I bet No body saw this coming but the reality is that twenty years after their first World Cup triumph, France are soccer’s world champions again after beating Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final. Here are five reasons why France won the 2018 World Cup.
The coach had a point to prove
Didier Deschamps was the captain when Les Bleus lifted the trophy in 1998. As head coach, he has faced his fair share of criticism. France should have won Euro 2016 on home soil but, as favorites in the final against Portugal, lost 1-0. Their subsequent World Cup qualifying campaign also had some uncertain moments, not least the shock home draw with minnows Luxembourg.
After winning their opening two World Cup finals matches with sluggish performances, questions remained over Deschamps' method. But, though his team has rarely thrilled, they have won matches. Deschamps stuck to his pragmatic style and it has done the job. In winning the World Cup as a player and now as a head coach, he joins an elite club – only Brazil’s Mario Zagallo (1958, 1962, 1970) and West Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer (1974, 1990) have done the same.
An enviable squad
France had the most valuable squad at the tournament, worth $1.28 billion (£972 million), according to Transfermarkt. The first 11 was packed with stars plying their trade with the best European clubs and France’s quality didn’t end there. They didn’t have to rotate too much, but when they did there were ready-made replacements.
Corentin Tolisso of Bayern Munich and Steven Nzonzi of Sevilla both fulfilled duties when needed in the central midfield triangle. Nabil Fekir, Lyon’s playmaker who was on the verge of a move to Liverpool, also made cameos. Only one outfield player in the 23-man squad, Adil Rami, failed to play a single minute. Such was the strength of France’s squad, Deschamps could afford to leave out talents like Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Marseille’s Dimitri Payet, the star of Euro 2016.
Griezmann and Mbappé
Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé have been two of the players of the tournament. They scored four goals each to finish joint-second with a clutch of players behind England’s Harry Kane (6 goals) in the race for the golden boot. Both players scored in the final.
The attacking duo has sparkled throughout the tournament with Mbappé showing the world why he was the second most expensive player at the World Cup. Striker Olivier Giroud may not have scored despite starting six of France’s seven matches, but he held the ball up and created space for his fellow forwards to shine.
Steady defense
Considered a possible weakness before the tournament, France’s defense has been solid. The center-back El Clásico pairing of Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane and Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti did a great job and were ably supported by 22-year-old full backs Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernández. Behind them, goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris was dependable, aside from his shocker for Croatia’s second goal in the final.
In front of them, midfielders Blaise Matuidi and N'Golo Kanté (who I’ve previously written about) protected their defense, broke up the play and won back the ball, allowing Paul Pogba to roam and create.
Winning mentality
Of France’s starting 11 in the final, six of them won major European trophies last season. Umtiti (Barcelona), Matuidi (Juventus) and Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain) all won their respective leagues. While Hernández and Griezmann won the Europa League with Atletico and Varane won the Champions League with Real Madrid. Chelsea’s Kanté didn’t win the league this year, but he did win the Premier League the two seasons previously – with a different club each time.
There was also a clear desire to make amends for their Euro 2016 defeat. That loss in Paris hurt a lot, and, again going into the final as favorites, the French made sure they wouldn’t make the same mistake. After the win over Croatia, Deschamps said: “It hurt so much to lose the Euros two years ago, but it made us learn too.”
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