LIFTING the World Cup trophy is an achievement most countries can only dream of – but European giants France have the chance to achieve it twice in consecutive tournaments.
Didier Deschamps men shone bright in Russia, overcoming everything thrown at them, proving that they knew how to win ugly when required.
It was a summer that saw Kylian Mbappe announce himself on the international stage, tearing apart defences with his blistering pace.
SunSport have been taking a look at how Les Bleus – who now face Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final – got their hands on the trophy four years ago.
Group stage: France 2-1 Australia
France’s first test of the tournament came against Australia, who pushed them to the very last minute. Paul Pogba’s late deflected strike and Antoine Griezmann’s goal from the penalty spot was enough to steal all three points in Kazan.
Group stage: France 1-0 Peru
Next up was South American side Peru. Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game, booking his side’s place in the knockout rounds after a cagey 90 minutes.
Group stage: Denmark 0-0 France
France’s final group stage encounter was against Denmark. The rather uneventful game finished goalless, with Didier Deschamps side topping their group, scoring only three goals along the way.
Last-16: France 4-3 Argentina
We saw a different side to France in the round of 16.
In one of the most thrilling ever World Cup matches, Les Bleus showed character to come back from behind against Argentina and win 4-3 thanks to a five-minute brace from Mbappe.
Quarter-final: Uruguay 0-2 France
After the drama of the round of 16, France produced a calmer display against Uruguay in the quarter finals, winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Raphael Varane and Griezmann.
Semi-final: France 1-0 Belgium
Before they knew it, the semi-finals were upon them, and an in-form Belgium lay in waiting.
A close encounter finished 1-0 after Samuel Umtiti nodded Griezmann’s cross home on the 50 minute mark, sending France to the final.
Final: France 4-2 Croatia
Croatia, who had surpassed all expectations, beating England 2-1 in the semi-finals were the only thing that stood in the way of World Cup glory.
The match was an exciting spectacle, with France reeling away 4-2 winners. The 90 minutes brought the joint highest goal tally in a final since 1958.
