2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™

14 June - 15 July

Russia 2018

The last time France and Croatia met on the world stage 

  • France and Croatia have met once before at the FIFA World Cup™
  • Hosts France defeated Croatia 2-1 in 1998 semi-finals
  • THE LATEST: #FRACRO LIVE BLOG updating now

Sunday’s final between France and Croatia will bring back memories for FIFA World Cup™ aficionados. 20 years ago, the two sides met in the semi-finals at the 1998 World Cup, when France were hosts.

In many ways there are parallels between that match and Sunday’s final in Moscow. Croatia had almost unthinkably made it to the semi-finals, by far their greatest success as an independent nation. Fancied France were riding a wave of Les Bleus frenzy. Croatia had over-performed, and while making a semi-final was a great success for France, it was not inconceivable that they had made it that far.

Croatia had beaten Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals. At Russia 2018, they put in one of the best overall team performances of the tournament in their 3-0 win over Argentina in the group stage. Much like this 2018 side, France were solid in the back — they had conceded only one goal before kick-off against Croatia in 1998 — and blessed with talent in midfield and up front with names like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry littering their starting lists.

There are some direct connections from that day, too. Current France coach Didier Deschamps was captain of the 1998 side and led his team out on the pitch at the Stade de France against Croatia that evening in Saint-Denis.

A combination of file photos of France's Didier Deschamps

The first half ended goalless between the two sides. At Russia 2018, 22 matches (35 per cent) were also goalless at half-time, with 61 goals being scored in the first half compared to 97 in the second.

The match sprang into life right away in the second half as Croatia's go-to goalscorer Davor Suker broke through French lines to give Vatreni the lead. Croatia's advantage lasted only a minute though, as defender Lilian Thuram stole possession on top of Croatia's penalty area before lashing home his first goal in a France shirt.

Incredibly, Thuram was not finished there. He scored the winning goal in the 70th minute making it 2-1 with a curling shot that any striker would be proud of. Just as it was a France defender, Samuel Umtiti, who scored their decisive goal in the semi-finals at Russia 2018, it was defender Thuram who was the hero that night at the Stade de France, sending the hosts to the Final where they went on to beat Brazil 3-0 to lift the trophy for the first time.

Statistics say Sunday’s final could very well end with the same result from 1998: 2-1 is the second-most frequent scoreline at Russia 2018 (14) after 1-0 (15).

What story will the latest chapter of France v Croatia tell in the World Cup history books?

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