World Cup Final: France Takes On Croatia – Who Will Win?
Will we see a surprising upset at the World Cup and perhaps a victory that few would have expected? Or will Vive la France reign supreme on the pitch? Time will tell. Who is your favorite? Let us know!
Did You Know … Croatia has played in three of the five most-watched matches of the 2018 World Cup #TheMoreYouKnow
The time has come. The final game of the 2018 World Cup is July 15 and has drawn interest from die-hard soccer fans and newbies who are exploring the world’s greatest sport for the first time. This may be the most-watched FIFA World Cup ever.
The question everyone is asking is how did a nation of four million reached the World Cup final?
In the youth soccer world, there is newly found hope. A hope that comes from watching an underdog thrive. If Croatia can reach the World Cup final, then maybe there is more hope for the USA, after all, the current population of the United States of America is 326,827,894 as of Thursday, July 12, 2018.
Obviously, it takes more than a vast population for a country to advance to a World Cup final but there have been many surprises this year. Few expected Croatia to kick England to the curb.
Time: Sunday, July 15 at 11 AM ET/ 6 PM Moscow
Tune In On: Fox, Telemundo, and NBC Universo
Stream Online: Hulu with Live TV or fuboTV
Will the heavily-favored France defeat the underdog, Croatia — the country that is being talked about in every corner of the planet?
Is it possible that Croatia’s performance at the 2018 World Cup looks better on paper than France’s? If France wins, people will not be surprised.
If Croatia wins, their victory will show the world anything is possible.
Here are some Fun World Cup Facts:
Croatia has defeated Denmark, Russia and most notably, England and scored 12 goals. This is Croatia’s first time ever at the World Cup final.
France has won against Argentina, Uruguay, and Belgium and scored 10 goals. France has already been a World Cup champion back in 1998 when it earned the right to lift the gold trophy and then it made another strong appearance in 2006 when the country took second place.
Croatia has Luka Modric, one of the best players on the pitch at Luzhniki Stadium and the captain of the team. With rumors that he is a contender for the Golden Ball, this Real Madrid player has performed well and has been a driving force for Croatia. Modric’s fans even include Kaka who says, “Modric makes playing at a World Cup look simple.”
France has Kylian Mbappé who plays forward for Paris Saint-Germain and is an outstanding player and a joy to watch on the field. Mbappé scored two goals and performed flawlessly under pressure to earn a penalty in France’s big win in the Round of 16 which sent Lionel Messi and Argentina packing. Born in 1998, this teenager whose takes inspiration from Zinedine Zidane is the new rising star in the soccer world and definitely a player to watch.
France has also produced more players on 2018 World Cup teams than any other country. In fact, according to VOX, the country has a reported 50 players “who were born or raised in France competing this year and that’s far more than the number of those hailing from any other country, including Brazil, which has 28 players (making it second in this ranking).”
FOX Sports lead studio analyst Alexi Lalas says France has a chance to redeem themselves after falling to Portugal at home in the championship of the 2016 Euros.
“This is unfinished business,” said Lalas. “This is an opportunity for them to come in against a team that – I think France is a better team, they are obviously more rested, I think they have more talent, and I think ultimately this is a game that they should win.
FOX Sports game analyst Stu Holden on if Croatia has enough left in the tank for tomorrow’s final …“Do you have enough in the tank? This is a World Cup final,” said Holden. “If you don’t, you need to have a word with yourself.”
Even Vanity Fair has chimed in with an article The Players to Watch in the Croatia vs. France World Cup Final. Their opening line “With Croatia’s battlers taking on a swaggering France, the tournament’s conclusion promises a rich clash of styles” is proof positive that soccer in the USA has reached a new level of hype.
John Strong and Stu Holden will call the match between France vs. Croatia in Sunday’s Final — so don’t miss a moment of the action but regardless of the outcome of the World Cup final …
soccer’s popularity at home has increased and that is a major win for the USA.
