Ahead of the France vd Croatia, 2018 World Cup final which will kickoff at 8.30PM Indian time, here are all the significant numbers that might appeal to you:
Venue:
To begin with, let’s get to know a few facts about the venue. The final will be played at Luzhniki Stadium in Russia’s capital city of Moscow. The stadium came into function in 1956 and boosts the capacity of 80,000. Built in 1950s, the flagship stadium hosted the 1980 Olympic Games and the 2008 Champions League final, when Manchester United won by beating Chelsea on penalties.
Match ball:
The match ball is the Telstar 2018, a modern interpretation of the iconic Telstar which was used from 1970-74, based on a similar carcass to the 2014 Brazuca.
Coaches:
Didier Deschamps: The French Coach represented Les Bleus in 103 games. In his international senior career that lasted for 11 years, Deschamps, France’s defensive midfielder even netted three goals. He was a part of the 1998 French side that lifted the World Cup in front of the home crowd at the Stade de France.
Zlatko Dalic: The Croatian coach was also a defensive midfielder but never earned an international cap. He was previously an assistant coach for the Croatia’s Under-21 team, and then managed Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates before he took up the national job in 2017.
Captains:
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who plays for Tottenham in the Premier League, wears the armband for France, while Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is Croatia’s captain.
Both these players feature in our 5 players to watch out for. Check HERE.
*****
So far in the 2018 World Cup, France have trailed behind for just nine minutes and 12 seconds, while Croatia have been behind in all their knockout matches.
Talking about an individual player, France’s Mbappe will be just the third teenager to play in a World Cup final, while he looks to become the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Pele, in 1958.
*****
Overall World Cup records:
Games: France W33 D13 L19; Croatia W11 D4 L7
Appearances: France 15, Croatia 5
Best finish: France – winner (1998), Croatia – 3rd (1998)
France and Croatia in 2014: France – quarter-finals, Croatia – group stage
Head-to-head: France 3 wins, 2 draws
Recent meetings: France 0-0 Croatia (2011), Croatia 2-2 France (2004)
2018 World Cup numbers:
Number of goals scored: France 10, Croatia 12
Goals against: France 4, Croatia 5
Total shots: France 75, Croatia 100
Shots on target: France 24, Croatia 26
Passes completed: France 2,331, Croatia 2,757
Corners: France 19, Croatia 34
Possession: France 49 per cent, Croatia 54 per cent
Goal scorers:
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 3
Antoine Griezmann (France) – 3
Mario Mandzukic (Croatia) – 2
Ivan Perisic (Croatia) – 2
Luka Modric (Croatia) – 2
The last three World Cup finals have all gone to extra-time. However, according to the footballing history, only two of the showpiece games have ever been decided on penalties – 1994 and 2006.
Here is the list of previous winners of the FIFA World Cup:
1930 – Uruguay (host: Uruguay)
1934 – Italy (Italy)
1938 – Italy (France)
1950 – Uruguay (Brazil)
1954 – West Germany (Switzerland)
1958 – Brazil (Sweden)
1962 – Brazil (Chile)
1966 – England (England)
1970 – Brazil (Mexico)
1974 – West Germany (West Germany)
1978 – Argentina (Argentina)
1982 – Italy (Spain)
1986 – Argentina (Mexico)
1990 – West Germany (Italy)
1994 – Brazil (US)
1998 – France (France)
2002 – Brazil (South Korea/Japan)
2006 – Italy (Germany)
2010 – Spain (South Africa)
2014 – Germany (Brazil)
