MOSCOW - So there we have it; Vive La France!! World champions for the second time in their history following a victory over a brave Croatia - a triumph earned more by solid, obdurate organisation rather than by Gallic flair.
A World Cup final that was effectively a microcosm of the entire tournament with defensive formation the order of the day, an emphasis on no mistakes - ignoring Hugo Lloris' 69th minute 'moment' of madness - performances based on team rather than individual effort, and set pieces the preferred way of breaking the deadlock (47 per cent of goals in the competition came from this route).
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