Twitterati explodes as France win second World Cup title in Croatia goal-fest
Croatia fought hard for an hour but gradually ran out of steam after playing extra time in their three previous matches.
Moscow: France overwhelmed Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium on Sunday to lift the trophy for the second time in 20 years.
Didier Deschamps' boys ended a 20-year wait as the Les Blues created history. Twitterati could not hold it's excitement and had a lot to say about the thrilling final that witnessed six goals.
Congratulations France! âš½ðŸ†ðŸ‡«ðŸ‡· Enjoy this evening! #WorldCup
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) July 15, 2018
An excellent match!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2018
Congratulations to France for winning the @FIFAWorldCup. They played wonderfully through the tournament and during the #WorldCupFinal @EmmanuelMacron
I also congratulate Croatia for their spirited game. Their performance in the World Cup has been historic.
#France #FRA believes in big wins in #WorldCupFinal
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 15, 2018
3-0 - beat Brazil in 1998
4-2 - beat Croatia in 2018#FIFAWorldCupfinal#WorldCup #FrancevsCroatia
QUIIIIII !!!! What an unbelievable & dominant win by France tonightðŸ‘âš½ï¸ðŸ‘ðŸ'ª Well Played Croatia👠My friends are going to go nuts in Paris tonight😘 ! #WorldCupFinal âš½ï¸ #Welldeserved #FRACRO #Goal #WorldChampions
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) July 15, 2018
Congratulations to France on the well deserved victory in the #WorldCupFinalâ â . Croatia should be very proud of their performance & showed great character. Overall it was a wonderfully organised tournament & congratulations to Russia for organising it so well #FrancevsCroatia pic.twitter.com/kKIq90WCTS
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 15, 2018
You won it for me Croatia ðŸ˜ðŸ'"🥅 #WorldCupFinal Allez Le bluez ðŸ‘ðŸ½ðŸ‘ðŸ½ðŸ‘🽠#FrancevsCroatia pic.twitter.com/CZjhA7Ksa9
— Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) July 15, 2018
I can't believe we have to wait 4 years now for the next world cup #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/tId37xUmG5
— Nej (@delenafatalist) July 15, 2018
What an astonishing World Cup it’s been, with a final to match. Love it.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 15, 2018
This is a football match you hope never ends......#FrancevsCroatia
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 15, 2018
The French, playing their third World Cup final, were made to sweat initially and were lucky to go ahead when Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic headed an Antoine Griezmann free kick into his own net in the 18th minute, the first own goal in a World Cup final.
Ivan Perisic levelled with a powerful shot 10 minutes later but the Croatia midfielder was then penalised for handball following a VAR review and Griezmann stepped up coolly to convert the 38th-minute penalty and put France 2-1 up.
Croatia fought hard for an hour but gradually ran out of steam after playing extra time in their three previous matches, and goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe gave France a three-goal cushion.
Mandzukic pounced on a mistake by France keeper Hugo Lloris to cut the deficit in the 69th minute, making it the highest-scoring final over 90 minutes in 60 years, but Croatia could not find the net again in their first World Cup final.