A host of French attacking players rounded off a successful World Cup final performance by rewarding their Fantasy managers one last time.
Owners of Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba were particularly grateful as the summer Fantasy game came to a close.
We’ve got all the goals, assists and talking points from the 2018 World Cup final.
FRANCE 4-2 CROATIA
TOP-SCORING PLAYERS:
- Paul Pogba (£8.8m) – 7 points
- Antoine Griezmann (£10.1m) – 6 points
- Kylian Mbappe (£9.2m) – 6 points
- Ivan Perisic (£8.5m) – 6 points
- Mario Mandzukic (£8.9m) – 4 points
- Domagoj Vida (£5.5m) – 3 points
- Lucas Hernandez (£5.0m) – 3 points
Paul Pogba (£8.8m) got his first Fantasy returns of the World Cup in the most important match of all, and finished the final as the match’s top-scoring player, with seven points.
His goal was the third for France as they were crowned champions by blowing Croatia in a 4-2 win.
The first goal of the match was for the French, but it was Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic (£8.9m) who put it into the net. Antoine Griezmann’s (£10.1m) free-kick from deep got the final touch from the Juventus forward, taking away any possibility of attacking returns.
Ivan Perisic (£8.5m) popped up with his second goal in as many World Cup matches a few minutes later to level the tie. Domagoj Vida (£5.5m) flicked the ball onto him from inside the box, he took a touch away from the defender and then struck it back across goal into the far corner.
France were in front again in 38th minute, though. A lengthy VAR review saw Perisic punished for a handball in the penalty area, allowing Griezmann to get his goal from the spot and make it 2-1 at half-time.
Pogba’s goal came just shy of the hour-mark after a period of Croatian pressure. Griezmann teed him up on the edge of the box, his initial shot blocked before his secondary effort flew into the far corner of Danijel Subasic’s (£5.5m) net.
Just six minutes later Kylian Mbappe (£9.2m) became the first teenager to score in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958. The ball came into him from Lucas Hernandez (£5.0m) and his fancy footwork on the edge of the penalty area wrong-footed both Vida and Subasic, allowing him to blast home from distance.
Just as it looked as if the match was over as a contest, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (£5.9m) gifted a goal to Croatia, his attempts to dribble round Mandzukic foiled by a successful tackle from the striker. His touch was enough to send the ball into the net.
France held out for the result in the end to become the sixth team in history to win the World Cup twice.
Elsewhere, England striker Harry Kane (£11.2m) finished the tournament as the overall top-scoring player on World Cup Fantasy with 40 points. Griezmann was just behind him on 38, with Raphael Varane (£6.1m) registering 34.
Andreas Granqvist (£5.2m) proved the most valuable player coming in at 5.9 points per million, Benjamin Pavard (£4.6m) recording 5.8 and Varane 5.5.
FRANCE XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Hernandez, Umtiti, Varane, Pavard; Kante (N’Zonzi 55’), Pogba; Matuidi (Tolisso 73’), Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud (Fekir 81’).
CROATIA XI (4-1-4-1): Subasic; Strinic (Pjaca 81’), Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko; Brozovic; Perisic, Rakitic, Modric, Rebic (Kramaric 71’); Mandzukic.
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