World Cup Final 2018: Manchester United, teenage kicks and own goals: Key stats as France beat Croatia

The World Cup has been a spectacle to admire once again. The month-long tournament that is revered and awaited by fans for four long years lived up to the hype yet again this time. Though it is sadly now over, the World Cup leaves behind memories of exciting football, tightly poised encounters and in the true nature of the World Cup, smashed records as it passed.

And the final was no different. The showpiece event in Moscow certainly lived up to the bill, providing spectators with an action-packed game of football that is sure to live long in the memory of fans.

Mario Mandzukic scored an own goal to kick off proceedings, but Ivan Perisic quickly made up for that and levelled the score with just 28 minutes on the clock. Antoine Griezmann scored a penalty soon after, just before the break, before Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe chipped in with strikes to take France to the cusp. Mandzukic atoned for his early own goal by capitalising on a bizarre Hugo Lloris error to score from point-blank range but it was too little too late for the Croatians, with France running out 4-2 winners.

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#5 VAR makes an appearance

VAR was used to award France a penalty in the final

This has been the first World Cup in which VAR has been incorporated, and as with anything that is new at the highest level, there were many-a-debate about whether the inclusion was actually beneficial for the beautiful game.

Some argued that the practice allowed the referees a chance to review critical instances in a match and make the correct call, which can be the difference between a team winning and losing as the crunch knockout ties played out. On the other hand, many said that though the purpose was good, it's implementation was dodgy at best, with no one really understanding when and how a stop in play for VAR was to be carried out. Some of Morrocco's games come to mind.

The inclusion of VAR in this edition of the World Cup has been controversial to put it lightly, and its supporters will say that the inclusion was justified by its usage to make a critical call in the final. The penalty decision was another debate within itself, but it has been another stat that has been written in the history of the World Cup forever.

#4 Paul Pogba represents the Red Devils

Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba scored a vital third goal for Les Bleus, taking the wind out of Croatian sails and in doing so also became the first Manchester United player to score in a World Cup final.

The Frenchman had been in brilliant form throughout the World Cup and in the games leading up to the final. After calls for him to be dropped following poor form for club and country before the finals began in June, the goal will no doubt be a huge personal milestone for the towering midfielder and a goal that he will never forget.

It is only fitting that the player that was so often slammed by critics at Manchester United ultimately becomes the club's first ever World Cup final goalscorer. From here on, Pogba will surely be looking to take this purple patch into next season with United.

#3 Mario Mandzukic makes an unfortunate record, World Cup 2018 breaks own goal record

Mario Mandzukic

After scoring in the semi-final to come from behind and defeat the English to book a place in the World Cup final, Mario Mandzukic was the Croatian hero, scoring the winner for the Croatians in extra time to settle an intense tie.

Coming into the World Cup final against France, Mandzukic was once again expected to be a presence for defenders and bully the opponents, as he has been doing all through the cup. For France's first goal, he did just that, but unfortunately, it ended up in his own net. Rising highest to clear the ball from a deft Antoine Griezmann delivery into the box, the powerful centre-forward could only manage to divert the ball into the top corner of his own net, leaving Subasic helpless, and setting a record for himself that no one would ever in a million years like to have to their name, the first player to score an own goal in the World Cup final

He ultimately did atone for his early error by capitalising on a moment of complacency by France's goalkeeper and Captain, Hugo Lloris, and set up an exciting end to the encounter, hereby also becoming the only player to score at both ends in the World Cup final.

#2 The ultimate teenage kick

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe continued his wonderful form in Russia by putting on yet another show on the grandest stage of them all. The teenager continues his rise through the upper echelons of world football at blinding speed, with goals and records tumbling in his wake.

Receiving the ball from full-back Lucas Hernandez, the Parisian wonderkid found himself just outside the Croatian box, and like everyone could predict, he let rip, and like everyone had gotten accustomed to seeing lately, the ball crashed into the net, prompting mass celebration among the French supporters and giving the bench yet another reason to come sprinting onto the pitch.

With this goal, Mbappe becomes France's youngest ever goalscorer in a World Cup final and only the second teenager to score a goal in the final. Who was the first? Pele. It's safe to say these performances will bring Mbappe to the forefront of attention for any top club in Europe, if he wasn't already there.

#1 Didier Deschamps in illustrious company

Didier Deschamps

Conservative, negative, sometimes even plain cowardly. These are all words used to describe Didier Deschamps' gameplan in big games. Often accused of playing a formation that is deemed "too conservative" for a France squad with this kind of attacking calibre, Deschamps got it right this time out. After massive backlash following France's loss to Portugal in the 2016 Euro Final on home soil, Deschamps has tweaked the system to perfection, producing the perfect environment for stars like Griezmann and Pogba to showcase their skills and also extracting the best out of new players that were not present in the squad in 2016. Pavard, Hernandez and Mbappe come to mind.

With this French victory last night, Deschamps, part of the revered 1998 French squad, becomes only the 3rd player in history to win the World Cup both as a player and a manager, joining World Cup Greats such as Franz Beckenbauer and Mario Zagallo on the list.

The French that bashed him 2 years ago will now no doubt be firmly on the boss's side, and as things are going it looks like Deschamps may well be the French coach for the foreseeable future.