Brilliant Mbappé, insane Varane, and a Floyd Mayweather spirit — This is everything you need to know about how France won the 2018 World Cup
Getty Images
France has done it. France is the 2018 FIFA World Cup champions.
Fate handed the French a gauntlet run of juggernaut knockout opponents but Les Bleus found a way to beat Argentina, Uruguay, and Belgium to set-up a final showdown against Croatia on Sunday, July 15.
The entire World Cup tournament delivered incredible moments, dramatic games, and stunning goals — and the tournament finale at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia was no different as France won by an extraordinary 4-2 score.
But how did the French do it?
France began its campaign with a drab 2-1 victory over Australia on June 16 and won games in a style Business Insider compared to a Bugatti that won street races without having to break the speed limit.
France was also compared to former five-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, who always knew how much to give to win, but never gave more, even though he could.
Very few attacking players truly announced themselves in France's first game one month ago, and the country was aching for a new soccer hero to announce himself. But when one did, bang — 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 stunning 2018 World Cup win.
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.
Getty Images
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 received praise for his all-action display 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. A solid enough win — but fans wanted more.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- The World Cup trophy has its own customised and exclusive Louis Vuitton case, and it's being protected by 2 guards
- Here's when today's World Cup final starts where you live — and how you can watch it live online
- WHERE ARE THEY Now? The star-studded 1998 World Cup Winning France Team
DON'T MISS: The World Cup trophy has its own customised, exclusive Louis Vuitton case and is protected by 2 guards