Tuesday 15 November 2022 14:42, UK
Russia 2018 will be remembered as one of the great World Cups. It had all of the ingredients needed for a tournament to capture the imagination and excite fans.
There were underdog stories and shock exits, lots of goals and plenty of late ones, a good run from the host nation to maintain the mood across the country - and a surprisingly strong challenge from England, which had fans believing on these shores.
And, in the end, it also had a worthy winner, with teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe a key figure in France's triumph.
Russia's 5-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia in the opening game may not have been the most glamorous start, but the 3-3 draw served up by Spain and Portugal the following evening set the tone for what was to come.
Cristiano Ronaldo thrust himself centre stage in that contest, completing a brilliant hat-trick with an 88th-minute free-kick to equalise after twice putting Portugal in front.
His great rival Lionel Messi was less impressive a day later, missing a penalty as Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland - and when they were outclassed 3-0 by Croatia in their next game, they were in real danger. But a wonderful goal from Messi and late strike from Marcos Rojo edged them through to the knockouts with a 2-1 win over Nigeria.
Elsewhere, France found themselves on the right side of a call from the newly-introduced VAR in their opening win over Australia before edging past Peru and drawing with Denmark to book their spot in the last-16, while Brazil made hard work of their pool, starting sluggishly against Switzerland, needing two injury-time goals to beat Costa Rica and then eventually seeing off Serbia to progress.
Heavyweights Argentina and Brazil may have flirted with disaster - but for defending champions Germany there was no escaping it.
An opening game defeat to Mexico was less than ideal but it was panic stations deep into stoppage time of their second game against Sweden, with Joachim Low's side level but on the brink of being knocked out and down to 10 men. Toni Kroos stepped up to dramatically rescue them in the 95th minute - but it would be injury time goals that undid them in the final group game.
A complete collapse in the final minutes against South Korea, with Germany needing to win, saw the European side finish bottom of their pool and knocked out in the first round for the first time since 1938. It was a humiliation for a nation which had been celebrating World Cup glory four years before, as Sweden and Mexico took the top two spots.
A stoppage-time goal also helped England to an unconvincing win over Tunisia, but the floodgates were thrown open a few days later against first-time qualifiers Panama, with Harry Kane adding a hat-trick to his double against the Tunisians to take an early - and ultimately unassailable - lead in the golden boot race. Felipe Baloy celebrated his consolation for Panama in the 6-1 scoreline just as emphatically as Kane did any of his, though - the 37-year-old made history as his country's first World Cup goal scorer.
With hotly-tipped Belgium breezing past the same opposition as England, the final group game between the sides turned into a contest of who wanted to finish first and take on a tougher - on paper - run through the knockout rounds. Belgium won, England capitalised.
Their defeat in that match set up a last-16 tie with Colombia, who had won Group H ahead of a Japan side who only finished second ahead of Senegal on fair play points.
The drama kept coming in the knockout rounds, with France ending Messi's World Cup dream in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Argentina, before Ronaldo's own hopes were dashed later the same day as Edinson Cavani inspired Uruguay.
There was also a remarkable comeback win from 2-0 down by Belgium against Japan and penalty shoot-outs to see Croatia edge Denmark and - incredibly - England finally won from the spot against Colombia, after they'd been pegged back in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half.
Like England, Spain have a poor record in shoot-outs in major tournaments - and the deciding kicks proved their undoing once again in Moscow, with a shock exit to Russia confirmed as they failed twice from 12 yards.
England's reward for finishing second in their group and squeezing past Colombia was a quarter-final tie with Sweden, who had seen off 10-man Switzerland. It was an unusually straightforward win for Gareth Southgate and his side, with momentum and belief suddenly on the rise for a team who had been all but written off before they arrived in Russia.
Belgium's path took them to a clash with Brazil, who seemed to be finding form after beating Mexico - but Roberto Martinez's men impressively passed the test, with Kevin De Bruyne on target, while France were comfortable winners over Uruguay and the hosts' journey ended with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Croatia.
With the World Cup buzz in England reaching fever pitch, as beer-flinging fans revelled in a summer heat wave and the country's best performance at a major tournament in 22 years, the whole nation erupted five minutes into their semi-final with Croatia as Kieran Trippier bent in a fantastic free-kick. But the Three Lions' adventure ended in agonising fashion, with Southgate's players flagging as Croatia dominated possession, equalised and then found a winner in extra-time.
England's tournament ended with a predictably underwhelming third-place play-off defeat to Belgium, whose own road towards glory was halted by France - and attention turned to Les Bleus' showdown with a Croatia side who, at 20th in the world, became the lowest-ranked team to reach a World Cup final.
So often in the past, finals of major tournaments have failed to deliver excitement, with the tension for both sides often taking over, but this was a showpiece game befitting a tournament which had thrilled throughout.
France were aiming to taste World Cup glory for a second time, after losing the Euros final two years earlier in Paris, but Croatia were intent on making their mark on the biggest of stages - and were left frustrated by a VAR call at the end of it all.
Mario Mandzukic - who scored the winner against England - scored an own goal early on but Croatia made their better play count when Ivan Perisic equalised. France would go in ahead, though, and through controversial circumstances, with a drawn-out VAR check eventually leading to a penalty from a Perisic handball. Antoine Griezmann converted before a quick double from Paul Pogba and Mbappe took the game away from Croatia in the second half.
A Hugo Lloris error gave Croatia some hope, with Mandzukic atoning for his own goal, but France saw out the victory to be crowned in Moscow, as the rain started to pummel down. A dramatic finale to a dramatic tournament.
At a tournament where there were plenty of contenders, Benjamin Pavard's beauty took the crown of best goal at Russia 2018.
The right-back's eyes opened up as a cross from the left came through the Argentina area and sat up invitingly and he dispatched a wonderful strike, swerving the ball back across goal, giving goalkeeper Franco Armani no chance.
The technique was textbook and everything from his body shape and shot to the backspin and drift on the ball was pleasing on the eye. Unless, of course, you supported Argentina.
The goal pulled France back level at 2-2 after the South Americans had scored either side of half-time to take the lead. A quick double from Kylian Mbappe within the next 10 minutes would take the game away from Lionel Messi and co.
Croatia maestro Luka Modric was named best player at Russia 2018 and there were few arguments against the recognition for the silky-smooth midfielder who set the tempo during his nation's fantastic run to the final.
He scored from the spot against Nigeria and found the net again with a beauty in the standout 3-0 win over Argentina. There were successful penalties in the shoot-out wins over Denmark and Russia, too. But Modric's passing in the middle of the park is what lives in the memory; a masterclass in dictating the play and bending matches his side's way.
It's testament to the quality of Russia 2018 as a tournament that there were around 10 matches vying for this honour - but the 3-3 draw between Spain and Portugal on the second day of the competition just edges it. This was the match which set the tone for what was to come and oozed quality - both individual and collective, as the two Iberian forces struggled for the upper hand in Sochi.
Spain showed their significant attributes - and why they should have gone much further in this World Cup than they did - but Cristiano Ronaldo demonstrated his own ability to carry his country when they need him. He relished the grand stage - and that last-gasp free-kick was the individual chance to shine he thrives on.
When football almost came home… Gareth Southgate's young England squad went to Russia with no real expectations on them. The humiliation of Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland was still raw. But after a nervy start against Tunisia, they built confidence with a big win over Panama and capitalised on a generous draw.
The penalty shoot-out win over Colombia lifted a historic weight off the nation's shoulders and suddenly anything was possible. The quarter-final win over Sweden was almost too easy. With Southgate in his waistcoat, players riding unicorns in treatment pools and supporters throwing beer around fan parks in the middle of a heatwave back home, the feelgood factor was felt from London to the Luzhniki Stadium.
It all came crashing down at that venue as the realism of England's limitations and Croatia's capabilities told over 120 minutes - but Southgate and his players had revived the country's connection with the national team.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland failed to qualify.
