World Cup Diary-part 49-July 15th, 2018 (Day 32) (Final Entry)

Diary:

Team News:

-Russia President Vladimir Putin handed over the mantle of World Cup host to the emir of Qatar (2022 hosts).  (Source Reuters UK online)

-According to a number of sources, Jorge Sampaoli is about to be dismissed as Argentina Manager.  (Source Sport Bild online)

-Former German International Stefan Effenberg stated that he preferred Mario Mandzukic to Neymar and has he been younger would have been worth 200 Million Euros. (Source AS.com online)

-France Captain Hugo Lloris has tied Michel Platini’s number of matches in a World Cup with his 14^th match. He is still behind Thierry Henry and Fabien barthez (17 matches each).  (Source L’Equipe online)

-Croatia’s Ivan Rakitic played in his 71st match of the season.  (Source Walfoot.be online)

-France’s Kylian Mbappe has become the third youngest player to play in a World Cup Final after Pele (17 years in 1958) and Giuseppe Bergomi (18 years in 1982).  (Source L’Equipe online)

-Croatia’s Ivan Perisic, who was an injury doubt, did after all play in the Final.  (Source L’Equipe online)

-France have won their second World Cup in twenty years. Didier Descjamps became the third player (after Mario Zagalo and Franz Beckenbauer) to play and manage a World Cup winning side. He became the second after Franz Beckenbauer to captain and manage a World Cup winning side.

-France’s Raphael Varane has now won the World Cup and Champions League in the same season.

-Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player since Pele in 1958 to score in a World Cup Final.

-France’s Kylian Mbappe was awarded the Young Player award, England’s Harry Kane won the Golden Boot with six goals, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was awarded the Golden Glove and Croatia’s Luka Modric was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the World Cup.

-Mario Mandzukic is the first player since Dutchman Ernei Brandts (1978, Holland 2-Italy 1) to score a goal and an own in a World Cup match. (Source BBC Football online)

-Mario Mandzukic is in fact the first player ever to score an own in a World Cup Final. (Source Daily Mail online)

-France’s Adil Rami announced his retirement from the National Team following the World Cup Final.  (Source L’Equipe online)

-Croatia's Dejan Lovren stated that his side 'played mauch better football'. (Source BBC Football online)

-Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated that he did not watch the final on Television as he had no desire to watch the French celebrate. (Source RTBF.be online)

-The punk rock band 'Pussy Riot' have claimed responsibility for the protesters that ran onto the field wearing police unifroms. (Source Reuters UK online)

-Pele sent a number of complimentary tweets to Kylian Mbappe. In ne he tells him 'welcome to the club' and in another he stated 'if Kylian continues to tie my records i will have to dust off my boots..'.

-Croatia Manager Zlato Dalic stated that it was wrong to award a penalty like that in a World Cup Final. (Source AS.com Online)

-The Man of the Match for today:

France’s Antoine Griezmann (France 4-Croatia 2)

2018 World Cup 2018 matches:

Sunday, July 15, 2018:

Final:

July 15, 2018 (Moscow, France 4-Croatia 2)

Date: July 15, 2018

Competition: 2018 FIFA World Cup-Final

Result: France 4-Croatia 2

Venue: Moscow– Luzhniki Stadium, Russia         

Attendance: 78,011

Referee: Nestor Pitana (Argntina)

Linesmen: Hernan Maidana and Juan Pablo Belatti  (both Argentina), Bjorn Kuipers (Holland, fourth official)

Kick-off time:

Goalscorers:

(France): Mario Mandzukic (own goal) 18, Antoine  Griezmann 39 pen, Paul Pogba 59, Kylian Mbappe 65

(Croatia): Ivan Perisic 28, Mario Mandzukic 69

Summary of goals:

1:0 (18^th minute, France):  Antoine Griezmann’s free kick took a slight deflection off of the head of Croatia’s Mario mandzukic into his own net.

1:1 (28th minute, Croatia):  Luka Modric lofted a free kick inside the box, after a few headers it reached Perisic, who dribbled once and rifled s shot past Lloris.

2:1 (39^th minute, France):  France were awarded a penalty kick after Ivan Perisic handled inside the box from a French corner. Antoine Griezmann scored from the ensuing penalty kick. (VAR was used to make the decision)

3:1 (59^th minute, France):  Pogba sent a diagonal cross across on the right side for Mbappe, he passed to Griezmann in the box, who laid it on for Pogba. Pogba took a shot from outside of the box that was blocked and then he shot in the rebound.

4:1 (65^th minute, France):  From the left side, Lucas Hernandez sent a pass across to Mbappe in the middle, who struck a low shot from outside the box in the goal.

4:2 (69th minute, Croatia):  France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris attempted to dribble inside his own box but Mario Mandzukic caught him out and the ball defelcted into the net.

Lineups:

France:

1- Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London / England)
2- Benjamin Pavard (Verein für Bewegungspiele Stuttgart 1893 e.V. / Germany)

5- Samuel Umtiti (Fútbol Club Barcelona / Spain)
4- Raphäel Varane (Real Madrid Club de Fútbol / Spain)
21- Lucas Hernández (Club Atlético de Madrid / Spain)
13- N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea Football Club-London / England) (15- Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla Fútbol Club / Spain) 54^th)

6- Paul Pogba (Manchester United Football Club / England)
14- Blase Matuidi (Juventus Football Club-Torino / Italy) (12- Corentin Tolisso (Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. / Germany)  73^rd)

10- Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club)

7- Antoine Griezmann (Club Atlético de Madrid / Spain)

9- Olivier Giroud (Chelsea Football Club-London / England) (18- Nabil Fekir (Olympique Lyonnais) 81^st)

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Booked: N’Golo Kante 27, Lucas Hernandez 41

Other Substitutes:

 23- Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club)
16- Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)

11- Ousmane Dembelé (Fútbol Club Barcelona / Spain)

3- Presnel Kimpembé (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club)
22- Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City Football Club / England)
17- Adil Rami (Olympique de Marseille)
19- Djibril Sidibé (Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club)

8- Thomas Lemar (Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club)
20- Florian Thauvin (Olympique de Marseille)

Team Captain: Hugo Lloris

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Nike

Uniform Colors: Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts, Blue Socks

Croatia:

23- Danijel Subasic (Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club / France)
2- Sime Vrsaljko (Club Atlético de Madrid / Spain) 

6- Dejan Lovren (Liverpool Football Club / England)
21- Domagoj Vida (Besiktas Jimnastik Kulübü–Istanbul / Turkey)
3- Ivan Strinic (Unione Calcio Sampdoria-Genova / Italy) (20- Marko Pjaca (Fußball Club Schalke von 1904- Gelsenkirchen / Germany)  82^nd)

11- Marcelo Brozovic (Internazionale Football Club- Milano / Italy) 

10- Luka Modric (Real Madrid Club de Fútbol / Spain)

7- Ivan Rakitic (Fútbol Club Barcelona / Spain)

18- Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball A.G. / Germany)  (9- Andrej Kramaric (Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V. / Germany) 71^st)

4- Ivan Perisic (Internazionale Football Club- Milano / Italy) 

17- Mario Mandzukic (Juventus Football Club-Torino / Italy)

Coach: Zlatko Dalic

Booked:  Sime Vrsaljko 90+2

Other Substitutes:

22- Josip Pivaric (Futbolnyi Klub Dynamo Kyiv  / Ukraine) 

19- Milan Badelj (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firenze / Italy)

5- Vedran Corluka (Futbolnyi Klub Lokomotiv Moskva / Russia) 

8- Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid Club de Fútbol / Spain) 

12- Lovre Kalinic (Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent / Belgium)
1- Dominik Livakovic (Nogometni Klub Dinamo Zagreb) 

13- Tin Jedvaj (Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH / Germany)  
15- Duje Caleta-Car (Football Club Red Bull Salzburg / Austria)

14- Filip Bradaric (Hrvatski Nogometni Klub Rijeka)   

16- Nikola Kalinic (AC (Associazione Calcio) Milan / Italy) (has left the squad)

Team Captain: Luka Modric

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Nike

Uniform Colors: Red/White checkered Shirts, White Shorts, White Socks

Man of the Match: Antoine Griezmann (France)