France Wins the 2018 World Cup, and Twitter Goes Wild
France has claimed the trophy against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup championship game. After a month of intense battling, and 32 teams whittled down to just two, the football tournament officially came to a close today at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, with a 4-2 victory for France. At the half-point, the game was close: France lead with 2 as Croatia trailed behind with 1. But as the match progressed, it became clear France was headed for the win.
France, the heavy fan favorite, has won the World Cup once before, in 1998. Nicknamed the “Rainbow Team,” their first World Cup win was accomplished by a team composed of players with diverse cultural backgrounds. Today’s victory marks its second title, and the third time they have made it to the finals. The win was not completely surprising, either—European teams have been dominating the World Cup for years. (Of the last eight World Cup finals, only two have been won by non-European teams, both of which are Brazil.)
Meanwhile, Croatia was one of this year’s World Cup’s most notable underdogs. It is the second-smallest country to reach the final since Uruguay in 1950. With a FIFA world ranking of 20, Croatia is the lowest-ranked team to reach a World Cup final, and this is the furthest they have ever advanced in the competition. Still, during the group stage of this year’s tournament, Croatia surprisingly secured all nine points, introducing them as unexpected superstars.
Below, see the best reactions to France’s win.
