It all comes to an end on Sunday, June 15th at 11 am Eastern Time when France takes on Croatia for the 2018 World Cup title. For France, it will be a chance to lay claim that they are the best soccer nation in the last 20 years, with a World Cup win in '98 and a Euro title in 2000 as well as being runners-up in the 2006 World Cup and the 2016 Euro. For Croatia, this will be their first appearance in a World Cup in their history, as their fairytale run has taken them through a difficult group and two knockout games won on penalty kicks, and a third won in extra time to get here. These two countries have played each other five times dating back to 1998, with France winning three of those games and the other two being draws. The last time these two teams played each other was a 0-0 draw in 2011. Our World Cup Betting odds for this game have France as a clear favorite to win, but Croatia has surprised some teams so far in this tournament, so who is to say they don't have one shocker left for the final.
France
For a team that slogged their way through the group stage, leaving many wondering just how unified and eager to win they were, France has proven all of their doubters wrong in the knockout stage. They defeated a talented Argentina in the Round of 16, they withstood a very unified Uruguay in the Quarter Finals, and they edged out a generation of superstars from Belgium in the Semis. At this point, a final against a country that is not known as a superpower in the soccer world seems more like a gift than anything else, but Hugo Lloris, Oliver Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and company will still have to show up and play if they expect to bring a second World Cup back home to their country.
Croatia
At the start of the tournament, there was the question as to whether or not Croatia would make it out of a tight group that included Argentina, who was last year's runner-up, and Nigeria, who have a lot of young, talented players. However, Croatia dominated their group, winning all three games and only giving up one goal. They then went on to win three nail-biting knockout matches, the first two have gone to penalty shots vs. Denmark and later, host Russia. In the semis, they faced an English team with a ton of momentum and hype and took them all the way into extra time before edging out a victory in the final minutes. All the while, their most important players have assumed their roles, unifying and at times carrying the team. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic are the heart and soul of an excellent midfield, and up top, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic have been getting the goal-scoring done. So while they may be underdogs, this Croatian team does have a ton of momentum and unity going for it, so don't be surprised to see them make yet another upset.
Match Overview
France is the favorite to win, any way you look at it. They have faced stricter competition leading up to the final, they have a wealth of talent in all positions on the field, and they have history on their side. Croatia can match them on the attack and in the midfield, but the personnel that France has in their backfield and is what sets them apart. Where Croatia have a capable group of defenders and a sturdy goaltender, France has all-star Hugo Lloris in goal and two of La Liga's best defensemen in Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane. However, one crucial fact to remember is that the last two times a team has made it to the Finals for the first time, they have ended up winning.
