FIFA World Cup 2018 turned out to be a roller coaster ride for football aficionados around the world....
FIFA World Cup 2018 turned out to be a roller coaster ride for football aficionados around the world. The 21st edition of the World Cup, held for the first time in Russia, saw 32 teams battle on the field for a chance to become World Cup Champions. The tournament that lasted for 31 days, however, was nothing short of extraordinary. Germany, the defending champions, eyeing their fifth Championship win, were knocked out during the group stages by South Korea! France won their second title and Croatia became the runner-ups for the first time in history. Read on to relive some amazing and shocking moments of the FIFA World Cup 2018.
Brazil’s bust!
The former five-time World Champions could not prove their mettle. Brazil entered the knock-out stages as leaders of their group and did beat Mexico 2-0. However, during the quarter-finals, Belgium shocked the world by beating Brazil, 2-1, and knocked them out of the tournament.
Germany’s grief
Defending Champions, Germany lifted the FIFA World Cup 2014 by defeating Argentina could not make. Led by Manuel Neuer, they had a bad start when they lost to Mexico. Hirving Lozano scored for Mexico in the 35th minute, and Germany simply could not launch a counter-attack. They won against Sweden, 2-1, only to get knocked out of the tournament by South Korea! South Korean players, Kim Young-gwon and Son Heung-min, scored late goals in extra time to give their team a 2-0 lead over Germany. It was for the first time since 1938 that Germany was eliminated from the group stages of the FIFA World Cup.
Unfortunate Uruguay
South American football teams have always made their mark at the FIFA World Cups. Uruguay, the inaugural FIFA Champions in 1934 and a strong contender for the big prize, won all three of their matches during the FIFA 2018 World Cup against Egypt (1-0), Saudi Arabia (1-0) and Russia (3-0). They also knocked out another strong team, Portugal, in the Round of 16. However, France convincingly defeated and eliminated Uruguay in the quarterfinals, 2-0.
Anxious Argentina
Although Argentina was knocked out by France (4-3) in the Round of 16, France vs. Argentina was perhaps one of the most exciting matches of this 2018 World Cup. A total of seven scores were scored. First, Antoine Griezmann of France scored with a penalty in the 13th minute. Argentina’s Ángel Fabián Di María, with a sensational long-distance shot at the goal and Gabriel Iván Mercado, with an assist from Messi, scored in the 41st and 48th minutes respectively. Benjamin Pavard of France, with another flashing strike, scored in the 57th minute to equalize the score, 2-2. However, France’s Kylian Mbappe Lottin scored two consecutive goals in the 64th and the 68th minute. Argentina’s Sergio Leonel Aguero did score his team’s third goal in extra time, but France moved on into the quarter-finals with the scoreboard reading, 4-2.
Spain surrenders
The Spanish football team, winners of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, had a decent run during the group stages. However, hosts Russia proved a worthy opponent for them in the Round of 16.
The match went into a penalty shootout. When Spain’s Jorge Resurrección Merodio and Iago Aspas Juncal could not score, Russia entered into the quarterfinals.
Russia bow out
This was the first time that Russia had entered the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The host nation had all the support they could garner and their performance was also delightful to watch. In their first match, also the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2018, they defeated Saudi Arabia, 5-0, before booting out Spain in the Round of 16. Russia gave their best during the World Cup and especially during their quarterfinal match against Croatia. Both teams collided head-on with attacks and counter attacks. Russia’s Denis Dmitriyevich Cheryshev scored in the 31st minute followed by Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric scoring in the 39th. Domagoj Vida of Croatia scored in the 101st minute and fourteen minutes later, Russia’s M‡rio Figueira Fernandes scored with an equalizer. During the penalty shobot-out, Croatian players kept their nerves and beat Russia, 4-3.
Japan’s jolt
During the FIFA World Cup 2018, Japan’s entry into the Round of 16 was their third in history. In the Knockout stage, Japan scored the first goal in the 48th minute with Genki Haraguchi gently pushing the ball into the goal post. Four minutes later, Japan’s Takashi Inui scored the second goal, a blistering long-distance shot into the nets. However, during the 69th and 74th minute respectively, Belgium’s Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui scored with their own headers to equalize the scorecard. Japan, the only Asian team left in the tournament were thwarted by Belgium when Nacer Chadli scored for his team during the 94th minute, allowing Belgium to cruise into the quarter-finals, but Japan won our hearts with their sturdy performance.
Semi-Finals
During the first semi-final, France, the 1998 World Cup Champions, defeated Belgium, 1-0. During the second semi-final between England and Croatia, both teams were playing their second semi-final in history. England, however, has been a one-time FIFA World Cup Champion in 1966 when it beat West Germany, 4-2. Croatia, on the other hand, had never played the finals of the FIFA World Cup before. In the semi-final, England’s Kieran Trippier scored his first international goal with a magnificent free kick during the fifth minute, but Croatia’s Ivan Perisic scored with a beautiful header in the 68th minute. With scores 1-1 after full time, the match went into 30-minutes of extra time. Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic scored in the 109th minute with a simple touch of the ball into the goal, propelling Croatia into their first-ever FIFA World Cup final, against France.
Third Place
The match for the third place at the FIFA World Cup 2018 was held on July 14, 2018, between Belgium and England. Belgium’s Thomas Meunier gave his team a lead in the fourth minute with a simple goal while Eden Hazard, in the 82nd minute, added another goal. England could not recover and lost the match 2-0. Belgium emerged as the third place winners for the first time in history.
Final
The most-awaited match of the FIFA World Cup 2018, the final, was contested between France and Croatia on July 15, 2018 at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic scored an own goal in the 18th minute, but Croatia’s Ivan Perisic scored an equalizer ten minutes later. France’s Antoine Griezmann capitalized on the penalty shootout and scored to give France a lead. France’s Paul Pogba scored in the 59th minute followed by France’s 19-year old Kylian Mbappe scoring in the 65th minute, which had sealed the deal for France with scoreboard reading 4-1. Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic scored his team’s second goal during the 69th minute, but his team could not launch any counter offensive later on, and France won their second FIFA World Cup.
