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France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the World Cup final and the manner in which the superb climax unfolded at the atmospheric Luzhniki Stadium provided a fitting finish to a thrilling tournament.
This last month in Russia has witnessed a showpiece underpinned by superb organisation, much to the surprise of many who thought it would be a disaster. It has also, more significantly, provided a feast of football laced with elements of surprise that made it easily the best World Cup of my lifetime.
Stunning goals, controversy, howlers, pace, power, finesse … and that was just the final! This was a tournament with just one goalless draw in 64 matches, and you can count the matches on one hand which were bereft of any sort of drama or excitement.
Football came home again, or at least, it did until it didn’t. The trophy is instead en route to Paris, and it must be said, it fully deserves to do so.
They celebrated in style in France with one million fans filling the Champs-Élysées. In Bahrain, supporters’ filled hotels and lounges with French ambassador Cécile Longé joining the Al Hawaj family’s Samsung party at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain Conference Centre. Hundreds also gathered at the Gulf Hotel Convention and Spa’s Sherlock Holmes.
It has been a two-year road to redemption for France and coach Didier Deschamps after the disappointment of losing the final of Euro 2016 to Portugal on home territory in Paris.
France had everything in their favour on that July night at the Stade de France – home support, the status of favourites and an early injury to Portugal’s icon Cristiano Ronaldo that forced him off in tears.
And yet France choked, Deschamps’ conservatism coming back to haunt him as Portugal dug deep to win in extra time.
This meant the pressure was on the coach to deliver in Russia and the scars from Paris have been wiped away by France winning the sport’s greatest prize.
Before the tournament, I was in two minds whether to plump for Germany or France. I obviously chose the former – much to my chagrin as I’ve spent the last month being made a fool of rather than being labelled as a genius – but I just felt France were too maverick, too fragile, to succeed under a coach who has never pulled up trees either in the tactical or man-management department.
What I DID say was that man-for-man, France had the strongest squad and even a best XI made from the players left out of the final 23 would be good enough to go far in the tournament.
In the end, it seems like pure star power won out in the end over German efficiency, Brazilian flair, Belgian talent, Croatian togetherness and England’s fervent support.
France have achieved their goal with a winning combination of all-round power and efficiency – but sprinkled with the sort of stardust that makes the crucial difference at elite level.
Hugo Lloris, despite his calamitous error which thankfully had little repercussion, is regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers while the central defensive partnership of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti has all the ingredients to cope with the best attacks.
In midfield, the likes of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba apply their contrasting qualities, but it is in attack where France have that ‘X-factor’ – and how it came into play in this World Cup final.
Antoine Griezmann is a world-class operator – canny, quick and with a ruthless edge in front of goal. He is used to the big occasions with Atletico Madrid and makes them his home.
Then there is Kylian Mbappe. The 19-year-old is destined for greatness, his stature reflected in winning the World Cup in the infancy of his career.
Even Olivier Giroud plays a crucial role. People point to him not having a shot on target during the entire tournament despite playing every game, but he is the target man. He draws defenders to him, affording the fast Griezmann and Mbappe more space and laying the ball off to the wings. He’s instrumental in this French formation and the way they play; even if his statistics would suggest damning deficiencies.
No-one should ever pen premature footballing obituaries to greats such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even though they both made early exits from the World Cup, but when the guard is ready to change, however, 19-year-old Mbappe has shown already that he will be a fitting torch-bearer.
Mbappe was not an unknown quantity at this World Cup. He was already a shining star for his deeds at Monaco and then at Paris St-Germain. Now, he is, at 19 years and 207 days, the second youngest goal scorer in a World Cup Final after the great Pele, who was 17 years and 248 days when he scored against Sweden in the 1958 showpiece.
He has the maturity and temperament to ascend to the highest level, to become the poster-boy of the sport, and perhaps will be duelling with Neymar in the years to come in the way Ronaldo and Messi have traded gongs and records.
Russia’s World Cup contained drama right until the end, a brilliant final followed by a presentation ceremony in a biblical rainstorm, spectacular thunder and lightning rolling around the stadium as Vladimir Putin stood as the only man covered by an umbrella.
The misgivings of the underlying political situation will remain, as will the decision to grant Russia the hosting rights in the first place, but in a sporting context, Russia hosted a World Cup that went without barely a hitch, apart from a second-half pitch invasion in the final, and was accompanied by a carnival of football.
Spasiba!
