Guide to the World Cup final between France and Croatia

THE best footballer in the world has starred at this World Cup — and we’re not talking about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.

THE World Cup in Russia will come to a close when France plays Croatia in the final in Moscow on Monday morning.

Here’s everything you need to know about the biggest match the sport’s seen for four years.

WHEN IS IT?

Kick-off is at 1am AEST on Monday July 16 — so you’ll either need to set an early alarm or brew a pot of coffee to keep those eyelids open if you plan on staying up for it on Sunday night.

HOW TO WATCH

SBS will broadcast the match live on free-to-air TV. Coverage starts from 11pm on Sunday July 15 if you want to get the complete lowdown on what to expect.

Optus Sport customers can also stream the match online or use a Fetch Box to catch the action.

HOW DID BOTH TEAMS GET HERE?

France has been in impressive form since day one.

France entered the tournament as a short-priced favourite and has lived up to expectations in Russia.

Kicking off its campaign with a 2-1 win over Australia, Les Bleus have continued to give fans back home reason to be optimistic. A 1-0 win over Peru was followed by an uneventful draw with Denmark before arguably the game of the tournament against Argentina in the round of 16.

France weathered plenty of punches from a Lionel Messi-led side but always found a way to hit back, as stunning goals from Benjamin Pavard and Kylian Mbappe secured a dramatic 4-3 win.

It was all class in its 2-0 win over Uruguay in their quarter-final and France booked its spot in the final by defeating a world-class Belgium side 1-0 in the semis.

Croatia has done things the hard way since leaving the group stage. It scored seven goals and conceded just one en route to overcoming Nigeria, Argentina and Iceland before the real challenge started.

The Croatians held their nerve in penalty shootouts against Denmark and Russia with the sides unable to break their deadlocks in regular time. It looked like it would be a case of deja vu in the semi-final against England but an extra-time goal gave them a 2-1 win after 120 minutes.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kylian Mbappe has been a handful all tournament.

France: Teenager Kylian Mbappe has set tongues wagging all tournament. The 19-year-old striker — who joined French giant Paris Saint-Germain on a whopping $295 million transfer fee from Monaco — became the second-youngest player to find the back of the net at a World Cup after Brazilian legend Pele, and has scored three goals for the tournament.

His biggest asset is his pace but he also has plenty of finesse with the ball at his feet, as shown by his spectacular back-flick against Belgium that sent the internet wild.

What if giroud completed that marvelous pass from mbappe ?! 💣💣 pic.twitter.com/h2WLrt3BEP

— Hussein Elmegrawy👑 (@hussein318i) July 11, 2018

Midfielder Paul Pogba pulls the strings for his side and constantly looks to thread passes behind defences for Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. He was the architect of France’s win over Belgium, leading Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to declare: “He played with great maturity. When he had to hold position and keep control of the game, he did.

Croatia: Luka Modric doesn’t find the spotlight stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi command, but the crafty central midfielder deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as them. He has every right to be classed as the best player in the world right now and has been the main reason Croatia has made it this far.

The 32-year-old’s passing range, ability to dissect defences and play teammates into space with inch-perfect through balls and incredible defensive workrate make him the backbone of the Croatian side.

Croatia will be looking for leadership from striker Mario Mandzukic, who has experience playing for some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Bayern Munich and his current home Juventus. He scored the extra-time winner against England and fans will he hoping he repeats the dose against France.

WHO WILL WIN?

Croatia needs Luka Modric to fire to stand any chance of winning.

According to bookmakers, France.

Ladbrokes has Didier Deschamps’ men as $1.95 favourites while Croatia is a rank $4.50 outsider.

France boasts star quality with a host of individual gamebreakers. It also has the added benefit of playing with fresh legs, having enjoyed an extra day’s rest than Croatia and is yet to be part of a match that’s gone into extra time.

However, the team’s temperament will be tested if it goes down an early goal and the mental fragility that has plagued French sides in the past may come into play if the pressure cranks up.

Croatia will be intent on making the most of its gilt-edged opportunity to lift football’s most prestigious trophy as the players that form its “golden generation” get their best chance to shine on the global stage.

Players like Modric, Mandzukic, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic are all aged between 29-32 and are in their prime. Croatian fans will be of the belief they’ll be waiting a long time before getting as good a chance as this to win a World Cup.

Physically, Croatia must be spent. Its last three matches have all gone to extra time — making contests 120 minutes rather than the usual 90 — and two of them have gone to penalties, adding further mental strain on what’s been an emotional rollercoaster.

On the negative side, that may see coach Zlatko Dalic’s troops fatigue quicker than their opponents as the clock winds down. However, they might view their tough road to the final as a positive, knowing they’ve been able to overcome every hurdle put in front of them.

For what it’s worth, we’re tipping France to win 1-0 in extra time.

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