2018 FIFA World Cup Final
France was seen as the top choice by experts to win the 2018 World Cup. They got into the tournament by finishing first in their qualifying group, ahead of Sweden and the Netherlands. In the tournament, they were in Group C with Australia, Denmark, and Peru. Their first match was against Australia on 16 June at Kazan Arena. France won 2–1. Antoine Griezmann got the first goal from a penalty decided with video help. Australia scored a penalty too, and then France got the winning goal through an own goal by Australian defender Aziz Behich. Next, France played against Peru and won 1–0 with a goal from 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé. This made him the youngest player from France to score in a major tournament. France's win meant they could rest key players in the last group match against Denmark, which ended in a draw. This helped France win the group. In the round of 16, France played against Argentina on 30 June and won 4–3. Griezmann scored early with a penalty, and Argentina scored twice. Benjamin Pavard leveled the game, and then Mbappé scored two quick goals. Argentina got one more goal, but Mbappé's great play was highlighted. France's quarter-final match against Uruguay on 6 July ended in a 2–0 victory with goals from Raphaël Varane and Griezmann. In the semi-final, they played against Belgium and won 1–0. Samuel Umtiti scored the winning goal from a corner kick.