The Croatian Luka Modric with his teammates during training. Photo: Reuters
France has the opportunity to join an elite club, the multiple winner of the World Cup, while playing against Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Only Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Uruguay were world champions more than once. But if France fails in the last hurdle, as was the case at Euro 2016, Croatia will be the ninth country to win the trophy. With only 4.3 million inhabitants, one third the size of Moscow, they would be the second smallest country after Uruguay (1930 and 1950). The game is expected to start at 9:00 p.m. in Bangladesh. Let's see some interesting facts before the exciting final.
Face to face
France are unbeaten in their last five games against Croatia and have won three times. They met twice in big tournaments.
A goal by Lilian Thuram, the French in the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup, with a final score of 2-1. These were Thuram's only goals in his 142 international appearances.
In the group stage of the 2004 European Championship, the teams won 2: 2.
- The only meeting since then was a scoreless draw in a friendly at the Stade de France in March 2011.
France
The French are the sixth nation to reach three or more finals of the World Cup. They follow Germany (eight), Brazil and Italy (six each), Argentina (five) and Holland (three).
This will be the sixth French final in a big tournament (including three in the European Championship). They have won three of the last five.
Three of the four goals of France in the final of the World Cup come from set pieces (two from the corners, one from a penalty).
Three of France's five goal-scorers in the World Cup were defenders (Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti).
The last time three French defenders scored in a World Cup was in 1998 when they lifted the trophy.
Penalty France lost only one of the last 14 elimination games in the World Cup (W11, D2). This defeat was the 1-0 against Germany in the quarterfinals of 2014.
Didier Deschamps wants to be Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, the third player to win the World Cup as a player and coach. He has won 73% of his games in the World Cup (eight of eleven).
France fell back to just nine minutes and twelve seconds in this World Cup, while Croatia fell behind in the three elimination games.
None of Olivier Giroud's 13 shots in this World Cup was blank. Since 1966, no player had more attempts in a World Cup, without directing at least one on the target.
Kylian Mbappe could only be the second teenager to score in a World Cup final for Pele. With three goals, he is the most successful player since Pelé, who scored six goals in 1958.
Antoine Griezmann scored 11 goals in nine rounds of major tournaments (World and European Championships). That's more than any other French player in the last 50 years, ahead of Zinedine Zidane (eight) and Michel Platini (six).
Croatia
Croatia is the thirteenth nation to reach a final of the World Cup.
The two previous finalists won the tournament (France 1998 and Spain 2010).
Croatia is the first team to reach the final of the World Cup despite three rounds of elimination.
The Croats have played in the last three games and could be the first team in the history of the World Cup in four games in a single tournament longer.
Croatia has scored 12 goals and scored eight goals (without own goals); only Belgium has higher scores (14 goals and nine goals before the match for third place).
They have beaten Japan 0-0 in their last 10 World Cup matches since 2006.
Four of the five goals scored by Croatia in Russia come from standard situations. He has conceded a penalty kick, a throw-in, an indirect free-kick and a direct free-kick.
Croatia received more fouls (99) and more yellow cards (14) than any other team in this World Cup.
Ivan Perisic has been involved in 10 main tournaments (6 goals and 4 assists), most of the time by a Croat, along with Davor Suker (9 goals and 1 assist).
Luka Modric has created 16 opportunities in this World Cup, twice as many as his teammates.