France won the World Cup for the second time by overcoming Croatia's bold challenge in a thrilling final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Didier Deschamps' side repeated the success on home soil in 1998 by a margin that hardly looked possible as Croatia stood toe-to-toe with the favourites for an hour. France's victory meant Deschamps, who captained them twenty years ago, became the third man to win the competition as a player and coach. Croatia also felt their luck deserted them, but ultimately France ran out victorious to erase the memories of the loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final in Paris. In one of the most exciting World Cup finals of the modern era arguably the best since 1974, at least, possibly 1970 played out to a soundtrack of thunderbolt and lightning, Croatia and France delivered an enthralling spectacle that brought the joint highest goal tally in a final since 1958, a pitch invasion and a controversial intervention from the video assistant referee that had a huge influence on the outcome. France took the lead after eighteen minutes when Antoine Griezmann's free-kick deflected in off Mario Mandžukić's head - but Croatia were by the better side for the majority of the first half and deservedly equalised courtesy of Ivan Perisić's left-foot finish. Croatia were left nursing a burning sense of injustice when France restored their lead seven minutes before half-time through Griezmann's penalty, awarded by referee Nestor Pitana for handball against Perisić after a lengthy delay while VAR was consulted. In a compelling second-half, France looked to have wrapped it up with two strikes in six minutes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé either side of the hour mark. Croatia, however, showed unbreakable spirit and even threatened a comeback when Mandžukić took advantage of France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris hesitating over a clearance to pull a goal back.But France closed out the win to bring redemption for Deschamps after defeat at the Euros two years ago, sparking wild celebrations and ensuring Lloris lifted the World Cup. Croatia will complain bitterly that Griezmann went down rather theatrically for the free-kick that led to Mandžukić's own goal and they may also feel that Perisić's handball was not clear-cut enough for VAR to make that decisive intervention just before half-time. What is not in doubt, however, is the sheer quality this France side possesses, a potent attack the spearhead for a strong midfield and outstanding defence. When Croatia threatened to come back once more early in the second-half, Pogba and Mbappé's strikes from the edge of the area past the static Danijel Subašić - who still looked less than fully fit after injuring a hamstring in the quarter-final against Russia - proved the defining passage of this final. France celebrated joyously at the final whistle after claiming the sport's greatest trophy once more, with Deschamps - the coach whose conservative methods have often brought criticism - tossed high into the air by his players. Croatia return home as beaten World Cup finalists but their approach to this match will have won the hearts of neutrals and earned them a prolonged standing ovation from their fans at the final whistle. Zlatko Dalić's side were the better team for the first hour despite trailing and were pushing France back when they were hit by those two swift hammer blows from Pogba and Mbappé. Croatia had done it the hard way to reach this final, winning on penalties in the second round and quarter-finals against Denmark and hosts Russia respectively before requiring extra time to beat England in the semi-final. Yet they showed no signs of tiredness as they tore into France from the first whistle, and even when the game looked out of reach they never once let their heads drop, threatening an unlikely comeback when Mandžukić cashed in on Lloris' error. It was not to be but world-class midfielder Luka Modrić has illuminated this World Cup, while the energy, commitment and threat of Perisić stood out here.Croatia's footballers and their coach will return home as national heroes - a status they fully deserve after their contribution to this spectacular World Cup and their all-out approach to this final. This was the first World Cup to utilise VAR - so it was perhaps inevitable it would play a major part in the final. The moment came just before half-time when France's players appealed instantly for a penalty when a corner struck Perisić's hand at the near post. Referee Pitana took what seemed an age to consult VAR - even having one last look to make sure after moving to turn away - before, to Croatia's horror and France's delight, pointing to the spot. Croatia will argue it was not a 'clear and obvious' mistake and the handball was not a deliberate act on Perisić's part.
England's World Cup campaign in Russia which began with such promise ended with a a whimper and a two-nil defeat by Belgium in St Petersburg in the single most utterly pointless match-up in sport, the Third Place Play-Off. Gareth Southgate's team were unable to bounce back from the despair of Wednesday's extra-time loss to Croatia - but this still represents a highly creditable tournament for England given that, at the start of it, many observers felt they would struggle to get out of their group, much less make it to the semi-finals. Thomas Meunier put Belgium ahead after four minutes when he slid in ahead of Danny Rose to divert Nacer Chadli's cross past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England had chances to level in the second-half as Toby Alderweireld cleared off the line from Eric Dier, while Harry Maguire headed wide from a good position. Eden Hazard wrapped the game up for Belgium with eight minutes left when he got the better of Phil Jones to beat Pickford - who had just saved magnificently from Meunier - with an powerful finish. Romelu Lukaku missed two chances and was substituted without scoring, leaving Harry Kane in pole position to win the World Cup's Golden Boot with six goals. Southgate made five changes to the team beaten by Croatia - but there was still a clear determination to secure their best result at this tournament since 1966. And with Belgium counterpart Roberto Martinez adopting the same approach, it made for an occasionally entertaining - if still completely bloody pointless - play-off in this magnificent arena in St Petersburg. It would have been easy for England's heads to drop after defensive sloppiness from Rose - who allowed Meunier to slide in on his blind side - led to them falling behind so early. England, as others have before them, struggled to cope with the variety of Belgium's attack, but their attitude was, once again, commendable and they had chances to pull the game level before Hazard snuffed out their hopes. Dier's clever chip was miraculously cleared off the line by Alderweireld, before he and Harry Maguire headed wide from good positions as England pressed. John Stones produced a standout moment in the first-half when he retreated in the face of Lukaku running at him, biding his time before making a perfectly-timed tackle. He was the barrier on countless occasions and even got a handshake from his Sheikh Yer Man City team-Kevin mate De Bruyne for one late interception. Stones' ability to play out from the back and his cultured style are integral to Southgate's future plans - and he has performed in this tournament in exactly the manner his most fervent admirers hoped he would. Belgium's delight at a third-place finish - their best at a World Cup - was obvious in the manner in which Martinez and his assistant Thierry Henry celebrated with their players at full-time. It meant a lot - although it could have been even better after beating Brazil in the quarter-finals only to then lose to France in the last four. However, Martinez has an outstanding squad at his disposal and there is every chance they will now get stronger having gained stature here.
England are 'not a top-four team yet' but are 'proud' they reached the World Cup semi-finals, says manager Gareth Southgate. The coach believes that England have 'not reached their peak' and 'can improve' for the 2020 European Championship. 'We don't kid ourselves and we know the areas we hope to get better,' he said. 'We are very proud of what we have done. Against the best teams we have come up short, but we have had a wonderful experience. I couldn't ask for any more from the players. We were twenty minutes from a World Cup final three nights ago.' Southgate led England to their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, a feat he admitted was 'beyond what we thought was possible. I felt it was important to tell them how proud I was and to recognise how far they got,' said Southgate. 'We haven't hidden in terms of where we see our progress, but we also leave here having progressed a lot as a team. The experiences the players have had and the enjoyment is important in an England shirt. They would have learned a lot in victory and in defeat and now we look to the future.' England had the youngest squad in Russia and Southgate hopes the 'brilliant adventure' will help build 'belief and momentum. But we are also very realistic about the constant improvements we have to make,' he added. 'It has been nice to receive a lot of praise but, balanced with that, we have had a lot of reality as well.' England's next fixtures are in September, when they face Switzerland and the USA, before meeting Spain and Croatia in the UEFA Nations League in October. Southgate said: 'We have some big fixtures in the autumn so they are great opportunities for us to develop and improve, try things, look at players and constantly try to evolve.'
A peak audience of twenty six-and-a-half million punters watched England play pretty well but still go out of the World Cup on ITV, according to initial overnight figures. That made the climax of the semi-final the most-watched five minutes of British TV since the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Wednesday's audience peaked between 9.30pm and 9.35pm just as England tried - unsuccessfully - to find an equaliser at the end of extra time against Croatia. The overall TV match average for the semi-final was 24.3 million, though that does not take into account the thousands of people watching in pubs or on outdoor big screens at events around the country. ITV said there were also a record 4.3 million requests to watch it online on ITV Hub. About eight per cent of viewers watching TV in the UK at the time were tuned into the game. Hopefully, the rest were watching Picnic At Hanging Rock on BBC2. The ratings reflected the huge interest in England's first World Cup semi-final since 1990. The previous highest audience during this World Cup was 23.6 million for the climax of England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in the second round, also on ITV.
Mind you, dear blog reader, ITV's coverage was - as usual - woeful. At one point during the match, Glenn Hoddle told twenty odd million viewers: 'He [Harry Kane] was at a cute angle.' What, as opposed to an ugly one, Glenn? Jeez, a paving slab in Preston would be more use as an alleged 'expert' than that plank. Meanwhile, back in the studio, Lee Dixon added that Kieran Trippier 'Never fails to disappoint with his free-kicks.' Except for the one he scored with, obviously. And, then there was The Curiously Orange Roy Keane with a face as sour as eight-day-old milk as well as having, seemingly, been tangoed. Keane, let it be noted, has gone through his Mahmoud Ahmadinejad-lookalike phase and emerged with his face-like-a-slapped-arse demeanour still in tact. Which is an achievement. Of sorts. One thing in his favour, however, was that he appeared to be on the verge of sticking one-on Ian Wright at one point. Now that would've been worth watching.
A man who got a tattoo which reads 'England World Cup 2018 Winners' claims that he 'does not regret' it. One or two people even believed him. Jamie Richardson, from Leeds, had the tattoo three weeks before England played their semi-final against Croatia. 'It is better to have believed and lost than not to have believed at all,' he said, paraphrasing Alfred Lord Tennyson. Whether he continued by quoting Pete Townshend ('I expect that I'll regret you but the skin-graft man won't get you') is, at this time, unknown.
Kenyans have reportedly 'reacted furiously' to news that twenty Kenyan MPs travelled to watch the World Cup at the taxpayers' expense. They were watching four games, including the final, in a two-week trip to Russia estimated to be costing hundreds of thousands of US dollars. The MPs caught the attention of Kenyans when they posted selfies in a stadium. Sports Minister Rashid Echesa told BBC News that he had authorised only six MPs to travel, to 'help understand how to organise such big events.' Kenya have never qualified for a World Cup final and are currently ranked one hundred and twelfth out of two hundred and six nations by football's world governing body, FIFA. Albeit, they're still a few placed above Scotland. However, Kenya is one of the world's most successful athletics nations and has submitted a bid to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships. But, many Kenyans thought the trip was 'a waste of money' in a country where the average person lives on a salary of around one hundred and fifty dollars per month. Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, who is head of the Parliamentary Service Commission that determines the responsibilities and remuneration of legislators, claimed that the trip was worthwhile. 'It is their responsibility to understand sports, how to host such international tournaments,' the Star newspaper quotes him as saying. 'This is not a holiday and it is too simplistic to look at it as a joyrider mission.' An alleged parliamentary 'source' has allegedly told the BBC that members of parliament 'usually' travel first class. When travelling on official business, Kenyan MPs are also entitled to daily allowances for expenses of around a thousand dollars. One of those who travelled, Senator Millicent Omanga, certainly seemed to be enjoying herself judging by selfies posted on her Facebook page.
Workers at a Fiat Chrysler plant in Italy are to take strike action after its main investor decided to pay one hundred and twelve million Euros to sign well-known winker Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus. Who is a different sort of striker, obviously. Both the football club and the carmaker are controlled by the Agnelli family through their holding company. For the USB union, the decision means Fiat is 'missing out on investment.' It said that the firm 'needed to guarantee' the future of thousands of people, 'rather than enriching only one.' The union added it was 'unacceptable' that while Fiat Chrysler workers were making 'huge economic sacrifices,' millions of Euros were being spent on the purchase of a player. The four-year deal to capture Ronaldo from Real Madrid was announced on Tuesday amid concern that Juventus might have vastly overpaid for the thirty three-year-old forward. However, football finance expert Rob Wilson, of Sheffield Hallam University, said that Juventus should earn more than enough money from Ronaldo to cover the transfer fee and his wages. He added: 'The marketing leverage that Juve will be able to create will be significant. Added to that the likelihood that he will strengthen the team, it seems plausible that they will be more successful domestically and qualify routinely for the Champions League. That means more sponsors, more TV money and more prize money.' Born on the island of Madeira, where the airport is named after him, Ronaldo has had a successful career at Real Madrid, scoring four hundred and fifty goals in four hundred and thirty eight games for the club after signing for them from The Scum. As captain of the Portuguese national team in the World Cup, he scored four goals, including a hat-trick against Spain. Portugal made the last sixteen of the tournament, in stark contrast to Italy, who failed to qualify for the first time since 1958. Although Juventus and Fiat Chrysler are run as entirely separate businesses, they are both controlled by Exor, the investment holding of the Agnelli family. The USB union has called for a strike at the Melfi plant in Southern Italy, which makes cars including the Fiat Punto and the 500X. Its members will walk out at 10pm local time on Sunday and remain on strike until 6pm on the following Tuesday. However, the impact of the stoppage is likely to be limited. The factory is just one of seven Fiat Chrysler plants in Italy and the USB does not represent many workers there.
Formal confirmation of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Magpies third summer signing has now come from the club, following Tuesday' successful completion of medical checks on Kenedy. The twenty two year-old Brazilian travelled to Tyneside on Monday evening after agreement was reached with parent club Moscow Chelski FC on a season-long loan. Signed initially on loan last January (after a previous attempt to do so in August 2017 had failed), Kenedy played thirteen games in black and white last season and instantly gained cult status at Gallowgate amongst supporters. Acknowledging that the deal was done, Rafa Benitez told journalists on Tuesday that: 'I'm pushing him now. If he plays this season like he did last season, I will be happy but, still, he has to score more goals! Everybody knows what he did last year. He was a great player for us. I think it's good for the fans and the team. The fans will be excited to have Kenedy for another year.' Following claims and counter-claims in the media, it appears that no provision for a permanent transfer has been made in the loan agreement - although it is speculated that there's a 'preferred bidder' clause. Whether Th' Toon wanted to agree a price for a player who will have twelve months of his Moscow Chelski FC contract remaining at the end of this latest loan is unclear.
