It’s here. The World Cup final. The culmination of one of the greatest World Cups we’ve ever seen will pit the stars of France against star-aligned Croatia. And The18 has all the World Cup final predictions and previews you could want.
It’s time for history and legend to meld in the form of the greatest spectacle in all of sport, the World Cup final. You can debate the perceived strengths and shortcomings of each nation, but there’s no denying that these are the two most deserving sides in the competition.
Following Belgium’s 1-0 defeat to France in the semifinals of the World Cup, defeated Red Devils stars Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois immediately began throwing shade at Les Bleus.
If you thought Team Cavani vs. Team Neymar was one helluva little squabble, just wait until you see Juventus players standing over a free kick this season!
As recognized by his 2017 Golden Boy award and current standing as the second most expensive player ever, 19-year-old French phenom Kylian Mbappe is the most exciting talent in world football. He’s the youngest-ever French goalscorer at the World Cup and the second teenager to score two goals in a World Cup match, joining Pele in that regard.
Fernando Torres just finished his time at boyhood club Atletico Madrid, and he's now a free agent. The world is his oyster. Torres is 34 years old, and he's obviously coming to the twilight of his career. But, as he showed for Atletico this past season in La Liga and the Europa League, there's still life in him.
This is, without a doubt, the most attention a T3 (third coach) has ever received before a World Cup semifinal, but you can certainly understand why: Thierry Henry, the man who appeared in 123 matches for France while scoring 51 goals, is now tasked with educating the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens in the art of deconstructing Les Bleus.
Immigrant players and sons of immigrants largely make up World Cup rosters. Welcoming immigration has proven to be the secret to having success at the World Cup. Out of the four teams still remaining in the tournament, France, Belgium and England feature squads composed of players from very diverse origins.