France 4-2 Croatia: 3 player battles that decided the game, World Cup 2018

TOPSHOT-FBL-WC-2018-MATCH64-FRA-CRO
Paul Pogba dominated the midfield and was the vital cog to France's victory on the day

#2 Kylian Mbappe vs Ivan Strinic

FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia'France v Croatia'
Mbappe celebrates after the final whistle

The French sensation, who predictably clinched the award for the best young player of the tournament, was brilliant in the final yet again. He created a plethora of problems for the opposition left-back, Ivan Strinic, who probably was the worst player on the pitch on the day.

Kylian Mbappe kept cutting in from the flank, slaloming through the Croatian defence and outrunning their backline with his gazelle-like pace. The 19-year-old became only the second teenager to find the back of the net in a World Cup final, after the legendary Pele.

His strike came in the 65th minute of the game, when he controlled a ball from Hernandez with absolute mastery, slamming it into the right corner of Subasic's goal.

Strinic, on the other hand, had a horrific day in the office. He won just two out of nine duels, had zero per cent success rate on his dribbles as well as aerial duals. Mbappe run riot over him throughout the game, failing to put shackles on the young forward.

Quick Links