The first World Cup held in Russia ended with the well-deserved championship trophy for the French team, after defeating the Croatia team with a convincing score of 4-2 on the evening of July 15. After 20 years, since France 1998, France has become the new king of world football.
The Bronze Medal went to Belgium after defeating England 2-0. This can be considered the first achievement of the Belgian football revolution. After what they showed at the 2018 World Cup, Belgium can return home as heroes and confidently set the goal of winning EURO 2020.
The 2018 World Cup is considered the most exciting and exciting tournament in football history. There, for the first time, controversial penalties were decided by VAR technology, there were players scoring own goals, there were both masterpieces and mistakes, the host team Russia reached the quarter-finals for the first time, while the reigning world champion - Germany was eliminated from the knockout round.
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| The 2018 World Cup was special not only because of the unexpected emotions from the top matches, but also from the football fans. The city - where the matches were held - was flooded with football fans from countries around the world wearing colorful costumes with their favorite teams. Fans of the host country Russia also showed off their vibrant football spirit with unique costumes. One of the most recognizable features was the traditional Russian kokoshnik hat. |
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| Midfielder Denis Cheryshev scored his first goal for Russia in the opening match of the World Cup against Saudi Arabia. The match ended in a 5-star victory for Russia. Midfielder number 6 Cheryshev scored 3 more goals during the tournament, becoming one of the best scorers in the world. |
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Russia head coach Stanislav Cherchesov has put an end to previous disagreements and concerns with striker Artem Dzyuba, giving the player a chance to participate in the major tournament. This salute of Mr. Cherchesov has become a "trademark" of Dzyuba after each goal. Not disappointing his teacher, this striker No. 22 is not only the captain, but also the soul of the team.
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| One of the first surprises of the World Cup was when Iceland drew 1-1 with Argentina in the group stage. The players from the small Scandinavian country were "trapped" in the siege of one of the strongest opponents in the world. The result was well deserved, winning the hearts of fans. In this match, Iceland's hero, Hannes Haldoursson, 34, successfully blocked Argentina's dangerous shots 6 times. In complete contrast, Argentina's leader, striker Lionel Messi, had a failed match, when he failed to score from the 11m mark. |
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| Mexico's fans are the most passionate at the 2018 World Cup. Immediately after defeating Germany in the group stage match, every central street of the capital Moscow was "occupied" to celebrate the victory of a large force of Mexican fans. |
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| Brazilian striker Neymar has been criticised for his diving when reacting to refereeing decisions. Experts estimate that at the World Cup, the number 10 striker spent 14 minutes lying on the field. In Portugal, Neymar has even become the main inspiration for advertisements condemning fake emergency calls. |
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| Belgium defender Vermaelen fought hard and contributed to the victory in the match against England. |
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| German fans expressed their disappointment. Their team arrived in Russia as the reigning world champions, but lost 2-0 to South Korea in their final group game. For the first time in their history, Germany failed to reach the knockout stage. |
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| In the round of 16 match between Portugal and Uruguay, referee Cesar Arturo Ramos gave a yellow card to Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The famous striker was trying to influence the referee, but was booked for trying to fight. |
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| Striker Lionel Messi collapsed on the pitch after losing to France in the round of 16. The "Destroyer" came to Russia with all the prestigious individual titles, but Messi missed out on his dream - winning the World Cup with his team. |
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| Russian players burst into joy after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Spain. After Russia's successful performances in the group stage, fans hoped their team would continue to go far, and for the first time in the country's football history, Russia reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. |
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| Belgium defender Vincent Kompani challenges Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima during the round of 16. Belgium were 2-0 down in the match, but staged a dramatic comeback to win the match in the final minutes. |
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| Japanese fans could not hold back their tears after their team's defeat to Belgium. The Japanese players tried their best to protect their "path" to the quarterfinals, but Belgium took away that opportunity. |
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| Brazil's Philippe Coutinho and Belgium's Marwan Fellainy in a tackle. The two teams played a top-notch quarter-final match, with Belgium winning 2-1 overall. |
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| Before the quarter-final match against Croatia, Russian captain Artem Dzyuba "wound up" the team's spirit with sincere words: "I am very proud of you! I love you all! What we have achieved is very proud". But luck did not smile on the Russian team as Croatia defeated the home team. |
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| England fans celebrated and were excited throughout the quarter-final match between England and Sweden. Their team, after 28 years, won the right to go on to the semi-finals. |
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| France striker Kylian Mbappe gets past Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne during the semi-final. France won 1-0 and reached the World Cup final. |
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| Croatia defender Shime Visalco continued his dream as Croatia beat England in the semi-finals, reaching the World Cup final for the first time in their history. |
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| Belgium players and coaching staff celebrate their historic 2-0 win over England in the Bronze Medal match. Despite not making it to the final, the Red Devils can be proud of their performance at this year's World Cup. |
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| French President Emmanuel Macron celebrates after scoring the goal that made it 4-1 in the France - Croatia final. |
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| The title of World Cup 2018 champion belongs to the French "Goliath Roosters". |
