Rain. Absolute buckets of it. That’s the first thing anyone remembers about the trophy presentation at the Luzhniki Stadium. As the 2018 World Cup champion, France didn't just lift a gold trophy; they did it while looking like they’d just stepped out of a swimming pool, standing next to a drenched Vladimir Putin and a smiling Gianni Infantino.
It was chaotic. It was loud. It was perfect.
Honestly, if you look back at that final against Croatia, the 4-2 scoreline suggests a blowout, but it really wasn't. For a good chunk of that match, Croatia looked like the better team. They had the ball. They had the rhythm. But France had something else—this weird, clinical efficiency that felt almost unfair. Didier Deschamps, the man at the helm, became only the third person ever to win the tournament as both a player and a manager, joining the ranks of legends like Mário Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer. He didn't care about "Joga Bonito." He cared about winning.
The Blueprint of a 2018 World Cup Champion
When we talk about how France became the 2018 World Cup champion, we have to talk about the squad depth. It was honestly ridiculous. You had world-class players like Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, and a teenage Kylian Mbappé, who was basically a blur of speed and terror for every defender he faced. But the real glue? N'Golo Kanté and Blaise Matuidi.
France didn't try to out-pass teams like Spain did. They waited. They sat back, absorbed the pressure, and then hit like a sledgehammer on the counter-attack. It was a tactical masterclass in pragmatism. Some people called it boring. Others called it genius.
The path wasn't exactly a cake walk either.
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- They squeaked by Australia 2-1 in the opener.
- A narrow 1-0 win over Peru.
- That dreadful 0-0 draw against Denmark that everyone wants to forget.
But then, the knockout stages happened. The 4-3 win over Argentina in the Round of 16 is still arguably the best game of the last decade. That was the moment the world realized Mbappé wasn't just a "prospect"—he was a superstar. His two goals in that game made him the first teenager since Pelé in 1958 to score twice in a World Cup match. Think about that for a second. Pelé. That's the company he was keeping at nineteen.
The Paul Pogba Factor
People love to criticize Paul Pogba. It’s basically a global pastime at this point. But in 2018? He was a monster. His long-ball distribution was the reason France could transition from defense to attack in under four seconds. In the final, his goal—a left-footed strike after his initial shot was blocked—basically killed off the Croatian comeback.
He played with a discipline we rarely saw at Manchester United. Alongside Kanté, he formed a midfield shield that allowed the full-backs, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, to push forward. And speaking of Pavard—that volley against Argentina? It was voted Goal of the Tournament. A right-back hitting a swerving, outside-of-the-boot shot into the top corner isn't supposed to happen. It was pure, unadulterated luck mixed with perfect technique.
Why 2018 Was Different From 1998
If you ask a Frenchman about 1998, they’ll talk about Zinedine Zidane’s headers and the "Black, Blanc, Beur" (Black, White, Arab) symbol of national unity. 1998 was about a nation finding its identity. 2018 felt more like a professional business trip.
The 2018 World Cup champion squad was younger, faster, and much more diverse in terms of playing styles. In '98, it was all about the "Square of Aces" in midfield. In 2018, it was about the collective. Even Olivier Giroud, who finished the entire tournament without a single shot on target as a starting striker, was hailed as a hero. Why? Because his hold-up play and defensive work allowed Mbappé and Griezmann to roam free.
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It’s a weird nuance of football. You can be a world champion striker without actually scoring. It sounds fake, but it's the truth.
The Croatian Resistance
We can't talk about France winning without mentioning the team they beat. Croatia was the story of the tournament. They played three consecutive extra-time matches leading up to the final. They had played essentially a whole extra game's worth of minutes compared to France. Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball, and rightfully so. He was the heartbeat of that tournament.
But by the time the final rolled around, the gas tank was empty. France looked fresh. They looked inevitable. When Hugo Lloris made that horrific mistake to gift Mario Mandžukić a goal in the 69th minute, it didn't even matter. France was already up 4-1. The gap was too wide.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
Winning the World Cup changes a country. For a few weeks, the Champs-Élysées was a sea of blue, white, and red. Over a million people showed up for the parade. It provided a momentary bridge across social and political divides in France, much like the '98 win did.
Economically, being the 2018 World Cup champion isn't just about the trophy. It’s about the "Nike effect"—the rush for jerseys with the second star above the crest. It’s about the surge in kids signing up for local football clubs. It’s about the prestige of the Clairefontaine academy, which has become the gold standard for producing talent.
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What Most People Get Wrong About That Team
There’s this narrative that France "got lucky" with a soft draw or VAR decisions. Specifically, the penalty in the final for a Perišić handball. Was it harsh? Maybe. By the rules of the time, it was a penalty. But saying they were lucky ignores the fact that they beat Argentina, Uruguay, and a "Golden Generation" Belgium side to get there.
The Belgium semi-final was actually the "real" final for many experts. Belgium had Hazard, De Bruyne, and Lukaku in their prime. They dominated possession. But Samuel Umtiti’s header from a corner was enough. France knew how to suffer. They were comfortable not having the ball, which is a rare trait for a "big" team.
Lessons for Future Champions
If you’re looking for a takeaway from the 2018 French victory, it’s this: talent wins games, but tactical flexibility wins tournaments. Deschamps was criticized for being too defensive, but he understood the tournament format. In a knockout competition, you don't need to be the prettiest team; you just need to be the hardest to beat.
France 2018 was a team built on defensive solidity and explosive transitions. They proved that you don't need a 30-goal-a-season striker if your wingers are terrifying and your midfield is a brick wall.
Actionable Insights for Football Fans and Analysts:
- Analyze the "Double Pivot": Go back and watch how Kanté and Pogba moved in relation to each other. It's a masterclass in space management that many modern coaches still try to replicate.
- Study the Counter-Attack: If you're a coach or player, look at the speed of transition in the France vs. Argentina match. The distance covered by Mbappé in his 70-yard sprint is the blueprint for modern "transitional" football.
- Appreciate Unsung Roles: Re-evaluate Olivier Giroud’s contribution. Sometimes, the player who doesn't score is the one making the system work by occupying center-backs and creating space.
- Track the "Post-Victory" Cycle: Look at how France handled the 2022 tournament compared to 2018. The core remained similar, proving that a winning culture, once established by a manager like Deschamps, is incredibly durable even when individual players change.
- Focus on Set Pieces: Note that France relied heavily on defenders scoring in tight games (Pavard, Umtiti, Varane). In tournament football, your defenders are often your secret offensive weapons when the strikers are marked out of the game.