France has done it. After a remarkable victory over Croatia, France is the 2018 FIFA World Cup champion.
The French were tasked with knocking out a gauntlet run of soccer giants over the last couple of weeks but Les Bleus dug deep and ground out victories over Argentina, Uruguay, and Belgium, to set-up a grande finale against Croatia on Sunday, July 15 —winning by a 4-2 score.
So how did the French do it?
France began its campaign with a drab 2-1 victory over Australia on June 16 and played like a Bugatti in second gear, winning street races without having to break the speed limit. There were times when France was like former five-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, who always knew how much to give to win, but hardly ever gave more, even though he could. And there were times when France was like LeBron James, posting highlight-reel triple doubles and making it look easy.
Very few attacking players announced themselves in France's first game one month ago, and the country was aching for a new hero to come-of-age. But when one did, bang — Kylian Mbappé, a player hailed as the new Pelé, the former three-time World Cup winner with Brazil, had arrived. And boy, was he worth waiting for.
Read on to relive all of the key moments in France's incredible 2018 World Cup win.
DON'T MISS: The World Cup trophy has its own customised, exclusive Louis Vuitton case and is protected by 2 guards
This is France — the national soccer team crowned FIFA World Cup champions on Sunday, after a thrilling four-week competition that contained so much drama it has been touted as one of the best international tournaments of all time.
France began its 2018 World Cup campaign with a drab 2-1 victory over Australia on June 16. While it got the win, it did so without getting out of second gear. Like a Bugatti that beats a Holden Commodore in a street race without breaking the speed limit, France cruised to victory with no breakout performances from any of its big-name attacking talents. N'Golo Kanté performed well in the middle of the park, Raphaël Varane kept things tight in defence, and Hugo Lloris proved to be a safe pair of hands between the posts. It was a solid enough win, sure — but fans wanted more.
France then picked up a 1-0 win over Peru on June 21 and qualified for the knockout stages of the competition after just two Group C matches. Mbappé started to show precisely what he was capable of with lightning-quick runs, flicks and tricks out wide on the right, and the game's only goal. But it was once again Kanté who was head and shoulders above the competition as he commanded the entirety of the pitch.
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