaldinho. Match Summary Teams lined up prior to kick - off Croatia kicked off the final at 18 : 00 local time ( 15 : 00 UTC ), with the ground temperature reported at 27 ° C ( 81 ° F ). The match was played through a minor thunderstorm, which produced several visible lightning strikes. An audience of 78,011 spectators at the Luzhniki Stadium watched the match, including ten heads of state, among them Russian president Vladimir Putin, French president Emmanuel Macron, and Croatian president Kolinda Grabar - Kitarović. The starting line - ups for both teams were identical to those fielded in the semi-finals. Antoine Griezmann, named the man of the match after scoring one goal and assisting another Croatia had the majority of possession and chances early in the first half, with the ball staying mostly in France 's half. An attack by French midfielder Antoine Griezmann was stopped by a challenge from Marcelo Brozović, which was called as a foul despite claims that Griezmann dived. In the incident, Griezmann began falling before Brozović made contact. Griezmann took the ensuing 30 - yard ( 27 m ) free kick, which was diverted by the head of Mario Mandžukić into the left corner of his own net to give France the lead in the 18th minute. It was the first own goal to be scored in a World Cup final and the 12th of the tournament, the most of any World Cup. Ten minutes later, Croatia equalised with a left - footed strike by Ivan Perišić to the right corner of the net, assisted by Domagoj Vida after a free kick by Luka Modrić on the right. In the 34th minute, a penalty was awarded against Croatia after Perišić 's handball in the box from a corner on the right was reviewed by the video assistant referee. Griezmann scored the penalty in the 38th minute with a low finish to the left, giving France a 2 -- 1 lead at half - time ; the first half 's three goals were the most of any World Cup final since 1974. France led at half - time despite having only one shot on goal and with only 34 % of possession. A Croatian counter-attack was stopped early in the second half after several pitch invaders were chased onto the field by security officers ; Russian feminist rock band and protest group Pussy Riot claimed responsibility for the interruption. In the 59th minute, France extended their lead to 3 -- 1 with a left - foot strike to the left of the net from the edge of the penalty area by Paul Pogba after his initial shot had been blocked. Six minutes later, Kylian Mbappé scored France 's fourth goal, with a low right - foot shot from outside the box to the left of the net ; Mbappé became the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pelé in 1958. Croatia scored their second goal in the 69th minute, as from a back - pass, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris failed to dribble around Mandžukić, who poked the loose ball into the unguarded net with his right leg. Despite a late push by Croatia, the match finished as a 4 -- 2 victory for France and the highest - scoring World Cup final since 1966. Details 15 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 15 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) France 4 -- 2 Croatia Mandžukić 18 ' ( o.g. ) Griezmann 38 ' ( pen. ) Pogba 59 ' Mbappé 65 ' Report Perišić 28 ' Mandžukić 69 ' Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Attendance : 78,011 Referee : Néstor Pitana ( Argentina ) France Croatia GK Hugo Lloris ( c ) RB Benjamin Pavard CB Raphaël Varane CB 5 Samuel Umtiti LB 21 Lucas Hernández 41 ' CM 6 Paul Pogba CM 13 N'Golo Kanté 27 ' 55 ' RW 10 Kylian Mbappé AM 7 Antoine Griezmann LW 14 Blaise Matuidi 73 ' CF 9 Olivier Giroud 81 ' Substitutions : MF 15 Steven Nzonzi 55 ' MF 12 Corentin Tolisso 73 ' FW 18 Nabil Fekir 81 ' Manager : Didier Deschamps GK 23 Danijel Subašić RB Šime Vrsaljko 90 + 2 ' CB 6 Dejan Lovren CB 21 Domagoj Vida LB Ivan Strinić 81 ' CM 7 Ivan Rakitić CM 11 Marcelo Brozović RW 18 Ante Rebić 71 ' AM 10 Luka Modrić ( c ) LW Ivan Perišić CF 17 Mario Mandžukić Substitutions : FW 9 Andrej Kramarić 71 ' FW 20 Marko Pjaca 81 ' Manager : Zlatko Dalić Man of the Match : Antoine Griezmann ( France ) Assistant referees : Hernán Maidana ( Argentina ) Juan Pablo Belatti ( Argentina ) Fourth official : Björn Kuipers ( Netherlands ) Reserve assistant referee : Erwin Zeinstra ( Netherlands ) Video assistant referee : Massimiliano Irrati ( Italy ) Assistant video assistant referees : Mauro Vigliano ( Argentina ) Carlos Astroza ( Chile ) Danny Makkelie ( Netherlands ) Match rules 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra time if necessary Penalty shoot - out if scores still level Maximum of twelve named substitutes Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time Statistics First half Statistic France Croatia Goals scored Total shots 7 Shots on target Saves 0 0 Ball possession 39 % 61 % Corner kicks Fouls committed 8 7 Offsides 0 Yellow cards 0 Red cards 0 0 Second half Statistic France Croatia Goals scored Total shots 7 8 Shots on target 5 Saves Ball possession 39 % 61 % Corner kicks Fouls committed 6 6 Offsides 0 Yellow cards 0 Red cards 0 0 Overall Statistic France Croatia Goals scored Total shots 8 15 Shots on target 6 Saves Ball possession 39 % 61 % Corner kicks 6 Fouls committed 14 13 Offsides Yellow cards Red cards 0 0 Post-match Fan celebrations on the streets of Paris ( left ) and at the Arc de Triomphe ( right ) after the match. France became the sixth country to win the World Cup more than once and qualified for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup with their win. Didier Deschamps became the third person to have won the World Cup as both a player and manager, after Franz Beckenbauer and Mário Zagallo. The final was the highest scoring since 1966, and the highest score in regular time since 1958. The winner 's medals were presented on the pitch stage to the French team by presidents Putin, Macron, and Grabar - Kitarović amid a heavy rainstorm. FIFA president Gianni Infantino handed the trophy to French captain Hugo Lloris. As Lloris raised the trophy, a short version of the tournament 's official song `` Live It Up '' was played. Croatian captain Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament. France 's Antoine Griezmann, the final 's man of the match, also won the Bronze Ball and the Silver Boot award with four goals and two assists. Kylian Mbappé won the Best Young Player award for the tournament. Large crowds, including 90,000 people at the Eiffel Tower fanzone and an estimated million on the Champs - Élysées, celebrated the victory in Paris. The celebrations were marred by instances of rioting that were broken up by police, as well as the deaths of at least two people during celebrations elsewhere in the country, one man died after diving into a shallow canal and another died after crashing his car into a tree, RATP, the operator of the Paris Métro system, temporarily renamed several stations in honour of the team and its World Cup victory. On 16 July, more than 550,000 fans welcomed the Croatian team home in the capital city of Zagreb, in the single largest public gathering in Croatia 's history, where a six - hour - long bus tour brought them from Zagreb Airport to Ban Jelačić Square. Viewership Europe In France, the final was televised on TF1 and BeIN Sports and drew an average of 26.1 million viewers, making it the most watched event ever in French television history. In England, the final had an average viewership of 10.5 million and a peak viewership of 13.8 million, split between free - to - air broadcasters BBC One and ITV, almost half that of the viewership of England -- Croatia semi-final. In Germany, the match drew a viewership of 21.3 million, which was around 76 % of the market share, on state - owned ZDF. In Spain, the match had a 57.3 % share, with 8.2 million viewers on Mediaset España Comunicación 's Telecinco. In Croatia, the match drew around 1.538 million viewers -- more than 38 % of the population -- on national broadcaster HTV2 for a 89.3 % market share. In Italy, it drew 11.7 million viewers on Canale 5. In the Netherlands, the match had a viewership of 3.1 million on NPO1. In the host nation of Russia, the final was the third-most watched match of the 2018 World Cup and accounted for around 50 % of the nation 's population. In total, the final drew more than 160 million viewers in 20 European territories, including Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany. Rest of the World In the United States of America, the match was broadcast on NBCUniversal - owned Telemundo and 21st Century Fox - owned Fox and Fox Sports, the match averaged 16.6 million viewers combined, with Telemundo reaching a total of 57 % of the country 's Latino population. In India, 70 million viewers streamed the match online, through Sony Picture Networks India 's ( SPN ) Sony Liv application, which was a record for a football match ; an additional 22.4 million viewers watched the match on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 and Sony ESPN. In China, the match drew a combined of 56 million viewers on state - broadcasters CCTV - 1 and CCTV - 5, the most - watched sporting event in China since 2008 Beijing Olympics ; an additional 24 million viewers streamed the match through Youku, a video - service and an Alibaba Group subsidiary. In Australia, the final was watched by an average of 2.2 million viewers -- with a peak of 3.4 million viewers -- on national public broadcaster SBS. Whereas, in Canada, the final was watched by an average of 3.9 million viewers, with a peak of 5.4 million viewers on CTV, TSN and RDS. Advertising In the United States, Fox received between US $ 399,000 and $750,000 for a 30 - second advertisement spot during the World Cup final ; whereas in France, TF1 got up to $300,000 for a 30 - second ad - spot. See also 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup References ^ Jump up to : `` France v Croatia -- Man of the Match ''. FIFA.com. 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Jump up ^ Janieck, Karel ( 27 May 2018 ). `` World Cup Countdown : Talented Croatia arrives with unfulfilled potential ''. Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Croatia 1 -- 3 Mexico ''. BBC Sport. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2018. Jump up ^ Holiga, Aleksandar ( 6 July 2018 ). `` Croatia 's World Cup run divides nation where football is never just sport ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Modric, Rakitic Key Croatia 's Star - Laden Squad in Difficult World Cup Group ''. Sports Illustrated. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Clegg, Jonathan ( 6 July 2018 ). `` Croatia : The World Cup 's Russian Nesting Dolls ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 11 July 2018. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). Jump up ^ `` Croatia secure World Cup 2018 place with victory over Greece ''. BBC Sport. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Croatia out to match success of 1998 World Cup generation ''. Reuters. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Bogage, Jacob ( 16 June 2018 ). `` Croatia vs. Nigeria 2018 World Cup : Modric 's penalty kick seals 2 -- 0 Croatia victory ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ MacInnes, Paul ( 18 June 2018 ). `` Croatia send reluctant substitute Nikola Kalinic home from World Cup ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Osmanbasic, Adin ( 23 June 2018 ). `` How did Croatia beat Argentina 3 : 0 ? ''. Spielverlagerung. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ Jennings, Patrick ( 21 June 2018 ). `` Argentina 0 -- 3 Croatia ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Mather, Victor ( 26 June 2018 ). `` Croatia Crushes Iceland 's World Cup Dream ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Croatia take Group D with 2 -- 1 win against Iceland ''. EFE. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018. Jump up ^ Wilson, Jeremy ; Eccleshare, Charlie ( 2 July 2018 ). `` Croatia through to World Cup quarter - finals after dramatic penalty shoot - out victory over Denmark ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Subasic the hero as Croatia claim shootout win ''. FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Rogers, Martin ( 7 July 2018 ). `` Russia 's underdog World Cup run comes to an end with PK loss to Croatia ''. USA Today. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Hytner, David ( 7 July 2018 ). `` Croatia book World Cup semi-final with England after penalty shootout win ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Debayan ( 7 July 2018 ). `` By the numbers : Back - to - back shootout wins for Croatia, record penalty saves for Subasic ''. ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Petrosyan, Artur ( 8 July 2018 ). `` Croatia defender Domagoj Vida warned by FIFA over pro-Ukraine comments ''. ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Das, Andrew ; Mather, Victor ( 11 July 2018 ). `` Croatia Turns England 's World Cup Destiny Into Despair ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Rogers, Martin ( 11 July 2018 ). `` Croatia tops England in extra time to reach World Cup final ''. USA Today. Retrieved 11 July 2018. Jump up ^ Wright, Chris ( 26 June 2018 ). `` World Cup 2018 match ball released -- yep, that 's right, another one ''. ESPN. Retrieved 14 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` adidas Football Reveals Official Match Ball for the Knockout Stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia ''. FIFA.com ( Press release ). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018. Jump up ^ Sabin, Dyani ( 18 June 2018 ). `` How the new World Cup ball was designed to not influence the games ''. Popular Science. Retrieved 14 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Pitana : It 's an indescribable feeling ''. FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018. Jump up ^ Gantman, Marcelo ( 12 July 2018 ). `` Los atributos que le vio la FIFA a Néstor Pitana para designarlo para la final del Mundial Rusia 2018 : `` la roca '' que marcó el estilo arbitral '' ( The attributes that saw FIFA designate Néstor Pitana for the 2018 World Cup Final : `` the rock '' that marked the refereeing style ). La Nación ( in Spanish ). Retrieved 12 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Will Smith, Nicky Jam y Era Istrefi calientan la final '' ( Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi warm up the final ). La Jornada ( in Spanish ). Notimex. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Hollywood star Will Smith brings down curtain on Russia World Cup ''. Reuters. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Das, Andrew ; Mather, Victor ( 15 July 2018 ). `` France vs. Croatia : World Cup Final Live Updates ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Goff, Steven ; Fortier, Sam ; Wilson, Scott ( 15 July 2018 ). `` France blazes past Croatia to win World Cup title for the second time ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Austin, Jack ( 15 July 2018 ). `` World Cup final : France and Croatia name unchanged line - ups as Kylian Mbappe starts ''. The Independent. Retrieved 15 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Glendenning, Barry ( 15 July 2018 ). `` World Cup 2018 final : France v Croatia -- live ! ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Ogden, Mark ( 15 July 2018 ). `` Mbappe powers France to World Cup glory, Croatia reeling after VAR controversy ''. ESPN. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Potts, Michael. `` Antoine Griezmann : Did France star dive vs Croatia in World Cup final ? ''. The Daily Express. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Doré, Louis. `` Griezmann dive and Perisic penalty : Two big decisions go against Croatia in World Cup final ''. i. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Griezmann dive fools Pitana and leads to opening goal for France ''. Diario AS. Retrieved 16 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Taylor, Daniel ( 15 July 2018 ). `` France seal second World Cup triumph with 4 -- 2 win over brave Croatia ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Bull, JJ ( 15 July 2018 ). `` World Cup final 2018, France vs Croatia : live score and latest updates ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` France lift second World Cup after winning classic final 4 -- 2 ''. Reuters. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Pussy Riot claim responsibility for World Cup Final pitch invasion ''. Evening Standard. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Tactical Line - up -- Final -- France v Croatia '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Regulations -- 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 16 November 2017. Jump up ^ `` Match report : Half - time -- Final -- France v Croatia '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Prince - Wright, Joe ( 15 July 2018 ). `` France win World Cup after classic final ''. NBC Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Soaked but smiling, Croatian president wins admirers at World Cup final ''. Reuters. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Young, Joyful France Beats Croatia 4 -- 2 to Win 2nd World Cup ''. The New York Times. Associated Press. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Piala Dunia 2018 - FINAL CLOSING CEREMONY '' on YouTube Jump up ^ `` Golden consolation for magical Modric ''. FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Formidable France secure second title ''. FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Luka Modric wins World Cup Golden Ball ; Mbappe and Courtois also honoured ''. ESPN. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Felix, Bate ( 15 July 2018 ). `` Paris fanzone fills with 90,000 willing ' Les Bleus ' to World Cup victory ''. Reuters. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Chrisafis, Angelique ( 15 July 2018 ). `` Paris celebrates World Cup win as one million fans fill Champs - Élysées ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Jump up ^ Samuel, Henry ; Chandler - Wilde, Helen ( 16 July 2018 ). `` Two dead amid World Cup final victory celebrations in France ''. The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 July 2018. ( Registration required ( help ) ). Jump up ^ `` Paris police arrest 102 people after World Cup celebrations turn violent ''. ESPN. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` World Cup : Paris renames stations for France heroes ' welcome ''. BBC Sport. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ Ilic, Igor ( 16 July 2018 ). `` Croatia takes to streets to toast soccer team 's historic run ''. Reuters. Retrieved 16 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` 26, 1 millions de télespectateurs au total devant la finale de la Coupe du Monde ''. L'Équipe. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018. Jump up ^ White, Peter ; Tartaglione, Nancy ( 16 July 2018 ). `` World Cup Final Scores 22.3 M Peak In France As TF1 Secures Best Ratings Since 2016 ''. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 19 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Keslassy, Elsa ( 18 July 2018 ). `` Global Broadcasters Score Big With Live World Cup Final Ratings ''. Variety. Leo Barraclough, Stewart Clarke, John Hopewell, Vivarelli and Joseph Otterson. London, Madrid, Rome, Los Angeles : Michelle Sobrino - Stearns. ISSN 0042 - 2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved 19 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Doherty, Christian ( 17 July 2018 ). `` Eurodata : World Cup Final reached 163 m viewers in Europe ''. Digital TV Europe. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Briel, Robert ( 16 July 2018 ). `` World Cup Final attracted 163 m viewers in 20 territories ''. Broadband TV News. London. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` More Croats watched World Cup semi with England than historic first - ever final -- FIFA ''. RT International. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` World Cup Final third most popular match among Russian viewers ''. FourFourTwo Australia. Sputnik News. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Briel, Robert ( 16 July 2018 ). `` World Cup Final attracted 163m viewers in 20 territories ''. Broadband TV News. London. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Doherty, Christian ( 17 July 2018 ). `` Eurodata : World Cup Final reached 163m viewers in Europe ''. Digital TV Europe. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Keslassy, Elsa ( 18 July 2018 ). `` Global Broadcasters Score Big With Live World Cup Final Ratings ''. Variety. Leo Barraclough, Stewart Clarke, John Hopewell, Vivarelli and Joseph Otterson. London, Madrid, Rome, Los Angeles : Michelle Sobrino - Stearns. ISSN 0042 - 2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved 19 July 2018. Jump up ^ Nicolaou, Anna ( 17 July 2018 ). `` World Cup final ratings flop for Fox ''. Financial Times. New York City. ISSN 0307 - 1766. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ O'Connell, Michael ( 16 July 2018 ). `` TV Ratings : World Cup Final Drops 32 Percent From 2014, Posts Fox Best ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Lynne Segall. ISSN 0018 - 3660. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ Harris, Christopher ( 17 July 2018 ). `` World Cup Final delivers 17 million viewers across FOX and Telemundo combined ''. World Soccer Talk. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ Jump up to : Basu, Rith ( 16 July 2018 ). `` World Cup over but surfeit of sport to beat hangover ''. The Telegraph. Kolkata. OCLC 271717941. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ Laghate, Gaurav ( 18 July 2018 ). `` Record 70 million viewers watched FIFA World Cup on SonyLIV ''. The Economic Times. Mumbai : The Times Group. OCLC 61311680. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ Bhaskar, Rohith ( 18 July 2018 ). `` SonyLiv 's stream of the FIFA world cup shows that soccer is gaining on cricket in popularity ''. PCMag India. ISSN 2373 - 2830. OCLC 34196174. Retrieved 22 July 2018. Jump up ^ Tao, Li ( 18 July 2018 ). `` Online streamers score after a surge in Chinese viewers during the 2018 World Cup football tournament ''. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 24 July 2018. Jump up ^ Yining, Ding ( 20 July 2018 ). `` Suning Sports raises US $600 m ''. SHINE. Shanghai Daily. Retrieved 24 July 2018. Jump up ^ McDonnell, Josh ( 19 July 2018 ). `` SBS scores big with World Cup coverage reaching 9.1 m viewers ''. Ad News. Retrieved 19 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` World Cup TV Ratings : SBS scores with 9.1 million viewers across 57 matches ''. Mediaweek. Mediaweek. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` 25.8 Million Canadians Make the FIFA WORLD CUP TM on CTV, TSN, and RDS a Resounding Success '' ( Press release ). Toronto : TSN. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018. Preliminary overnight data from Numeris confirms that an average audience of 3.9 million viewers watched the FIFA WORLD CUP TM Final on Sunday. Audiences peaked at 5.4 million viewers at 12 : 53 p.m. ET as France secured their second - ever FIFA WORLD CUP TM victory. Jump up ^ Lynch, Jason ( 10 July 2018 ). `` Fox Sports Says Its World Cup Has Been an Ad Revenue Success, Even Without the U.S. Team ''. Adweek. ISSN 0199 - 2864. Retrieved 25 July 2018. Jump up ^ Gray, Sarah ( 11 July 2018 ). `` Fox Sports Says the World Cup Brought in Plenty of Ad Dollars -- Despite a Rocky Ratings Start ''. Fortune. ISSN 0015 - 8259. Retrieved 25 July 2018. Jump up ^ Lafayette, Jon ( 12 July 2018 ). `` Fox Nears Sellout for World Cup Final Match ''. Broadcasting & Cable. ISSN 1068 - 6827. Retrieved 25 July 2018. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018 FIFA World Cup Final. Official website Official documents and match documents 2018 FIFA World Cup Stages Group stage Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H Knockout stage Final General information Qualification Bids Broadcasting rights Controversies Discipline Officials Opening ceremony Seeding Squads Statistics Official symbols Adidas Telstar 18 ( ball ) `` Live It Up '' ( song ) Zabivaka ( mascot ) FIFA World Cup Tournaments Uruguay 1930 Italy 1934 France 1938 Brazil 1950 Switzerland 1954 Sweden 1958 Chile 1962 England 1966 Mexico 1970 West Germany 1974 Argentina 1978 Spain 1982 Mexico 1986 Italy 1990 United States 1994 France 1998 South Korea -- Japan 2002 Germany 2006 South Africa 2010 Brazil 2014 Russia 2018 Qatar 2022 Canada -- Mexico -- United States 2026 2030 2034 Qualification 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Finals 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Squads 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Seedings 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Broadcasters 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Bids 2014 2018 and 2022 2026 2030 Statistics 2002 2006 2014 2018 Disciplinary record 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Team appearances AFC CAF CONCACAF CONMEBOL OFC UEFA Teams with no appearances Overall records All - time table Goalscorers top goalscorers finals goalscorers hat - tricks own goals Penalty shoot - outs Player appearances Red cards Referees Winners Miscellaneous Openings Stadiums Awards Balls Economics Final draw History Hosts Mascots Official films Official anthems & songs Organisers Trophy Video games Notes : There was no qualification for the 1930 World Cup as places were given by invitation only. In 1950, there was no final ; the article is about the decisive match of the final group stage. France national football team matches FIFA World Cup Finals 1998 2006 2018 FIFA Confederations Cup Finals 2003 UEFA European Championship Finals 1984 2000 2016 Other matches Belgium 3 -- 3 France ( 1904 ) West Germany 3 -- 3 ( a.e.t., 5 -- 4 pen. ) France ( 1982 ) Ireland 1 -- 2 ( agg. ) France ( 2009 ) France 2 -- 0 Germany ( 2015 ) Croatia national football team General Croatian Football Federation Statistics Results Hat - tricks Players 20 + caps World Cup Finals Summary 2018 FIFA World Cup Final European Finals Summary Notable matches SR Croatia 5 -- 2 Indonesia ( 1956 ) Croatia 2 -- 1 United States ( 1990 ) Other teams Men 's Under - 21 Under - 20 Under - 19 Under - 17 Women 's Under - 19 Under - 17 Association football portal Russia portal Moscow portal 2010s portal France portal Croatia portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018_FIFA_World_Cup_Final&oldid=856945241 '' Categories : 2018 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup finals 2017 -- 18 in Russian football Sports competitions in Moscow Football in Moscow 2018 in Moscow France national football team matches Croatia national football team matches Croatia -- France relations France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2018 Pages with login required references or sources Use dmy dates from July 2018 EngvarB from July 2018 Articles containing Russian - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Қазақша Latviešu Magyar Македонски مصرى Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 中文 36 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 August 2018, at 15 : 00 ( UTC ). 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Question: who made it to the world cup finals 2018
Answer: France