THE final ball has been kicked, the final whistle has been blown and the trophy has been lifted. The 2018 World Cup has been won by France. They beat Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final with some formidable French talents guiding their side to their second World Cup win in 20 years. While Croatia’s midfield stuttered their way through the game, a certain French general stepped up on the biggest stage of them all to steer his side to victory. Here’s how we rated the French and Croatian players in the 2018 World Cup final... France celebrate winning the World Cup. Source: Getty Images FRANCE Hugo Lloris – 5 A very quiet first half, aside from being beaten by Perisic’s rocket which he could do little about. His second started strongly, before an unforgivable howler handed Mario Mandzukic Croatia’s second goal. Uncharacteristic. Lucas Hernandez – 7 Didn’t put a foot wrong really. Defended solidly and added something in attack. Made an excellent run forward to set up Mbappe for the fourth goal. Another strong showing – probably the tournament’s best left back. Samuel Umtiti – 6.5 Another assured showing in the heart of defence, as he did his best to keep Mandzukic quiet. France's Samuel Umtiti celebrates in the rain at the end of the match. Source: AP Raphael Varane – 6.5 Once again massive at centre-back, and was solid all day aside from one poor turnover early in the second half – but he wasn’t punished by the Croatians. Benjamin Pavard – 6 A considerably quieter game from the breakout right back, who had his hands full marshalling the dangerous Ivan Perisic. Provided good width. N’Golo Kante – 5 An uncharacteristically poor showing from the ever-present midfielder. Tasked with blunting Luka Modric’s influence he seemed to fade from the game himself. Picked up a yellow card for a cynical challenge to stop a quick counter, made way for Nzonzi after just 55 minutes. Paul Pogba – 8.5 He has well and truly proven himself on the biggest stage of all. A massive outing from the midfielder, as he propelled his team forward and got on the scoresheet with a sublime finish. Passed excellently all day and was one of the best on the park. In a game that was won in midfield, he certainly came out on top. MORE FROM THE CUP GOLDEN BALL: ODD TREND CONTINUES AS CROATIAN STAR WINS MATCH REPORT:WC GLORY RETURNS TO FRANCE AFTER CRAZY FINAL HIGH DRAMA: NOTORIOUS GROUP BEHIND PITCH INVASION Blaise Matuidi – 5.5 Not a big impact on the match from the PSG man. Got into some good positions and did some fine work in defence – but overall not his best match. Replaced by Corentin Tolisso on 73 minutes. Antoine Griezmann further enhanced his reputation with a stellar performance. Source: AFP Antoine Griezmann – 8 Has been incredible going forward throughout this tournament and once again looked dangerous whenever on the ball. Sent in the free kick which led to the opener, and converted the second from the spot. Another impressive outing. Ran tirelessly. Kylian Mbappe – 8 Pele. Mbappe. The only two teenagers ever to score in a World Cup final. He found the net in style, picking out the bottom corner from range. Looked ominous from the word go, showing pace and trickery to push his team forward. A bright young talent. Olivier Giroud – 6 Another match blighted by a lack of goals. He finishes the tournament without a strike to his name. Some neat touches and hold up play in the second half but overall failed to impact the score line once again. Replaced late by Fekir. SUBSTITUTES: Steven Nzonzi – 6.5 Replaced Kante in the centre and had a solid match in his limited minutes. Defended astutely, protected the back four and provided the cover that allowed Pogba to push forward. Corentin Tolisso – N/A Not enough time to make an impact. Nabil Fekir – N/A Some nice movement and footwork in his short cameo, but like Tolisso didn’t see enough game time to receive a rating. CROATIA Danijel Subasic - 5 The Croatian shot stopper was definitely the better of the two keepers but he couldn’t do enough to stop France’s formidable frontline from putting four past him. France rarely troubled him in the first half with only an own goal and a penalty beating him, but in the second half he was caught flat-footed by both Mbappe and Pogba. Sime Vrsaljko - 6 He was one of Croatia’s most threatening going forward. Having placed Matuidi firmly in his back pocked defensively, he continued to bomb down the right wing, delivering crosses at will for the Croatians. He’ll be unlucky not to get in the team of the tournament. Dejan Lovren - 4 He seemed way out of his depth, often being dragged out of position by the quicker French forwards. Losing possession in Croatia’s final third didn’t help them either, with France able to build counter attacks form his mistakes. Domagoj Vida - 6 While virtually covering an out-of-position Lovren for most of the game, Vida remained composed while in possession and resolute without the ball. Croatia's Domagoj Vida sits on the pitch at the end of the match. Source: AP Ivan Strinic - 3 Mbappe taught him a thing or two tonight. He simply couldn’t handle his pace and direct dribbling, with the forward completely out classing the Croatian left back. He wasn’t his usual self going forward either - perhaps he was more worried about a certain 19-year-old waiting in the wings. Ivan Rakitic - 5 His delivery wasn’t up to scratch. His free kicks were often over-hit and his crosses rarely troubled Lloris in the French goal. It simply wasn’t his day as he was out-run and outclassed by Pogba and Kante in the midfield. Ivan Rakitic came up short on the biggest stage. Source: AFP Marcelo Brozovic - 5 Again, Pogba and Kante were too much to handle for the Croatian midfielders. Brozovic was merely a passenger in what was a very fast game. Luka Modric - 7 The man who won the Golden Ball couldn’t quite manage it. He would have loved to have guided his team to World Cup glory but it wasn’t to be for the 32-year-old. He was the standout midfielder for the Croatians, but he still wasn’t at his very best. His passing would dictate the pace and movement of the Croatian attacks, but it wasn’t enough as he was eventually out-run by France’s midfield duo. He certainly wasn’t helped by his fellow midfielders though. Luka Modric was awarded the Golden Ball award but his efforts weren’t enough to get Croatia over the line. Source: Getty Images Ivan Perisic - 7.5 Perisic had the greatest impact on the game for the Croatians. The ever-consistent Pavard was left for dead more than a few times by the nippy winger, but his crosses were just waiting for someone to get on the end of them. His superbly-taken goal got Croatia back in the game, but he gave away a penalty 10 minutes later through an accidental handball. So unlucky for him. Ante Rebic - 6 Frustration for him. He simply wasn’t used enough by his fellow teammates. Both he and Perisic would have wanted to make more of an impact but they had no service from their struggling midfielders. Mario Mandzukic - 7 He’s the only player to score for two different countries in a World Cup final. Yes, he may have scored the own goal which opened the scoring for France, but his pressure on Hugo Lloris earned him that second goal. A solid performance from him, given that he received very little service all night. Mario Mandzukic got on the score sheet for both teams. Source: AFP SUBSTITUTES: Marko Pjaca - 3 He may have lost possession every single time he touched the ball. Not exactly an inspiring substitution from Zlatko Dalic. Andrej Kramaric - 4 Another passenger. He didn’t make the impact required in a big game.<doc-sep>France (4-2-3-1) Hugo Lloris His terrible mistake led to Mandzukic’s second goal. Fine save to deny Rebic in the second half though. 6 Benjamin Pavard Unable to go forward in the same way as in previous games because of Croatia’s pressing. 6 Raphaël Varane Such a calming presence in the French defence. Made one mistake, but got away with it. 8 Samuel Umtiti Under pressure from the start by Croatia’s intensity. Looked uncomfortable in possession on occasions. 6 Lucas Hernandez Tactically astute, knowing when to go forward and when to stay. Set up the fourth goal. Still only 22. Booked. 8 Paul Pogba Looked a bit lost in first half but grew into game. His raking pass led to third goal, scored by himself. 7 N’Golo Kanté Not at his usual energetic best and overpowered by Croatia’s midfield. Taken off after 54 minutes. Booked. 5 Kylian Mbappé Full of running and got the goal he deserved but do not forget his defensive work either. Outstanding. 8 Antoine Griezmann His free-kick led to France’s opener and he scored from the spot. Contributed defensively too. 9 Blaise Matuidi His incredible workrate and tactical awareness was crucial in Russia – and the final was no different. 7 Olivier Giroud Won headers and ran around a lot, as he always does, but never looked like scoring. 6 Subs Steven Nzonzi (for Kanté 54) 6, Corentin Tolisso (for Matuidi 73) 6, Nabil Fekir (for Giroud 81) 6 Ivan Rakitic turns away from Paul Pogba. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Croatia (4-3-2-1) Danijel Subasic Conceded four, true, but cannot be blamed for the first two. Slow to react to Mbappé’s goal, though. 6 Sime Vrsaljko Ostensibly a full-back but played as a winger without neglecting his defensive duties. Booked. 7 Dejan Lovren One of the best defenders in the world, according to himself, and did not look out of place in the final. 7 Domagoj Vida Another powerful display by the centre-back. Denied Mbappé with a superb sliding tackle. 8 Ivan Strinic Struggled against Mbappé’s pace at times but supported Perisic going forward superbly. 6 Luka Modric Intelligent as always but not the display he would have wanted in his bid to secure the Ballon d’Or. 7 Marcelo Brozovic Unlucky to give away free-kick that led to France’s first goal but Croatia’s least assertive midfielder. 6 Ivan Rakitic Normally so unflustered, he gave the ball away a few times and shot wildly wide towards the end. 6 Ante Rebic Worked hard throughout but did not have same impact as Perisic. Denied by Lloris’s fingertips. 7 Ivan Perisic Best player on the pitch for an hour. Scored a sublime goal and was very unlucky with the penalty. 9 Mario Mandzukic Took advantage of Lloris’s howler to score. Never stopped running and unlucky with own-goal. 7 Subs Andrej Kramaric (for Rebic 71) 6, Marko Pjaca (for Strinic 81) 5 Referee Néstor Pitana (Argentina). Attendance 78,011<doc-sep>France beat Croatia in a thrilling final in Moscow to win the World Cup for the second time. Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe scored for France, Croatia's Mario Mandzukic netted at both ends, and France keeper Hugo Lloris made a terrible error. Here are the player ratings from BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher (Croatia) and Chris Bevan (France). France Hugo Lloris (goalkeeper) 6 Powerless to stop Croatia's equaliser and made a brilliant flying save to deny Mandzukic with the game in the balance, but extremely fortunate the farcical late goal he gave away did not affect the course of the match. Your rating: 5.13 Benjamin Pavard (right-back) 5 Started sluggishly, like the rest of the France team, and never truly looked at ease. The presence of Ivan Perisic drifting over to his flank was the biggest reason for that, and also ensured Pavard did not get forward much. Your rating: 5.50 Samuel Umtiti (centre-back) 6 Looked panicked whenever the ball came into the France box early on, although he was effective with a couple of desperate last-ditch clearances. Like defensive partner Raphael Varane he improved as the game went on. Your rating: 5.78 Raphael Varane (centre-back) 7 Gave the France defence some much-needed authority late on, winning some important headers, but initially struggled in the air at set-pieces and was also caught in possession too. Your rating: 5.95 Lucas Hernandez (left-back) 6 Lost Sime Vrsaljko at the free-kick that led to Croatia making it 1-1 and needed help down his flank in the first half. Found his way forward more after the break and set up Mbappe's goal to make it 4-1. Your rating: 5.50 Paul Pogba (midfield) 7 Most of his work was defensive in the first half and he did not do it particularly well, another reason the France midfield was being overrun. Then he began to exert some influence in the middle and got on the scoresheet with a precise finish. Your rating: 6.68 N'Golo Kante (midfield) 4 Seemed off the pace and was strangely ineffective. He could not stop Croatia taking complete control of midfield in the first half, and it was not a surprise to see him hauled off soon after the break. Your rating: 5.52 Blaise Matuidi (midfield) 5 The third member of France's midfield trio also struggled to impose himself early on. The game largely passed him by, but it was his flick from a corner that led to his side getting their penalty, via VAR. Your rating: 5.46 Kylian Mbappe (forward) 8 A peripheral figure before half-time, the teenager came alive in the second half when his electric pace allowed France to pick Croatia off on the break. Made his side's third goal and scored the fourth, to show again why the world is so excited about him. Your rating: 6.71 Antoine Griezmann (forward) 8 Delivered when it mattered by supplying all of France's big moments in the first half, despite looking fairly flat himself. That changed after the break and his fast feet and quick thinking meant his side looked far more of a threat throughout. Your rating: 6.50 Olivier Giroud (forward) 7 Did not manage a single effort at goal in the final, and ends the tournament without registering an effort on target. But he will collect a World Cup winners' medal and the battling Chelsea striker again showed his value to this France team, especially when they were second best for long periods. Your rating: 5.25 Substitutes Steven N'Zonzi (midfield - for Kante 55 mins) 7 Looked cooler and calmer than Kante from the minute he replaced him in midfield, and took the sting out of Croatia's dominance in that part of the pitch. Your rating: 5.35 Corentin Tolisso (midfield - for Matuidi 73 mins) 6 Another player who helped steady the ship in the France midfield, but by the end Croatia had resorted to more direct tactics anyway. Your rating: 5.06 Nabil Fekir (forward - for Giroud 81 mins) 6 Replaced the exhausted Giroud but did not get any chances in front of goal. Your rating: 5.05 Croatia Croatia were appearing in their first World Cup final Danijel Subasic (goalkeeper) 4 First keeper to concede four in a World Cup final since 1970. Could arguably have done better with Mbappe's strike and maybe Pogba's goal too. Could do nothing about the own goal and penalty. Your rating: 5.29 Sime Vrsaljko (right-back) 6 Kept Matuidi quiet and was effective pushing forward to support Perisic as Croatia enjoyed some success down the right. Scythed down Atletico team-mate Griezmann in frustration in injury time. Your rating: 5.64 Dejan Lovren (centre-back) 5 Firm tackle on one of the pitch invaders. One nervy moment early on when a France handball saved him. Your rating: 5.42 Domagoj Vida (centre-back) 6 Woefully exposed by the blistering pace of Mbappe early in the second half - but he is hardly on his own in that regard. Stood off Mbappe for France's fourth but did make several crucial tackles. Your rating: 6.12 Ivan Strinic (left-back) 6 Had to contend with the rapid Mbappe, who glided past him the first time they were one-on-one, but the Frenchman's impact could hardly be blamed on him. Your rating: 5.79 Ivan Rakitic (midfield) 7 So much to admire from the Barcelona man - superb range of passing, intelligent and willing to improvise, as he showed with a header that put Perisic away down the left early on. Less effective and increasingly frustrated as the game went on. Your rating: 6.72 Marcelo Brozovic (midfield) 7 Another incredibly efficient performance by the Inter Milan midfielder, who helped to shut down England. Excellent positioning, great awareness and discipline. Had the most touches (112) and passes (98) in the final. Brilliant clearance with his team 3-1 down. Your rating: 5.81 Ante Rebic (midfield) 6 Conceded the most fouls at the World Cup. Scuffed a reasonable chance late on in the first half and drew a good save from Lloris after the restart. Substituted after 71 minutes. Your rating: 5.94 Luka Modric (midfield) 6 Had the crowd purring with an early crossfield pass to Strinic but, while effective and busy, did the Real maestro impact the final as much as he would have liked? No decisive moments from Modric. Your rating: 7.00 Ivan Perisic (midfield) 8 Gutsy, skilful and driven - and for a while the busiest man on the pitch. Took his equaliser brilliantly, but was harshly adjudged guilty of handball for France's penalty. A handful for the French. Your rating: 7.69 Mario Mandzukic (forward) 6 Unfortunate to score the first own goal in a World Cup final. Tireless shift from the Juventus forward and his willingness to chase a lost cause saw him rewarded with his goal. Your rating: 6.09 Substitutes Andre Kramaric (forward - for Rebic 55 mins) 5 Came on at 4-2 with 20 minutes left but had little opportunity to impact the game. Your rating: 5.60 Marko Pjaca (forward - for Strinic 81 mins) 5 Almost through with his first involvement but could not quite bring down a high, angled ball. Had just four touches. Your rating: 5.39<doc-sep>
France won their second World Cup after beating Croatia 4-2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday. Les Blues took the lead through an unfortunate own goal from Mario Mandzukic before Ivan Perisic levelled the scores midway through the first half. Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe all found the net to seal the victory before Mandzukic bagged a consolation. Sportsmail's SPENCER MORGAN passes judgement on players from both sides in Moscow. France beat Croatia in the final of the World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday afternoon France (4-2-3-1) Hugo Lloris - 6 Awful mistake to allow Mario Mandzukic to pull one back. Lucky his team-mates had already sealed the result. Benjamin Pavard - 8 Great showing from the 22-year-old. Started a little slowly but grew into the game. Raphael Varane - 8 An absolute rock at the back. Put everything on the line for his team. Raphael Varane makes a challenge to prevent Croatia's Ivan Perisic going through on goal Samuel Umtiti - 7.5 Impressive display at the back and effective when going forward. Lucas Hernandez - 7 Disciplined at the back. Did what was required of him without fuss. Paul Pogba - 8.5 Continues to prove his critics wrong with his national side. Capped an immense display with the biggest goal of his career to put the French in firm control. Paul Pogba celebrates after scoring his side's third goal of the game in the second half N'Golo Kante - 6.5 Not his best outing in a congested midfield. Booked and substituted early on in the second half. Blaise Matuidi - 8 Another important performance in the centre of the park. Never stopped running or working for his team-mates. Antoine Griezmann - 8 Lively throughout. Great ball to help break the deadlock. Incredibly cool penalty under huge pressure. Antoine Griezmann scores from the spot to put France ahead at the Luzhniki Stadium Olivier Giroud - 7.5 Another good shift from the Chelsea striker. Little in terms of a goal threat but plenty of effective hold-up play. Kylian Mbappe - 8.5 Looked dangerous from the first minute. Capped a great tournament with a fine strike from outside the box. Kylian Mbappe shoots to score France's fourth goal and cap a fine individual tournament Substitutes Steven Nzonzi (for Kante 55) 6.5, Corentin Tolisso (for Matuidi 73) 6, Nabil Fekir (for Giroud 81) 6 Manager: Didier Deschamps 8 The first Frenchman to win the World Cup as a player and a Coach. Croatia (4-2-3-1) Danijel Subasic - 6 Couldn't have done much about any of the four goals, even if he was left rooted to the ground for a couple. But composed for the most part. Sime Vrsaljko - 6 Kept fighting and scrapping but France's quality was ultimately too much for the defender. Dejan Lovren - 6 Struggled to deal with the movement of France's forwards. Labelled himself 'one of the best defenders in the world'. Not on this performance. Dejan Lovren shows his frustration during Croatia's World Cup final defeat by France Domagoj Vida - 7 His side's best defender. Showed great pace and desire at times to deal with the likes of Griezmann and Mbappe. Ivan Strinic - 6.5 Tough afternoon for the full-back. Looked slightly out of his depth. Ivan Rakitic - 7 A big part of Croatia's bright start. Drifted out of the game as it went on. Ivan Rakitic holds off Paul Pogba as Croatia tried to pull themselves back into the game Ante Rebic - 6 Another who seemed fatigued after Croatia's marathon run to the final. Replaced in the second half. Marcelo Brozovic - 6.5 Kept things ticking over in midfield. France struggled to deal with the Inter Milan man at times. Ivan Perisic - 8 His team's most dangerous attacking threat. Caused problems throughout and netted a brilliant strike to draw them level. Unfortunate handball to give away the penalty. Ivan Perisic (right) wheels away after drawing his side level midway through the first half Luka Modric - 7 Not quite as influential as he has been throughout the tournament. Some moments of quality, particularly in the first half, but looked to be feeling the effects of his side's consecutive extra-time wins. Mario Mandzukic - 7.5 Unfortunate to score the first own goal in a World Cup final. Never stopped working and made up for it with an opportunistic strike of his own.