The 9 moments that defined France’s run to a World Cup title

Looking back at the entire tournament to see how France won their second World Cup title.

France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the World Cup final, and while that game is fresh in our memory, we wanted to look back at the entire tournament to see just how France got here. Here are the 9 moments that defined this team’s run to history.

1. Late Pogba goal to sneak by Australia

It seems a lifetime ago, but it’s worth remembering just how ordinary France looked in their opening game against Australia. Didier Deschamps had built this France team to absorb pressure and counter, but Australia weren’t particularly interested in applying pressure. So we had a bit of a stalemate. After 80 minutes, the game was tied 1-1, and I for one was asking: Are France even that good?

That stalemate was finally broken by Paul Pogba finishing off a team goal in the 80th minute, and allowing the nation of France to exhale.

2. The miserable Denmark game, when they made clear they didn’t give a shit

France vs. Denmark was one of the few properly shit games of the tournament, where two teams who had already advanced decided they weren’t going to do anything, and tied 0-0. It was a catastrophe of a match, but it made one thing very clear from France — they did not care. They did not care to entertain you. They did not care to try and go all out. They needed a draw. They took the draw. They were there for one reason and one reason only — to win a World Cup.

3. The Mbappé run

France vs. Argentina was the match where France came alive. And early on, you saw the moment that 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé finally understood that no one alive could stop him, and that he not only belonged at the World Cup, but that he was better than anyone there, too.

4. The Pavard strike

This was the moment I threw my hands up and started accepting that this was France’s World Cup. When your not-very-well-known right back produces this goal in this moment against this opponent, OK. Sure.

5. Cavani’s injury

This is an underrated part of France’s run to a final, and needs to be mentioned. For their showdown against Uruguay, they got to play against a team that was missing Edinson Cavani, who missed the match due to injury he sustained in the match against Portugal. Would Uruguay have won with a healthy Cavani? Probably not. But it would have been a lot more interesting a game had he been there.

6. Kante shutting down Uruguay

Without Cavani though, and Luis Suarez struggling to create magic by himself, Uruguay turned to their midfield to try and break open the game. But N’Golo Kante, my favorite player of the tournament, just went and did this.

7. The Mbappé heel-drag pass against Belgium

If the full-field run against Argentina was Mbappé realizing he was too talented for anyone in the World Cup, this was the moment he started flexing. Olivier Giroud didn’t finish it, and I will never forgive him for that.

8. The Pogba pass

This ended up with a Pogba goal in the World Cup final, but let’s never forget the initial pass from Pogba that opened the play up — a driven, 60-yard-ball that split the entire Croatia defense, got Mbappé in, and led to the goal. Maybe five or six people alive have the strength, vision, and technique to hit this pass. Pogba is one of them.

9. The final Mbappé goal

This was Mbappé in his final form. If the run against Argentina allowed him to realize he was unstoppable, and the pass to Giroud was him flexing, this goal was his statement to the world: This is my World Cup. He received the ball 27 yards out, put the ball on his right foot, opened his hips to fool the goalie, then wrapped his foot around the ball and drove it to the near post. He did that in the World Cup final, at age 19. This was the cherry on top.