The World Cup Final Is Here. What You Need to Know: QuickTake
Croatia's Mario Mandzukic scores his team's second goal against England on July 11.
Photographer: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
With 63 games down and one to go, the 21st World Cup has reached its climax. France and Croatia will face off in today’s final, after Belgium beat England in the third-place playoff. It’s the culmination of a month-long soccerfest that has enthralled fans globally with last-minute dramas, upsets aplenty, the novelty of video refereeing and just one 0-0 draw. Host Russia has enjoyed a public relations coup, not to mention a thrilling, unexpected run by the home team, as hundreds of thousands of overseas fans thronged the streets in colorful celebrations.
Bookmakers rate France a clear favorite for the final in Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, which begins at 6pm local time. The French are seeking a second world title, Croatia a first. France has never lost to Croatia, winning three times (including their 1998 World Cup semifinal) and drawing their two most recent meetings in 2004 and 2011. But it’s been a World Cup of surprises, from Germany’s first-round exit to bottom-ranked Russia making the quarterfinals.