WHAT THE JEFF JUST HAPPENED: CRO-FRA Final

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

That worked. Cheers, mate.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Rakitic has apparently broken some record for most number of games in one season. 71 with the final.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Fitting name our coach has. Zlatko Dalić. Zlato means gold and the name is based on that.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Nice one from Rebic
http://www.heute.at/sport/wm2018/sto...orfes-45357522

[Sean of the Shed]

Fitting name our coach has. Zlatko Dalić. Zlato means gold and the name is based on that.

If his surname means bollocks then it's absolutely perfect.

[ad hoc]

My daughter who saw his name flash up on the screen, read it as Zacsko Garlic (zacsko is the Hungarian word for a plastic bag). Since that time, this is what he has been called in our house.

[anton pulisov]

COME ON CROATIA FFS

haven't wanted a team to win this much in a long time

[anton pulisov]

Croatia might be tired, but I'm starting to think that all those extra times might come in handy.

The most important thing in football is to play as a team. At club level thks can be achieved by playing together week in, week out. Getting a team to play as a unit of much more difficult at international level. The Croatian team has the advantage of playing more minutes together than any other team at the tournament. In high stakes situations. The same group of players has been playing together for a number of years now. France still look like disjointed group of players trying to set piece or hoof to Mbappe their way to the trophy. It might well work due to the individual quality of their players. But Croatia have the ability to dictate this match in a way that none of their opponents thus far can do.

[anton pulisov]

None of France's opponents of what I meant. I'd edit if I could

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Belgium look likely to emulate Germany in 2006 and 2010 and Sweden in 1994 in finishing third but as the top scorers in tge tournament, unless Croatia knock 4 in this afternoon. I have a feeling we might see goals in the final, but maybe not that many. I do hope both teams trust in their attacking strength and come out and play, it does have a risk of being a tired and nervous 0-0 settled with one extra time effort, like the last two.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

[longeared]

Looking forward to one of my favourite features of the final - all the BBC presentation team wearing jackets and ties as someone at the corporation decrees this is A Big Occasion.

I hope France win. They've been the best team at the tournament even if they've played with the handbrake on half the time. France is better than Croatia on every metric of value apart from the fact that French beer is crap. France is also geographically closer to England so I feel I should support our near neighbours, good luck to all the French supporters on here.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

French Game of Thrones settings 0
Croatian Game of Thrones settings 10

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

French Game of Thrones settings 0
Croatian Game of Thrones settings 10

You do know that most of it is shot in Northern Ireland right?

[Duncan Gardner]

Huzzah. We've won the World Cup of something.

[Satchmo Distel]

France is better than Croatia on every metric of value apart from the fact that French beer is crap.

Croatia have probably won Tottycam over the course of the tournament but that might reflect the fans who apply for tickets; or it might just be a random outcome of the TV directors' preferences.

[ad hoc]

I'm intrigued about how this Balkan brotherhood thing works on the subject of Kosovo. But I think it's best to leave that question for another day

[johnr]

I always think that dancers at opening and closing ceremonies look very stupid - the organisers persist with it though, so I guess some like them...

[Sean of the Shed]

Opening and closing ceremonies are always utterly utterly deeply shit. Some of the most cringeworthy bollocks that ever came to mind.

[linus]

Looking forward to one of my favourite features of the final - all the BBC presentation team wearing jackets and ties as someone at the corporation decrees this is A Big Occasion.

I hope France win. They've been the best team at the tournament even if they've played with the handbrake on half the time. France is better than Croatia on every metric of value apart from the fact that French beer is crap. France is also geographically closer to England so I feel I should support our near neighbours, good luck to all the French supporters on here.

Some of the best beers in the world are brewed in France, Brasserie de Gayant in Douai near the Belgian border. They brew among other beers the best witbier I've ever had, Amadeus. There are some very good breweries in Alsace as well, like Meteor.

[George]

ICC wanted war criminal Omar al Bashir spotted in FIFA's VIP section of the stadium by all accounts.

[Sean of the Shed]

Ecstasy of Gold is a great choice to bring out the trophy to.

[Ray de Galles]

Perverse to have an all-Nike final when adidas have ruled this tournament.

[Incandenza]

Fox has asserted more than once that this is the greatest World Cup ever.

[Sean of the Shed]

Didier Deschamps looks more like he should be training Rocky Balboa than the French national team.